152-486: Dreimal sieben Gedichte aus Albert Girauds "Pierrot lunaire" ("Three times Seven Poems from Albert Giraud's 'Pierrot lunaire ' "), commonly known simply as Pierrot lunaire , Op. 21 ("Moonstruck Pierrot " or "Pierrot in the Moonlight"), is a melodrama by Arnold Schoenberg . It is a setting of 21 selected poems from Albert Giraud 's cycle of the same name as translated into German by Otto Erich Hartleben . The work
304-595: A stock character of pantomime and commedia dell'arte , has his origins in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne . The name is a diminutive of Pierre (Peter), using the suffix -ot and derives from the Italian Pedrolino . His character in contemporary popular culture—in poetry, fiction, and the visual arts, as well as works for
456-612: A beloved early comic hero was the Little Tramp of Charlie Chaplin , who conceived the character, in Chaplin's words, as "a sort of Pierrot". As the diverse incarnations of the 19th-century Pierrot would predict, the hallmarks of the modernist Pierrot are his ambiguity and complexity. One of his earliest appearances was in Alexander Blok 's The Puppet Show (1906), called by one theater-historian "the greatest example of
608-434: A beloved early comic hero was the Little Tramp of Charlie Chaplin , who conceived the character, in Chaplin's words, as "a sort of Pierrot". As the diverse incarnations of the 19th-century Pierrot would predict, the hallmarks of the modernist Pierrot are his ambiguity and complexity. One of his earliest appearances was in Alexander Blok 's The Puppet Show (1906), called by one theater-historian "the greatest example of
760-488: A commission by Albertine Zehme, a former actress, for a cycle for voice and piano, setting a series of poems by the Belgian writer Albert Giraud . The verses had been first published in 1884 and later translated into German by Otto Erich Hartleben . Zehme had previously performed a 'melodrama' by composer Otto Vrieslander based on the translated poems. But, according to Eduard Steuermann , student of Schoenberg and pianist of
912-517: A conical shape like a dunce's cap. Pierrot's character developed from that of a buffoon to become an avatar of the disenfranchised. Many cultural movements found him amenable to their respective causes: Decadents turned him into a disillusioned foe of idealism; Symbolists saw him as a lonely fellow-sufferer; Modernists made him into a silent, alienated observer of the mysteries of the human condition. Much of that mythic quality ("I'm Pierrot," said David Bowie : "I'm Everyman") still adheres to
1064-421: A disillusioned foe of idealism; Symbolists saw him as a lonely fellow-sufferer; Modernists made him into a silent, alienated observer of the mysteries of the human condition. Much of that mythic quality ("I'm Pierrot," said David Bowie : "I'm Everyman") still adheres to the "sad clown" in the postmodern era. Pierrot is sometimes said to be a French variant of the sixteenth-century Italian Pedrolino , but
1216-403: A five-line verse), while the first line of each poem occurs three times (being repeated as lines 7 and 13). Though written in a freely atonal style, Pierrot lunaire uses a variety of classical forms and techniques, including canon , fugue , rondo , passacaglia , and free counterpoint . The instrumental combinations (including doublings) vary between most movements. The entire ensemble
1368-602: A game of symbolic otherness ...". Inspired by the French Symbolists , especially Verlaine, Rubén Darío , the Nicaraguan poet widely acknowledged as the founder of Spanish-American literary modernism ( modernismo ), placed Pierrot ("sad poet and dreamer") in opposition to Columbine ("fatal woman", the arch-materialistic "lover of rich silk garments, golden jewelry, pearls and diamonds") in his 1898 prose-poem The Eternal Adventure of Pierrot and Columbine . In
1520-475: A game of symbolic otherness ...". Inspired by the French Symbolists , especially Verlaine, Rubén Darío , the Nicaraguan poet widely acknowledged as the founder of Spanish-American literary modernism ( modernismo ), placed Pierrot ("sad poet and dreamer") in opposition to Columbine ("fatal woman", the arch-materialistic "lover of rich silk garments, golden jewelry, pearls and diamonds") in his 1898 prose-poem The Eternal Adventure of Pierrot and Columbine . In
