BALLET D’ACTION

Chapter:

CHAPTER 3 Aristocratic Maximalism

Source:

MUSIC IN THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY

Author(s):

Richard Taruskin

The choreographer Jean-Georges Noverre (1727–1810) claimed to be the sole inventor of this type of highly elaborated dance spectacle. And while all such claims to absolute priority can be debunked—Noverre’s by dance historians who have identified forerunners of his ballets d’action as early as 1702—Noverre’s works were recognized by his contemporaries as an important step toward ballet’s “emancipation” from opera (an emancipation ironically achieved by means of emulation). During a stay in London, Noverre studied the techniques of David Garrick, the famous realistic actor, who returned the compliment by calling Noverre “the Shakespeare of the dance.”¹

Citation (MLA):

Richard Taruskin. "Chapter 3 Aristocratic Maximalism." The Oxford History of Western Music. Oxford University Press. New York, USA. n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2025. <https://www.oxfordwesternmusic.com/view/Volume4/actrade-9780195384840-div1-003002.xml>.

Citation (APA):

Taruskin, R. (n.d.). Chapter 3 Aristocratic Maximalism. In Oxford University Press, Music in the Early Twentieth Century. New York, USA. Retrieved 21 Jan. 2025, from https://www.oxfordwesternmusic.com/view/Volume4/actrade-9780195384840-div1-003002.xml

Citation (Chicago):

Richard Taruskin. "Chapter 3 Aristocratic Maximalism." In Music in the Early Twentieth Century, Oxford University Press. (New York, USA, n.d.). Retrieved 21 Jan. 2025, from https://www.oxfordwesternmusic.com/view/Volume4/actrade-9780195384840-div1-003002.xml