Marie Taglioni

Souvenirs

Le manuscrit inédit de la grande danseuse romantique

Edited by Bruno Ligore

The book contains the first philological transcription of the original manuscripts of Marie Taglioni. The existence of the manuscripts had been suspected for decades, and some had thought them lost since World War II.

In fact, it was in 1942, during the Nazi occupation of Paris, that dance critic and historian Léandre Vaillat used the dancer’s manuscripts to build his successful biography La Taglioni ou la vie d’une danseuse, which perpetuated the myth of the Sylphide without revealing the incredible autograph sources that existed.

In 2015, the manuscripts were located in the library of the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris, where they had been forgotten and remained extraordinarily well-preserved. Seven little notebooks retrace the life of one of the most celebrated dancers of the Romantic period, at last allowing us to relive the legend in its original context.

The Souvenirs of Marie Taglioni are an essential document in the history of Western dance, offering poignant insights into the socio-political life of 19th-century Europe.

In addition to the transcription, the book highlights other memorabilia and artworks that belonged to the dancer and are preserved in the Musée des Arts décoratifs, and which have never been seen before.

Preface by Flavia Pappacena, with a contribution by Audrey Gay-Mazuel.

Publisher : Gremese, 2017

Language : French

192 pages, XXXII pages of plates, 2017

ISBN 9782366771169 (Hardcover)