1672-419: A section to Pierrot (as well as to Pierrette, his Decadent counterpart) in two ludic pieces for piano—Beach's Children's Carnival (1894) and Foote's Five Bagatelles (1893). The fin de siècle world in which this Pierrot resided was clearly at odds with the reigning American Realist and Naturalist aesthetic (although such figures as Ambrose Bierce and John LaFarge were mounting serious challenges to it). It
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#17327759557921824-419: A section to Pierrot (as well as to Pierrette, his Decadent counterpart) in two ludic pieces for piano—Beach's Children's Carnival (1894) and Foote's Five Bagatelles (1893). The fin de siècle world in which this Pierrot resided was clearly at odds with the reigning American Realist and Naturalist aesthetic (although such figures as Ambrose Bierce and John LaFarge were mounting serious challenges to it). It
1976-694: A secure place in the standard musical repertoire). The portrait and genre painter Vittorio Matteo Corcos produced Portrait of Boy in Pierrot Costume in 1897. In 1895, the playwright and future Nobel laureate Jacinto Benavente wrote rapturously in his journal of a performance of the Hanlon-Lees , and three years later he published his only pantomime: The Whiteness of Pierrot . A true fin de siècle mask, Pierrot paints his face black to commit robbery and murder; then, after restoring his pallor, he hides himself, terrified of his own undoing, in
2128-570: A secure place in the standard musical repertoire). The portrait and genre painter Vittorio Matteo Corcos produced Portrait of Boy in Pierrot Costume in 1897. In 1895, the playwright and future Nobel laureate Jacinto Benavente wrote rapturously in his journal of a performance of the Hanlon-Lees , and three years later he published his only pantomime: The Whiteness of Pierrot . A true fin de siècle mask, Pierrot paints his face black to commit robbery and murder; then, after restoring his pallor, he hides himself, terrified of his own undoing, in
2280-520: A series of Pierrot-themed short—"Pierrot Enamored of Glory" (1897), "Pierrot and His Cats" (1898), "The Nuptials of Pierrot" (1899), "Pierrot's Gesture" (1899), "The Caprices of Pierrot" (1900)—culminating, after the turn of the century (and in the year of Couto's death), with "Pierrot-Gravedigger" (1901). For the Spanish-speaking world, according to scholar Emilio Peral Vega, Couto "expresses that first manifestation of Pierrot as an alter ego in
2432-453: A series of Pierrot-themed short—"Pierrot Enamored of Glory" (1897), "Pierrot and His Cats" (1898), "The Nuptials of Pierrot" (1899), "Pierrot's Gesture" (1899), "The Caprices of Pierrot" (1900)—culminating, after the turn of the century (and in the year of Couto's death), with "Pierrot-Gravedigger" (1901). For the Spanish-speaking world, according to scholar Emilio Peral Vega, Couto "expresses that first manifestation of Pierrot as an alter ego in
2584-460: A skullcap for a hat, and greatly increased the wide cut of both blouse and trousers. Deburau's Pierrot avoided the crude Pierrots—timid, sexless, lazy, and greedy—found in earlier pantomime. The Funambules Pierrot appealed to audiences in the faery-tale style which incorporate the commedia types. The plot often hinged on Cassander's pursuit of Harlequin and Columbine, having to deal with a clever and ambiguous Pierrot. Deburau early—about 1828—caught
2736-460: A skullcap for a hat, and greatly increased the wide cut of both blouse and trousers. Deburau's Pierrot avoided the crude Pierrots—timid, sexless, lazy, and greedy—found in earlier pantomime. The Funambules Pierrot appealed to audiences in the faery-tale style which incorporate the commedia types. The plot often hinged on Cassander's pursuit of Harlequin and Columbine, having to deal with a clever and ambiguous Pierrot. Deburau early—about 1828—caught
2888-506: A snowbank—forever. Thus does he forfeit his union with Columbine (the intended beneficiary of his crimes) for a frosty marriage with the moon. Pierrot and his fellow masks were late in coming to the United States, which, unlike England, Russia, and the countries of continental Europe, had had no early exposure to commedia dell'arte. The Hanlon-Lees made their first U.S. appearance in 1858, and their subsequent tours, well into
