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Vaudeville
Vaudeville, French word, possibly a corruption of Vau (or Val) de Vire, meaning ‘songs from the Valley of Vire’ (in Normandy), where in the 15th century Olivier Basselin composed satirical couplets, sung to popular airs, against the English invaders; or, alternatively, ‘voix des villes’ (‘songs of the city streets’). In 1674 Boileau, in his Art poétique, used it in its present form to describe a satirical, often political ballad. It acquired its later meaning of ‘a play of a light or satiric nature, interspersed with songs’ by way of the little theatres in the Paris fairs. Owing to the monopoly of the Comédie-Française, plays in such theatres (sometimes no more than booths) could only be given in dumb-show, with interpolated choruses on well-known tunes, often parodying the productions at the legitimate theatre. These pièces en vaudevilles were the staple fare of the Opéra-Comique, and were written by many well-known dramatists, including Lesage. Their popularity paved the way for the immense vogue of light opera and operetta in mid-19th-century Paris, with librettos written by such men as the prolific Scribe and his numerous collaborators. When this particular kind of light comedy lost its popularity, the use of the term was extended to sketches on the variety stage, whence its present-day meaning in the USA (see below).
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Cite this article
PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Vaudeville." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Vaudeville." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-Vaudeville.html PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Vaudeville." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-Vaudeville.html |
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Olivier Basselin
Olivier Basselin , 15th cent., French miller of Vire, Normandy. He was one of the Compagnons du Vau de Vire [companions of the Vire valley], who made drinking songs, love songs, and war songs. The oldest surviving collection (1670) of the Vaux de Vire [songs of the Vire], once ascribed to Basselin, was probably the work of Jean Le Houx (d. 1616). |
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Cite this article
"Olivier Basselin." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Olivier Basselin." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-E-BasselinO.html "Olivier Basselin." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-E-BasselinO.html |
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