The Staging of History in France

During the mid-nineteenth century the writing of§history reflected a new sensibility that was framed §by the idea, experience, and result of revolution in §France. Beginning with the assassination of the heir§to the throne in 1820, the decade leading to the§Revolution of 1830 was a time of significant change§that allowed an entire generation to identify with§the earlier revolution of 1789. The concept of the§professional historian was just beginning to take§root in France, and in the hands of such men who§were curious about the meaning of historical events,§the writing of history began to reflect a society§desperate for change. The historical figures found§in four grand opéras that premiered between 1830 and§1850 are examined as evidence of this historical§sensibility. By emphasizing the importance of the§past on the artistic pursuits of composers,§painters, writers, and the relatively new profession§of history in the first half of the nineteenth§century, it is possible to contextualize grand opéra§within the larger cultural movements in France and§thus understand the genre s popularity during the§July Monarchy and for its subsequent decline after§its demise.