Old Alceste in New Clothes: The struggles of the costume reform at the French opera stage
Résumé
When Lully’s tragédie en musique Alceste (première 1674) was going to be revived at the court theatre in 1754, the necessity of reforming the stage costumes have been already largely discussed in France, although mainly in theory. The new production of the old opera on the theme from ancient mythology thus became an occasion to put in practice some of the reform ideas. However, this was not an easy task, since the theatre costume was not only a visual element and dramaturgical tool, but also an embodiment of social and hierarchical orders. This presentation will discuss the aims and issues of this first phase of costume reform, connecting it to the broader ideas of the Enlightenment, and demonstrate its struggles on the 1754 production of Alceste, so-far little known, but highly significant case.