3040-443: A snowbank—forever. Thus does he forfeit his union with Columbine (the intended beneficiary of his crimes) for a frosty marriage with the moon. Pierrot and his fellow masks were late in coming to the United States, which, unlike England, Russia, and the countries of continental Europe, had had no early exposure to commedia dell'arte. The Hanlon-Lees made their first U.S. appearance in 1858, and their subsequent tours, well into
3192-517: A troupe of Italian players led by Pasquale Casorti performed in Dyrehavsbakken . Casorti's son, Giuseppe (1749–1826), began appearing as Pierrot in pantomimes, which now had a formulaic plot structure. Pierrot is still a fixture at Bakken , at nearby Tivoli Gardens and Tivoli Friheden in Aarhus . Ludwig Tieck 's The Topsy-Turvy World (1798) is an early—and highly successful—example of
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#17327759557923344-402: A troupe of Italian players led by Pasquale Casorti performed in Dyrehavsbakken . Casorti's son, Giuseppe (1749–1826), began appearing as Pierrot in pantomimes, which now had a formulaic plot structure. Pierrot is still a fixture at Bakken , at nearby Tivoli Gardens and Tivoli Friheden in Aarhus . Ludwig Tieck 's The Topsy-Turvy World (1798) is an early—and highly successful—example of
3496-465: A whitened face, he wears a loose white blouse with large buttons and wide white pantaloons. Sometimes he appears with a frilled collaret and a hat, usually with a close-fitting crown and wide round brim and, more rarely, with a conical shape like a dunce's cap. Pierrot's character developed from that of a buffoon to become an avatar of the disenfranchised. Many cultural movements found him amenable to their respective causes: Decadents turned him into
3648-418: Is not intended to be sung. The performer has the task of transforming it into a speech melody [ Sprechmelodie ], taking the prescribed pitches carefully into account. He accomplishes this by: Furthermore, the following should be said about the performance: The performer's task here is at no time to derive the mood and character or the individual pieces from the meaning of the words, but always solely from
3800-705: Is aptly honored in the title of a song by the British rock-group The Soft Machine : "Thank You Pierrot Lunaire" (1969). Pierrot appears among the revelers at various international carnivals. His name suggests kinship with the Pierrot Grenade of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival , being a satire on the richer and more respectable Pierrot. Pierrot Grenade was a finely dressed masquerader and deeply supreme scholar/jester proud of his ability to spell any word in his own fashion and quoting Shakespearean characters as Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony, and Othello at length. In one of
3952-585: Is aptly honored in the title of a song by the British rock-group The Soft Machine : "Thank You Pierrot Lunaire" (1969). Pierrot appears among the revelers at various international carnivals. His name suggests kinship with the Pierrot Grenade of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival , being a satire on the richer and more respectable Pierrot. Pierrot Grenade was a finely dressed masquerader and deeply supreme scholar/jester proud of his ability to spell any word in his own fashion and quoting Shakespearean characters as Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony, and Othello at length. In one of
4104-438: Is close enough to a Pierrot to deserve a mention here. Much less well-known is the work of two other composers— Mario Pasquale Costa and Vittorio Monti . Costa's pantomime L'Histoire d'un Pierrot ( Story of a Pierrot ), which debuted in Paris in 1893, was so admired in its day that it eventually reached audiences on several continents, was paired with Cavalleria Rusticana by New York's Metropolitan Opera Company in 1909, and
4256-438: Is close enough to a Pierrot to deserve a mention here. Much less well-known is the work of two other composers— Mario Pasquale Costa and Vittorio Monti . Costa's pantomime L'Histoire d'un Pierrot ( Story of a Pierrot ), which debuted in Paris in 1893, was so admired in its day that it eventually reached audiences on several continents, was paired with Cavalleria Rusticana by New York's Metropolitan Opera Company in 1909, and
