ENGLISH

Mime, Music and Drama on the Eighteenth-Century Stage: The Ballet d'Action

Book information

Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
2011
ISBN
1107005493, 9781107005495
LCC
GV1643 .N94 2011
Google Books ID
wfAd0WW_0yYC
Open Library ID
OL24827873M
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
9 MB (9786849 bytes)
Pages
339\339
Orientation
yes
Scanned
no
Time added
2012-02-04 16:00:00

Description

The 'ballet d'action' was one of the most successful and controversial forms of theatre in the early modern period. A curious hybrid of dance, mime and music, its overall and overriding intention was to create drama. It was danced drama rather than dramatic dance; musical drama rather than dramatic music. Most modern critical studies of the ballet d'action treat it more narrowly as stage dance, and very few view it as part of the history of mime. Little use has previously been made of the most revealing musical evidence. This innovative book does justice to the distinctive hybrid nature of the ballet d'action by taking a comparative approach, using contemporary literature and literary criticism, music, mime and dance from a wide range of English and European sources. Edward Nye presents a fascinating study of this important and influential part of eighteenth-century European theatre.

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