Gautier

[sandik]

At a local rummage sale this weekend I found a 1928 single volume edition of Theophile Gautier's fiction. I've only had time to skim, and so far it's charmingly florid -- is anyone here familiar with any of his work other than his dance writing?

[Mel Johnson]

Yes, Gautier produced quite an assortment of short stories and novellas, largely to pay the bills. They are the Romantic successors to the Gothics of the eighteen-teens and twenties. My own favorite is "La Morte Amoreuse".

[Estelle]

I'd say that in France Gautier is better known as the author of the novels "Le Capitaine Fracasse" and "Le roman de la momie" than as a dance librettist and writer... Especially as several movies were made after "Le Capitaine Fracasse".

I was a kid when I had read both (and for "Le roman de la momie", it probably was an abridged version) so my memories are not very precise. The main character of "Le capitaine Fracasse" (which takes place in the 17th century) is the young baron of Sigognac, who lives poorly in a very old and dusty castle with his old domestic, his dog and his horse; one day a travelling group of actors comes to his castle for the night, and he decides to join us, taking the stage name of "Capitaine Fracasse", falls in love with a young actress, and I don't remember much of the rest except that there are some duels. ;)

"Le roman de la momie" is, I think, shorter; two archeologists discover the mummy of a young Egyptian woman, and a papyrus which explains her life (some of the characters of the story are Moses and pharaoh Ramses).

For the people who can read French, both novels are freely available online.

[Mel Johnson]

So that's where that comes from! I always wondered about the line in the opening poem of "Façade", 'Sailor's Hornpipe' (Not used in the ballet):

Captain Fracasse, stout as any water-butt came, stood

With Sir Bacchus both a-drinking the black-tarred grapes' blood....