4408-619: Is in fact jarring to find the champion of American prose Realism, William Dean Howells , introducing Pastels in Prose (1890), a volume of French prose-poems containing a Paul Margueritte pantomime, The Death of Pierrot , with words of warm praise (and even congratulations to each poet for failing "to saddle his reader with a moral"). So uncustomary was the French Aesthetic viewpoint that, when Pierrot made an appearance in Pierrot
4560-446: Is in fact jarring to find the champion of American prose Realism, William Dean Howells , introducing Pastels in Prose (1890), a volume of French prose-poems containing a Paul Margueritte pantomime, The Death of Pierrot , with words of warm praise (and even congratulations to each poet for failing "to saddle his reader with a moral"). So uncustomary was the French Aesthetic viewpoint that, when Pierrot made an appearance in Pierrot
4712-584: Is passing fine,/Who would be happy must not marry Columbine"). Another pocket of North-American sympathy with the Decadence—one manifestation of what the Latin world called modernismo —could be found in the progressive literary scene of Mexico, its parent country, Spain, having been long conversant with the commedia dell'arte. In 1897, Bernardo Couto Castillo , another Decadent who, at the age of twenty-two, died even more tragically young than Peters, embarked on
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4864-476: Is passing fine,/Who would be happy must not marry Columbine"). Another pocket of North-American sympathy with the Decadence—one manifestation of what the Latin world called modernismo —could be found in the progressive literary scene of Mexico, its parent country, Spain, having been long conversant with the commedia dell'arte. In 1897, Bernardo Couto Castillo , another Decadent who, at the age of twenty-two, died even more tragically young than Peters, embarked on
5016-623: Is referred to as a Pierrot ensemble . The piece was premiered at the Berlin Choralion-Saal on October 16, 1912, with Albertine Zehme as the vocalist. A typical performance lasts about 35 to 40 minutes. The American premiere took place at the Klaw Theatre , on Broadway , New York, on 4 February 1923 as part of a series of concerts organised by the International Composers' Guild . The work originated in
5168-510: Is used only in Nos. 6, 11, 14, 15 (end), 16, 18, 19 (end), 20, and 21. Musicologist Alan Lessem states about the work that "on the whole instrumental textures tend to become fuller as the work progresses" and that, in general, "the piano is the leading [instrumental] protagonist of the melodramas." The poetry is a German version of a rondeau of the old French type with a double refrain . Each poem consists of three stanzas of 4 + 4 + 5 lines, with
5320-500: Is very long (see Visual arts below). As for the drama , Pierrot was a regular fixture in the plays of the Little Theatre Movement ( Edna St. Vincent Millay 's Aria da Capo [1920], Robert Emmons Rogers' Behind a Watteau Picture [1918], Blanche Jennings Thompson's The Dream Maker [1922]), which nourished the careers of such important Modernists as Eugene O'Neill , Susan Glaspell , and others. In film ,
5472-425: Is very long (see Visual arts below). As for the drama , Pierrot was a regular fixture in the plays of the Little Theatre Movement ( Edna St. Vincent Millay 's Aria da Capo [1920], Robert Emmons Rogers' Behind a Watteau Picture [1918], Blanche Jennings Thompson's The Dream Maker [1922]), which nourished the careers of such important Modernists as Eugene O'Neill , Susan Glaspell , and others. In film ,
5624-541: Is written for reciter (voice-type unspecified in the score, but traditionally performed by a soprano ) who delivers the poems in the Sprechstimme style accompanied by a small instrumental ensemble . Schoenberg had previously used a combination of spoken text with instrumental accompaniment, called "melodrama", in the summer-wind narrative of the Gurre-Lieder , which was a fashionable musical style popular at
