Vers le romanesque Les didascalies des livrets d’opéra à la fin du XVIII^e siècle

In the absence of a director, stage directions become so rich in the second half of the 18th century that they call into question the distinction between the drama and the novel. The directions for performance become real psychological analyses, and indications for the sets become well-developed descriptions. Carrying a mixture of genres characteristic of the generic innovation of the period, these stage directions distend time, creating a romantic temporality between the acts.