Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Générosité et sacrifice dans le mélodrame de Métastase

1997; Société française d'étude du XVIIIe siècle; Volume: 29; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3406/dhs.1997.2199

1760-7892

Olivier Rouvière,

Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis

Olivier Rouvière : Generosity and sacrifice in Metastasio's melodrama. From 1724 to 1772, by composing 26 melodramas, Metastasio (Pietro Tra-passi) brought about what has been called the "reform" of the Italian libretto, but is rather its recognition as a literary form and the celebration of its specificity. For Metastasio the melodramma, directly descended from classical tragedy as described by Aristotle, followed the same laws of composition but had its own characteristics, mainly its themes. He attributed a pedagogical value to the melo-dramma and preferred subjects illustrating the theme of generosity, which is conceived of according to a scale of values in which each level represents a particular sacrifice. It represents the renunciation of revenge, heroism, power, life, death, love and finally the self or one's identity. The hero's identity, endangered during the drama, is finally reaffirmed by the gara generosa (generous competition) during which the hero, by accepting the sacrifice of what he holds dearest, reconquers himself ; and the greater the sacrifice, the more decisive the reconquest.