Les Spectacles de Paris
Encyclopedia
Les Spectacles de Paris was a French theatrical almanac
which appeared in Paris
(from the Duchesne press) from 1751 to 1797 without break. It followed the Almanach des théâtres, printed by Ballard, in 1744 and 1745.
Over its 46-year life, it changed its name several times :
It was begun by abbot Joseph de La Porte, a playwright among other things. In it is to be found an annual run-down of the troupes of the Académie royale de musique
, of the Comédie-Française
, of the Comédie-Italienne, of the Opéra-Comique, of the Foires Saint-Germain et Saint-Laurent
and of the Concert Spirituel
. For each theatre, it gives the new plays put on there that year, actors' first performances, anecdotes about the theatre world, actors, plays and comic-actors, and authors' and actors' obituaries. From 1792, the almanack also kept an important slot for provincial theatres (eg in Bordeaux
, Lyon
, Marseille
, Nantes
, Rouen
, Toulouse
and Lille
) and the make-up of their troupes.
The almanac was succeeded by the Indicateur dramatique ou Almanach des théâtres de Paris in 1798 and the Almanach des spectacles de Paris in 1799 and 1800, which gave way in the 19th century to the Annuaire dramatique (1805-1817), then to the Almanach des spectacles, par K.Y.Z. (1818-1824).
Almanac
An almanac is an annual publication that includes information such as weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, and tide tables, containing tabular information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar etc...
which appeared in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(from the Duchesne press) from 1751 to 1797 without break. It followed the Almanach des théâtres, printed by Ballard, in 1744 and 1745.
- 1751 : Calendrier historique des théâtres de l'Opéra, et des Comédies Françoise et Italienne et des Foires
- 1752 : Almanach historique et chronologique de tous les spectacles
- 1753 : Calendrier historique des théâtres de l'Opéra, et des Comédies Françoise et Italienne et des Foires
- 1754 : Les Spectacles de Paris, ou suite du Calendrier historique et chronologique des théâtres
- 1763 : Les Spectacles de Paris, ou Calendrier historique & chronologique des théâtres
- 1791 : Almanach général de tous les spectacles de Paris et des provinces
- 1792 : Les Spectacles de Paris, et de toute la France, ou Calendrier historique & chronologique des théâtres.
It was begun by abbot Joseph de La Porte, a playwright among other things. In it is to be found an annual run-down of the troupes of the Académie royale de musique
Académie Royale de Musique
The Salle Le Peletier was the home of the Paris Opera from 1821 until the building was destroyed by fire in 1873. The theatre was designed and constructed by the architect François Debret on the site of the former Hôtel de Choiseul...
, of the Comédie-Française
Comédie-Française
The Comédie-Française or Théâtre-Français is one of the few state theaters in France. It is the only state theater to have its own troupe of actors. It is located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris....
, of the Comédie-Italienne, of the Opéra-Comique, of the Foires Saint-Germain et Saint-Laurent
Théâtre de la foire
Théâtre de la foire is the collective name given to the theatre put on at the annual fairs at Saint-Germain and Saint-Laurent in Paris.-Foire Saint-Germain:The earliest references to the annual fair date to 1176...
and of the Concert Spirituel
Concert Spirituel
The Concert Spirituel was one of the first public concert series in existence. The concerts began in Paris in 1725 and ended in 1790; later, concerts or series of concerts of the same name occurred in Paris, Vienna, London and elsewhere...
. For each theatre, it gives the new plays put on there that year, actors' first performances, anecdotes about the theatre world, actors, plays and comic-actors, and authors' and actors' obituaries. From 1792, the almanack also kept an important slot for provincial theatres (eg in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
, Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
and Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
) and the make-up of their troupes.
The almanac was succeeded by the Indicateur dramatique ou Almanach des théâtres de Paris in 1798 and the Almanach des spectacles de Paris in 1799 and 1800, which gave way in the 19th century to the Annuaire dramatique (1805-1817), then to the Almanach des spectacles, par K.Y.Z. (1818-1824).
External links
- Almanach of 1791 on Gallica