Pradon and the 'Parodie de Bérénice'

Clarke, Jan

Abstract

On 11 October 1683, according to Evariste Gherardi, the Comédie-Italienne gave the first performance of a show entitled Arlequin Protée, which included a parody of Racine’s Bérénice framed by a number of related scenes. This parody has generally been attributed to Fatouville, but a study of archival material reveals that it was actually the work of Pradon – one of the most prolific (if not the most successful) tragic authors of the period. The present article situates this parody with regard to two specific contexts: the ongoing conflict between the Comédie-Italienne and the Comédie-Française following the former’s (reluctant) transfer to the Hôtel de Bourgogne in 1680 and their use of this relocation as a justification for the introduction of French scenes into their repertoire; and Pradon’s previous relations with the Comédie-Française, the possible reasons for his defection, and his subsequent return to the fold. The scenes themselves are analysed, with particular reference to the parodic impersonation by Catherine Biancolelli as Colombine of the leading tragic actress of the age, Marie Desmares (Mlle Champmeslé), who had created the role of Bérénice and was still playing it at the time of Arlequin Protée, as well the more generalised pastiche of the tragic style offered by her sister, Françoise Biancolelli, as Isabelle. Finally, we consider how Racine reacted to seeing his tragic heroine (and indirectly himself) being made a figure of fun, and conclude with an appreciation of 1683 as ‘l’année Bérénice’, with performances of Pierre Corneille’s Tite et Bérénice at court, Racine’s Bérénice at court and at the Comédie-Française, and the Italian’s parody at the Hôtel de Bourgogne.

Citation

Clarke, J. (2022). Pradon and the 'Parodie de Bérénice'. In N. Hammond, & P. Hammond (Eds.), Racine’s Roman Tragedies: Essays on Britannicus and Bérénice (279-309). Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004504813_016

• Online Publication Date: Jan 17, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022
• Deposit Date: Oct 19, 2023
• Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers
• Pages: 279-309
• Series Title: Faux Titre
• Series Number: 456
• Book Title: Racine’s Roman Tragedies: Essays on Britannicus and Bérénice
• Chapter Number: 14
• ISBN: 9789004504806
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004504813_016
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1806575