Le renouveau parodique de l’opéra-comique sous le Directoire, le Consulat et l’Empire

Abstract

The opéra-comique of the revolutionary period turned away from the comic and embraced a more spectacular and sonorous aesthetic, very similar to that of the opera. After Thermidor, Grétry's work was revived as the public grew tired of the pompous musical style inherited from the Revolution. The stylistic and dramaturgical lightening of the opéra-comique began under the Directoire and the Consulate continued during the Empire, especially through auto-parody. This study aims at identifying the issues at stake in this change to better understand the evolution of musical theatre at the turn of the Century.