Fryderyk Chopin w literaturze francuskiej: od figury romantycznej do ikony popkultury

The reception of Chopin and his music in French literature follows the rhythm of the changes in the European intellectual and aesthetic climates. George Sand recorded in her memoirs the image of a romantic genius par excellence, a dark, torn and complicated soul. The decadent and symbolist poetry, best exemplified by Maurice Rollinat, presents a portrait ofa blood-spitting neurasthenic, a soulmate of the poet. Marcel Proust paints the image of an elegant dandy and exquisite artist, while the first part of the twentieth century is dominated by the neoromantic vision of Chopin as a great Polish patriot; this theme is perfectly illustrated by the poems of Anna de Noailles and Edmond Rostand. André Gide presents a radicallynew view of Chopin’s music, seeing the Polish composer as a neoclassicist pianist. Contemporary literature and art go on to dress Chopin in jeans, eagerly turning him into a mass culture hero.

Le comique en vers chez Rostand : le sous-rire du lecteur

Peu enclin aux formulations théoriques, Edmond Rostand doit beaucoup à Hugo mais aussi à Banville, dont il est l’héritier le plus populaire mais aussi le plus controversé. Notre projet est ici d’étudier les modalités du comique versifié dans son théâtre et dans sa poésie. Rostand traite la rime avec une virtuosité rare, notamment dans son théâtre où il demeure fidèle au vers traditionnel jusqu’à la mièvrerie ; ces tendances vont au reste s’affirmant à mesure que l’oeuvre progresse, au point d’hypertrophier la manière funambulesque. Toutefois, Rostand étant d’abord un élégiaque, sa poésie réserve au comique un usage plus mesuré. Au rire du spectateur de théâtre nous pouvons alors opposer le sous-rire du lecteur, conséquent à l’usage du vers.

The work of the couple Brailowsky in the mirror of Serbian critiques

Leonid (1867-1937) and Rimma (1877-1959) Brailowsky brought to Belgrade National theatre (together with other Russian emigrated stage and costume designers) the spirit of the World of Art (Mir Iskusstva), making d?cor and costumes for 18 performances during the period of 1921-1924. Les romanesques by Edmond Rostand, Le malade imaginaire by Moli?re, Shakespeare's Richard III, Merchant of Venice and King Lear and two Serbian dramas, Offenbach's Hoffmann's Tales, Faust by Gounod, Smetana's Bartered Bride, Bizet's Carmen Onegin and Queen of Spades by Tchaikovsky, Massenet's Manon, The Tsar's Bride by Rimsky-Korsakov, The Wedding of Milos by Petar Konjovic, the Serbian opera composer, two ballets, Sheherazade and Nutcracker. The artists, husband and wife, were praised for their modernization of the Belgrade scene, for their vivid realization of sets and costumes, for their novelties, especially in Serbian historical dramas by Branislav Nusic and Milutin Bojic, and Shakespeare as well. In operas and ballets they were also respected in some extent, but the pictorial, sometimes independent value of their scenic work, although inspired by music, arouse opposing questions among the musical critics, who could not accept their too bright colors which once conquered Paris in the scenic interpretation of Leon Bakst or Nikolai Roerich. To avoid resistance of Belgrade critics the couple decided to leave Yugoslav capital for Italy where they continued successfully their artistic career.