The Opera-ballet Le Dieu et la bayadère by D.-F.-E. Auber and E. Scribe: A Musical and Dramatic Interpretation of the Character of Zoloé

Abstract

This article examines the specific features of the musical and dramatic interpretation of the bayadère Zoloé in the opéra-ballet Le Dieu et la bayadère ou La Courtisane amoureuse by D.-F.-E. Auber and E. Scribe (Paris, 1830). The fact that the main heroine's role was danced rather than sung introduced a new and unusual distribution of dramatic focus for an operatic audience. Although Zoloé’s part lacked parity with the vocal roles of other characters and relied solely on dance and pantomime, it carried significant dramatic and emotional weight. For the first time, a dancing bayadère was placed at the center of a musical stage work—thanks to the orchestra’s expressive power, the innovative choreography of Filippo Taglioni, and the talent of his daughter Marie Taglioni, for whom the role was created. While theatre critics found Scribe’s libretto insufficiently dramatic, they unanimously agreed that Taglioni’s choreographic mastery eclipsed the libretto’s shortcomings. Although Zoloé was not the first bayadère to appear on the stage of the Paris Opéra, her role marked a turning point in the development of European Romantic ballet.