Comédie-ballet
Encyclopedia
Comédie-ballet is a genre of French drama which mixes a spoken play with interludes containing music and dance.
, performed in honour of Louis XIV at Vaux-le-Vicomte
, the residence of Nicolas Fouquet
, in 1661. The music was by Jean-Baptiste Lully
with choreography by Pierre Beauchamp
. Molière, Lully and Beauchamp collaborated on several more examples of comédie-ballet, culminating in the masterpiece of the genre, Le bourgeois gentilhomme
, in 1670. After quarrelling with Lully, Molière retained the services of Beauchamp as choreographer but turned to the composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier
for the music for Le malade imaginaire
in 1673. While performing in Le malade, Molière was taken ill on stage and died shortly afterwards.
In the 18th century, the comédie-ballet became almost completely outmoded but it still exercised a long-lasting influence on the use of music in French theatre. A late example of a genuine comédie-ballet is La princesse de Navarre
by Voltaire
, which was performed at Versailles
on 23 February 1745. It consisted of a prologue and three acts, with the addition of an overture and three musical divertissements, one per act, composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau
. The vocal music is particularly difficult to sing and includes a virtuoso duet for hautes-contre
.
(another genre mixing opera and dance) in that it contained a continuous plot (rather than a different plot for each act) as well as frequently having comic or satirical elements. It was essentially the same as the comédie lyrique. Examples include Le carnaval et la folie (1703) by André Cardinal Destouches
and La vénitienne (1768) by Antoine Dauvergne
, a late reworking of the 1705 ballet of the same name by Michel de la Barre
. A completely different use of the term comédie-lyrique as a sort of modern revival of the comédie-ballet is Le piège de Méduse
(1913) by Erik Satie
, which is a play in one act with seven short dances originally composed for the piano.
This article is a translation of the equivalent page on the Italian Wikipedia
History
The first example of the genre is considered to be Les fâcheux, with words by MolièreMolière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
, performed in honour of Louis XIV at Vaux-le-Vicomte
Vaux-le-Vicomte
The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte is a baroque French château located in Maincy, near Melun, 55 km southeast of Paris in the Seine-et-Marne département of France...
, the residence of Nicolas Fouquet
Nicolas Fouquet
Nicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 until 1661 under King Louis XIV...
, in 1661. The music was by Jean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste de Lully was an Italian-born French composer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of the French Baroque style. Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period. He became a French subject in...
with choreography by Pierre Beauchamp
Pierre Beauchamp
Pierre Beauchamp was a French choreographer, dancer and composer, and the probable inventor of Beauchamp-Feuillet notation.-Biography:...
. Molière, Lully and Beauchamp collaborated on several more examples of comédie-ballet, culminating in the masterpiece of the genre, Le bourgeois gentilhomme
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
Le Bourgeois gentilhomme is a five-act comédie-ballet—a play intermingled with music, dance and singing—by Molière, first presented on 14 October 1670 before the court of Louis XIV at the Château of Chambord by Molière's troupe of actors...
, in 1670. After quarrelling with Lully, Molière retained the services of Beauchamp as choreographer but turned to the composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, , was a French composer of the Baroque era.Exceptionally prolific and versatile, he produced compositions of the highest quality in several genres...
for the music for Le malade imaginaire
Le Malade imaginaire
The Imaginary Invalid is a three-act comédie-ballet by the French playwright Molière. It was first performed in 1673 and was the last work he wrote. In an ironic twist of fate, Molière collapsed during his fourth performance as Argan on 17 February and died soon after...
in 1673. While performing in Le malade, Molière was taken ill on stage and died shortly afterwards.
In the 18th century, the comédie-ballet became almost completely outmoded but it still exercised a long-lasting influence on the use of music in French theatre. A late example of a genuine comédie-ballet is La princesse de Navarre
La princesse de Navarre
La princesse de Navarre is a comédie-ballet with music by Jean-Philippe Rameau and words by Voltaire, first performed on 23 February 1745 at La Grande Ecurie, Versailles.-Performance history:...
by Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
, which was performed at Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
on 23 February 1745. It consisted of a prologue and three acts, with the addition of an overture and three musical divertissements, one per act, composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau was one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the Baroque era. He replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of French opera and is also considered the leading French composer for the harpsichord of his time, alongside François...
