The writing of exoticism in the libretti of the Opéra-Comique, 1825–1862

Abstract

Considerations of exoticism and particularly of orientalism in opera seem to focus, either explicitly or implicitly, on generalities – even when scholars have looked at only a few isolated works taken almost exclusively from ‘serious’ or ‘great’ repertories. However, in order to understand this complex phenomenon in its contemporary context, it is necessary to work from a knowledge of the extraordinary diversity of ‘exotic’ opera.

A Review on Musical Exoticism the History of Scholarship and Extension of Concept

“…In the monograph On the Question of "Exoticism" in 19th Century Music [4], author A. L. Ringer traces the early source of non-Western music available in Europe that was first introduced during the Enlightenment. Yet, Ringer questioned why such documentary resources were not used for at least a century.…”

“…In short, this music contains much valuable material if it is adequately treated" [4]. However, such an attitude was almost an isolated case since an entire century was to pass before this view towards folklore became mainstream or the usage of folkloristic resources became folklorism.…”

“…However, most importantly, when concerning thriving exotic works in the 19th century with reference to Nietzsche, who regarded the narrow nationalism as the greatest danger that threatened German music, Ringer considered all Exoticist practices that had now come into being as a matter of artistic survival -saving German music from its banality and monotony. He concluded that "in the end, art follows its organic evolution, … never completely subject to socio-political events" [4].…”

L’orientalisme musical en France, de Berlioz aux Ballets russes. Compte rendu de la journée d’étude, 19 février 2016, Faculté de musique, Université de Montréal

“…L'intérêt porté à l'orientalisme musical, qu'il soit français ou non, est cependant loin d'être exclusif aux chercheurs qui gravitent autour de l'émf et de ses activités, et la musicologie connaît depuis plusieurs années -voire décennies -un engouement certain pour cette question qui provoque de vifs débats : des prises de position en continuité (ou en opposition) avec l'ouvrage phare d'Edward W. Saïd ([1978]2005) qui proposent une discussion sur (et parfois contre) les théories postcolonialistes en musique telles que les travaux de Matthew Head (2003), de Ralph Locke (2000 ;2008), de Jann Pasler (2004 ;2015a ;à paraître), de Jonathan Bellman (2011) et de Bridgid Cohen et al (2016), aux études historiques ou historico-analytiques telles que celles de Jean-Pierre Bartoli (1981 ;, de Pasler (2012 ;2015b), de Locke ([2009de Locke ([ ]2011 et de Hervé Lacombe (1999) en passant par les essais transdisciplinaires tels que ceux de Gurminder Bhogal (2013) et de Samuel Montiège (2016. Les cinq communications de la journée d'étude du 19 février 2016 reflétaient bien cette pluralité : les conférenciers, qui provenaient de la France, des États-Unis et du Canada, ont abordé des problématiques historiques, analytiques, méthodolo-giques, épistémologiques, pour ne nommer que celles traitées le plus explicitement.…”