La Sémiramis de Voltaire, tragédie néo-antique

The creation of Sémiramis by Voltaire at the Comédie-Française on August 29, 1748 and its decisive revivals by Lekain from 1756 are a perfect example of the interdependence between theatrical forms and ancient forms. The success of the play is in fact contemporary with the publication of the writing...

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Main Author: Renaud Bret-Vitoz
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: Seminario di filologia francese 2024-11-01
Series:Revue Italienne d'Etudes Françaises
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/rief/13313
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author Renaud Bret-Vitoz
author_facet Renaud Bret-Vitoz
author_sort Renaud Bret-Vitoz
collection DOAJ
description The creation of Sémiramis by Voltaire at the Comédie-Française on August 29, 1748 and its decisive revivals by Lekain from 1756 are a perfect example of the interdependence between theatrical forms and ancient forms. The success of the play is in fact contemporary with the publication of the writings of Caylus returning from Rome, and those of Winckelmann edited in France from 1755. The article analyzes the antiquity represented in the text of the play and in its settings as a probable turning point in the history of theater and in the history of art in France. Voltaire, as a precursor, illustrates with his new tragedy another option of the return to the ancient, archaic and oriental at the same time, whose ardor and violence oppose, by strengthening them, the « noble simplicity » and the « calm grandeur » of neo-antique aesthetics.
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spelling doaj-art-8a057942e8f4473cb8d620209da6491e2025-08-20T02:34:28ZfraSeminario di filologia franceseRevue Italienne d'Etudes Françaises2240-74562024-11-011410.4000/12oz4La Sémiramis de Voltaire, tragédie néo-antiqueRenaud Bret-VitozThe creation of Sémiramis by Voltaire at the Comédie-Française on August 29, 1748 and its decisive revivals by Lekain from 1756 are a perfect example of the interdependence between theatrical forms and ancient forms. The success of the play is in fact contemporary with the publication of the writings of Caylus returning from Rome, and those of Winckelmann edited in France from 1755. The article analyzes the antiquity represented in the text of the play and in its settings as a probable turning point in the history of theater and in the history of art in France. Voltaire, as a precursor, illustrates with his new tragedy another option of the return to the ancient, archaic and oriental at the same time, whose ardor and violence oppose, by strengthening them, the « noble simplicity » and the « calm grandeur » of neo-antique aesthetics.https://journals.openedition.org/rief/13313scenographyWinckelmann (Johann Joachim)EastCaylus (count of)neoclassical
spellingShingle Renaud Bret-Vitoz
La Sémiramis de Voltaire, tragédie néo-antique
Revue Italienne d'Etudes Françaises
scenography
Winckelmann (Johann Joachim)
East
Caylus (count of)
neoclassical
title La Sémiramis de Voltaire, tragédie néo-antique
title_full La Sémiramis de Voltaire, tragédie néo-antique
title_fullStr La Sémiramis de Voltaire, tragédie néo-antique
title_full_unstemmed La Sémiramis de Voltaire, tragédie néo-antique
title_short La Sémiramis de Voltaire, tragédie néo-antique
title_sort la semiramis de voltaire tragedie neo antique
topic scenography
Winckelmann (Johann Joachim)
East
Caylus (count of)
neoclassical
url https://journals.openedition.org/rief/13313
work_keys_str_mv AT renaudbretvitoz lasemiramisdevoltairetragedieneoantique