Critique théâtrale. Tome I (1835-1838) (review)

Efforts to make Théophile Gautier's entire opus accessible to the public continue after more than thirty years of labor. The poetry, the prose narratives, and the correspondence have all been edited and are readily available in library. Work is currently underway on the Salons. And now the first of the projected fifteen to twenty tomes of the Critique théâtrale has joined the ranks in print, thanks to Patrick Berthier. No one is more qualified than he to undertake the enormous task of presenting and annotating the more than fourteen hundred articles of drama criticism Gautier penned between 1835 and 1872. Berthier's four-volume La Presse littéraire et dramatique au début de la Monarchie de Juillet (1830–1836) and other studies had already set the standard. In that respect his most recent volume does not disappoint.

In terms of the presentation and documentation of the texts themselves, Berthier has left no stone unturned. In addition to the meticulous editing of each article, annotations are abundant, well-drawn, and enlightening. Moreover, the indexing is a scholar's treasure-trove: "Répertoire des noms le plus souvent cités" (including brief biographical sketches); "Répertoire des titres d'œuvres le plus souvent cités" (including dates and plot summaries); "Index des noms de personnes"; "Index des titres d'œuvres de Théophile Gautier"; "Index des titres d'œuvres scéniques"; "Index des titres de périodiques"; "Index des titres d'autres œuvres"; "Indications bibliographiques."

As for the content and import of this and subsequent volumes, Berthier's introduction provides ample insight. For the first time the articles collected appear unabridged – prior editions having been both incomplete and rife with omissions (often sacrificing critical commentary). For the protracted period in question, then, readers will be able to follow the careers of playwrights and actors and will be better equipped to gauge individual productions, performances, and revivals. The notion that Gautier was "too kind" as a critic peels away as volume I unfolds: condemned to view countless mediocre offerings (the 19th century produced more than its share), Gautier rarely minces words. If humorous diatribes sometimes lighten the tone, the derision itself underscores shortcomings. Furthermore, the combination of humor – both benign and mordant (a Gautier trademark) – coupled with the journalist's innate ability to draw into the fold elements that would otherwise be considered extraneous to serious criticism makes for a rich cultural tapestry. Gautier was fascinated by the visual arts and effects, from set design and décor to the dynamics of the "popular" theater, including clowns, acrobats, animals, song and dance routines, and so on. Too, as Gautier's journalistic career advanced, he added necrologies to his repertoire. The breadth of his critical scope made room for the commemoration of art-world figures of all sorts, writers, painters, and sculptors alongside dramatists, actors, and other personalities associated with the theater.

What Berthier can only hint at must be discovered in the texts themselves. Beyond their unquestionable historical and critical value lies an aesthetic experience for the scholar and casual reader alike. As well as being informed and informative, Gautier's columns were – and remain – entertaining. By means of wit and charm he exploited the knack of coaxing readers into his web where he could present his notions of taste and style to a mesmerized, captive audience. Open this first volume to almost any page, page 435, for example, "Feuilleton de La Presse [26 mars 1838]. Opéra. Représentation de Mlle Noblet":

Le grand événement de la semaine a été la représentation de Mlle Noblet; comme à toute représentation à bénéfice, on s'y est prodigieusement ennuyé [. . .] La curiosité la plus attrayante de la soirée était à coup sûr la reprise du Sicilien ou l'Amour peintre, comédie à intermèdes de Molière, qui n'avait pas ét...