Vaudeville (song)
Encyclopedia
A vaudeville is a French
satirical
poem or song
born of the 17th and 18th centuries. Its name is lent to the French theatrical
entertainment comédie en vaudeville
of the 19th and 20th century. From these vaudeville
took its name.
The earliest vaudeville was the vau de vire, a Norman
song of the 15th century, named after the valley of Vire
. During the 16th century emerged a style in urban France called the voix de ville (city voice), whose name may have been a pun
on vau de vire, and which was also satirical. The two styles converged and in the 17th and 18th century the term "vaudeville" came to be used for songs satirizing political and court events.
In 1717 a collection was published in Paris
of over 300 vaudevilles, entitled La clef des chansonniers, ou recueil des vaudevilles depuis 100 ans et plus [The singers' key, or collection of Vaudevilles from over 100 years], and in 1733 in the same city a club, "Le Caveau", was founded devoted to singing vaudevilles.
From these popular, but simple, airs, evolved the comédie en vaudeville
, which was itself a precursor of the opéra comique
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
poem or song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
born of the 17th and 18th centuries. Its name is lent to the French theatrical
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
entertainment comédie en vaudeville
Comédie en vaudeville
The Comédie en vaudeville was a theatrical entertainment which began in Paris towards the end of the 17th century, in which comedy was enlivened though lyrics using the melody of popular vaudeville songs.-Evolution:...
of the 19th and 20th century. From these vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
took its name.
The earliest vaudeville was the vau de vire, a Norman
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
song of the 15th century, named after the valley of Vire
Vire
Vire is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.- History :In 1123, Henri I Beauclerc, King of England and Duke of Normandy, had a redoubt constructed on a rocky hill top, which was surrounded by the Vire river...
. During the 16th century emerged a style in urban France called the voix de ville (city voice), whose name may have been a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on vau de vire, and which was also satirical. The two styles converged and in the 17th and 18th century the term "vaudeville" came to be used for songs satirizing political and court events.
In 1717 a collection was published 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...
of over 300 vaudevilles, entitled La clef des chansonniers, ou recueil des vaudevilles depuis 100 ans et plus [The singers' key, or collection of Vaudevilles from over 100 years], and in 1733 in the same city a club, "Le Caveau", was founded devoted to singing vaudevilles.
From these popular, but simple, airs, evolved the comédie en vaudeville
Comédie en vaudeville
The Comédie en vaudeville was a theatrical entertainment which began in Paris towards the end of the 17th century, in which comedy was enlivened though lyrics using the melody of popular vaudeville songs.-Evolution:...
, which was itself a precursor of the opéra comique
Opéra comique
Opéra comique is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged out of the popular opéra comiques en vaudevilles of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent , which combined existing popular tunes with spoken sections...
.