French Literature Reviews - 2026
A. Fabiano, The Comédie-Italienne of Paris and Carlo Goldoni: From commedia dell’arte to opéra-comique, a dramaturgy of hybridization in the 18th century.
Theatre and Performance
Bibliographical reference: Andrea Fabiano, La Comédie-Italienne de Paris et Carlo Goldoni. De la commedia dell’arte à l’opéra-comique, une dramaturgie de l’hybridation au XVIIIe siècle, Paris, PUPS – Presses de l'université Paris-Sorbonne, 2018, 256 p., "Theatrum Mundi" series, 2018. EAN13: 9791023105971.
In 1762, Carlo Goldoni left Venice forever for Paris, where the Comédie-Italienne placed its actors, its theatre, and its audience at his disposal. On this "hybrid stage"—disparaged by some, embraced by the creative ambitions of others—Goldoni achieved a new synthesis of French dramaturgical expertise and Italian theatrical tradition, against a constant backdrop of bilingualism and a perpetually challenged balance between voice and music, word and body.
How could Italian art be legitimized in the theatrical capital of Europe? How could centuries-old masks be reconciled with the spirit of the Enlightenment? How could the commedia dell’arte be revitalized, integrating "realism" and fantasy within the same space and time? What kind of artistic relationship developed between Italian comic dramaturgy and the French modern opéra-comique? How would Parisian audiences receive the greatest Italian playwright of the century?
Drawing on an analysis of manuscript scenarios, comedy outlines, archival documents, and reviews published in Parisian periodicals, Andrea Fabiano offers the first comprehensive reading of the theatrical diversity presented by the Comédie-Italienne of Paris in the second half of the eighteenth century. This study captures the complexity of Goldoni's long career as an author, as well as his process of experimentation and cross-fertilization. Ultimately, Goldoni offers a theatricalization of his own theatre—a history of his unique, cross-border journey as a playwright and an explorer of souls and fantasies.
This scholarly investigation situates itself within eighteenth-century theatre history and French-Italian cultural exchange during the Enlightenment. By examining manuscript scenarios, archival documents, and contemporary Parisian periodical reviews, the author traces how Italian comic dramaturgy adapted to the expectations of audiences in the French capital. The work illuminates the complexities of bilingual performance, the balance between textual authority and musical expression, and the evolving relationship between traditional masked comedy and modern theatrical forms.
Researchers and students focusing on eighteenth-century European drama, theatrical hybridization, and the reception of foreign artists in France will find this volume particularly useful. It offers valuable insights into the mechanics of cross-cultural adaptation and the professional trajectory of a major playwright navigating institutional and aesthetic shifts. The study helps clarify questions regarding the legitimation of foreign theatrical traditions and the creative synthesis of realism and fantasy on the Enlightenment stage.