Wine, Women and Song. Anacreon's Triple Threat to French Eighteenth-Century Ballet

Abstract

Important to this study of Anacreontic ballets of the late 18th century are the ballets of three renowned French choreographers: (1) Le Bonheur est d'Aimer, or Happiness is Being in Love by Jean Bercher, better known as Dauberval (1742-1806), (Ballet Anacreontique, La Musique a l'exception de 2 Airs est de M. Barthelemon, Bordeaux, le 28 Fevrier 1785); (2) Tout Cede a l'Amour, or Love Conquers All by Eugene Hus, who preferred to be called Pierre Stapleton (1758-1823), perhaps to distinguish himself from his father, the Paris Opera choreographer, Jean Baptiste Hus, (Ballet Pantomime Anacreontique, Musique arrange par Citoyen Piot, Bordeaux, (August-September, 1781), I'an VI); and (3) La Metamorphose, by Charles Didelot (17671837), (Ballet Episodique, Lyon, l'an IV (1795)). This ballet sheds light upon Didelot's more famous Flor and Zephyr (Ballet Divertissement in 1 act, libretto and choreography by Charles Didelot, music by Cesar Bossi, decor Liparotti, 7 July 1796, King's Theatre, London, with Mmes. Hilligsberg and Rose). It is interesting that the livret for Flore is attached to La Metamorphose with the note that it was to commence his series of Anacreontic episodes. Though Hus' Love Conquers All postdates La Metamorphose it is discussed after Dauberval's Happiness is Being in Love because he states that his debt to Dauberval cannot be overestimated. In truth it is his debt to Gardel that prevails. It must be said that Dauberval, Hus and Didelot, following in the footsteps