Yarrow, P.J.

Dramatic Criticism of Elizabeth Charlotte, Duchesse D'orleans, with an Annotated Chronology of Performances of the Popular and Court Theatres in France (1671-1722) Reconstructed From Her Letters

1996 0-7734-8834-0
Elizabeth Charlotte, duchesse d'Orléans, the second wife of the king's brother, left a voluminous correspondence. Through her forthright attitude, set against the context of the sometimes mealy-mouthed French court and French society of 1671-1722, we can learn much about the successes and failures, quarrels and crises in the theatre, about the hostility of the Church, and the actors, actresses, and playwrights as individuals. This scholarly study, the outcome of seven years' work, is the first full-length analysis of the topic. It establishes as nearly as possible a chronological list of what she saw. The information gathered about the theatre at court has never been published in collected or collated form. This unique record is of significance for theatre and opera studies of the period, as well as for the study of Elizabeth Charlotte (also known as 'Madame', the 'Princess Palatine' and 'Liselotte') herself.