Les vaudevilles, un medium théâtral

Philip Robinson : Vaudevilles, an 18th-century theatrical medium. Early French opéra-comique (or théâtre de la foire) is typified by vaudevilles , which are the theatrical application of the pont-neuf (the singing of satirical lyrics to already known tunes) ; this means not only refrain songs at the ends of acts or whole plays, but the very dialogue itself. Vaudevilles become a theatrical medium in a quite specific musical sense, for even when present in only limited numbers they impose, thanks to the cultural connotations and references of their airs, a light and comical tone which tends to dominate the entire play. The point is demonstrated by following, through a number of plays from the period 1740-70, the use of two airs for which the connotations and references can be reconstructed and the musical effects illustrated.Robinson Philip. Les vaudevilles, un medium théâtral. In: Dix-huitième Siècle, n°28, 1996. L'Orient. pp. 431-447