Les Observations sur la construction d’une nouvelle salle de l’Opéra de Noverre : une contribution au débat sur l’architecture théâtrale au temps des Lumières

2011

Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), un artiste européen au siècle des Lumières

Michèle Sajous d'Oria

Université de Bari

On June the 8th 1781, at the end of Gluck’s Orphée, a fire broke out in the Opera hall then situated in the Palais Royal. This fire reopened the debate on theatrical architecture, even though everything seemed to have been said already. In fact, Paris was about to reopen a new Comédie-Française in 1782, which met with the requirements for public theatres in the age of Enlightment both for the structure and design of the auditorium and stage. Several projects were launched and Noverre actively participated in the debate by publishing his Observations sur la construction d’une nouvelle salle de l’Opéra. His work was considered by his coevals as a real treaty on theatrical architecture, even though his study was essentially about stage design. In 1804, Noverre included this extract in the Saint-Petersburg edition of Lettres sur la danse, sur les ballets et les arts, with the addition of his criticism on Paris’ newly built theatre halls, in particular those built by Victor Louis and Charles De Wailly.