«Je lui dictois par les gestes, et elle écrivoit»: riflessioni per uno studio sul rapporto tra danza e musica nel ballo pantomimo del Settecento

Abstract

The article investigates the relationship between dance and music in eighteenth-century pantomime ballet, bringing into dialogue theoretical reflection and source analysis. After reviewing existing scholarship, it focuses on the ideas of Gasparo Angiolini and Jean-Georges Noverre, for whom music plays an essential role, contributing to both narrative intelligibility and the expression of passions. An Italian case study, La figlia dell’aria ossia L’innalzamento di Semiramide (1792), allows for an examination of the concrete interaction between music and pantomime, highlighting the collaborative nature of choreographic and musical creation. The essay concludes with an overview of the current state of musical sources for pantomime ballet, outlining future research directions.