. The vocal music is particularly difficult to sing and includes a virtuoso duet for hautes-contre
Haute-contre
The haute-contre is a rare type of high tenor voice, predominant in French Baroque and Classical opera until the latter part of the eighteenth century.-History:...
.
Comédie-ballet and comédie lyrique
Even though scholars tend to limit the use of the term comédie-ballet to the form described above, in the 18th century some authors also applied it to other kinds of stage work, particularly a type of comic opera, usually in three or four acts, without spoken dialogue. This differed from opéra-balletOpéra-ballet
Opéra-ballet was a popular genre of French Baroque opera, "that grew out of the ballets à entrées of the early seventeeth century". It differed from the more elevated tragédie en musique as practised by Jean-Baptiste Lully in several ways...
(another genre mixing opera and dance) in that it contained a continuous plot (rather than a different plot for each act) as well as frequently having comic or satirical elements. It was essentially the same as the comédie lyrique. Examples include Le carnaval et la folie (1703) by André Cardinal Destouches
André Cardinal Destouches
André Cardinal Destouches was a French composer best known for the opéra-ballet Les élémens....
and La vénitienne (1768) by Antoine Dauvergne
Antoine Dauvergne
Antoine Dauvergne was a French composer and violinist. Dauvergne served as master of the Chambre du roi, director of the Concert Spirituel from 1762 to 1771, and director of the Opéra three times between 1769 and 1790...
, a late reworking of the 1705 ballet of the same name by Michel de la Barre
Michel de la Barre
Michel de la Barre was a French composer and renowned flautist known as being the first person to publish solo flute music...
. A completely different use of the term comédie-lyrique as a sort of modern revival of the comédie-ballet is Le piège de Méduse
Le Piège de Méduse
Le piège de Méduse is a short play of which Erik Satie wrote both the text and the incidental music.The text of the play was written as a "comédie lyrique" in one act, February-March 1913...
(1913) by Erik Satie
Erik Satie
Éric Alfred Leslie Satie was a French composer and pianist. Satie was a colourful figure in the early 20th century Parisian avant-garde...
, which is a play in one act with seven short dances originally composed for the piano.
Comédies-ballets created by Molière-Lully-Beauchamp
- Les fâcheux (1660)
- La pastorale comique (1667)
- Le Sicilien (1667)
- L'amour médecinL'Amour médecinL'Amour médecin is a French comedy written by Molière. It was presented for the first time by order of King Louis XIV at Versailles on September 22, 1665.-Sganarelle:...
(1665) - George Dandin (1668)
- Monsieur de PourceaugnacMonsieur de PourceaugnacMonsieur de Pourceaugnac is a 1985 French drama film directed by Michel Mitrani that is based on the 1669 play of the same name by Molière. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:...
(1669) - Les amants magnifiques (1670)
- Le bourgeois gentilhommeLe Bourgeois GentilhommeLe Bourgeois gentilhomme is a five-act comédie-ballet—a play intermingled with music, dance and singing—by Molière, first presented on 14 October 1670 before the court of Louis XIV at the Château of Chambord by Molière's troupe of actors...
(1670)
Comédies-ballets created by Molière-Charpentier-Beauchamp
- La Comtesse d'Escarbagnas (1671)
- Le Malade imaginaireLe Malade imaginaireThe Imaginary Invalid is a three-act comédie-ballet by the French playwright Molière. It was first performed in 1673 and was the last work he wrote. In an ironic twist of fate, Molière collapsed during his fourth performance as Argan on 17 February and died soon after...
(1673)
Comédie-ballet created by Voltaire and Rameau
- La princesse de NavarreLa princesse de NavarreLa princesse de Navarre is a comédie-ballet with music by Jean-Philippe Rameau and words by Voltaire, first performed on 23 February 1745 at La Grande Ecurie, Versailles.-Performance history:...
(1745)
Sources
- Bartlet, M. Elisabeth C., "Comédie lyrique" and "Comédie-ballet", in Stanley, Sadie (ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera (I, pp. 910–909), Grove (Oxford University Press), New York, 1997 (ISBN 978-0-19-522186-2)
- Sawkins, Lionel, "Haute-contre", ibidem (II, pp. 668–69)
- Caruselli, Salvatore (ed.), Grande enciclopedia della musica lirica (III, article: “Lully, Giovanni Battista”), Longanesi & C. Periodici S.p.A., Rome
- Le magazin de l’opéra baroque
This article is a translation of the equivalent page on the Italian Wikipedia