Grand Opera and the Decline of Ballet in the later Nineteenth Century: A Discursive Essay

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Up to the end of the nineteenth century, the history of ballet and the history of opera were closely entwined in a war for supremacy, with opera often in the dominant role; this was particularly the case during the second half of the nineteenth century, when ballet was widely perceived as being in decline. Some historical background is necessary to provide a brief outline of the long process that led to this outcome.