5776-518: The femme-fatale of his first "Lulu" play, Earth Spirit (1895), in a Pierrot costume. In a similar spirit, the painter Paul Hoecker put cheeky young men into Pierrot costumes to ape their complacent burgher elders in Pierrots with Pipes ( c. 1900 ) and swilling champagne in Waiting Woman ( c. 1895 ). Canio's Pagliaccio in the famous opera (1892) by Leoncavallo
5928-401: The femme-fatale of his first "Lulu" play, Earth Spirit (1895), in a Pierrot costume. In a similar spirit, the painter Paul Hoecker put cheeky young men into Pierrot costumes to ape their complacent burgher elders in Pierrots with Pipes ( c. 1900 ) and swilling champagne in Waiting Woman ( c. 1895 ). Canio's Pagliaccio in the famous opera (1892) by Leoncavallo
6080-668: The Addendum to "The Stone Guest" , Scaramouche Tiberio Fiorilli and a troupe assembled from the Comédie-Italienne entertained Londoners with selections from their Parisian repertoire. And in 1717, Pierrot's name first appears in an English entertainment: a pantomime by John Rich entitled The Jealous Doctor; or, The Intriguing Dame . Thereafter, until the end of the century, Pierrot appeared fairly regularly in English pantomimes (which were originally mute harlequinades ; in
6232-490: The Addendum to "The Stone Guest" , Scaramouche Tiberio Fiorilli and a troupe assembled from the Comédie-Italienne entertained Londoners with selections from their Parisian repertoire. And in 1717, Pierrot's name first appears in an English entertainment: a pantomime by John Rich entitled The Jealous Doctor; or, The Intriguing Dame . Thereafter, until the end of the century, Pierrot appeared fairly regularly in English pantomimes (which were originally mute harlequinades ; in
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6384-627: The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center , Chamber Music Northwest, and Sequitur at venues including Alice Tully Hall and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall . In March 2011, Bruce LaBruce directed a performance at the Hebbel am Ufer Theatre in Berlin. This interpretation of the work included gender diversity, castration scenes and dildos, as well as a female to male transgender Pierrot. LaBruce subsequently filmed this adaptation as
6536-663: The seaside Pierrots who, as late as the 1950s, performed on the piers of Brighton , Margate , and Blackpool . They inspired the Will Morris Pierrots, named after their Birmingham founder. They originated in the Smethwick area in the late 1890s and played to large audiences in the Midlands . Walter Westley Russell committed these performers to canvas in The Pierrots (c. 1900). Pierrot's mask claimed
6688-419: The seaside Pierrots who, as late as the 1950s, performed on the piers of Brighton , Margate , and Blackpool . They inspired the Will Morris Pierrots, named after their Birmingham founder. They originated in the Smethwick area in the late 1890s and played to large audiences in the Midlands . Walter Westley Russell committed these performers to canvas in The Pierrots (c. 1900). Pierrot's mask claimed
6840-480: The stems of notes. Though Sprechstimme is used throughout the piece, Schoenberg also occasionally indicates that certain passages are to be sung ( gesungen ). Notable recordings of this composition include: Arnold Schoenberg himself made test recordings of the music with a group of Los Angeles musicians, nearly all European immigrants, from September 24 to 26, 1940. These recordings were eventually released on LP by Columbia Records in 1949, and reissued in 1974 on
6992-831: The "Pierrot" section of Telemann 's Burlesque Overture (1717–22), Mozart 's 1783 "Masquerade" (in which Mozart himself took the role of Harlequin and his brother-in-law, Joseph Lange , that of Pierrot), and the "Pierrot" section of Robert Schumann 's Carnival (1835). Even the embryonic art of the motion picture turned to Pierrot before the century was out: he appeared, not only in early celluloid shorts ( Georges Méliès 's The Nightmare [1896], The Magician [1898]; Alice Guy 's Arrival of Pierrette and Pierrot [1900], Pierrette's Amorous Adventures [1900]; Ambroise-François Parnaland's Pierrot's Big Head/Pierrot's Tongue [1900], Pierrot-Drinker [1900]), but also in Emile Reynaud 's Praxinoscope production of Poor Pierrot (1892),
7144-769: The "Pierrot" section of Telemann 's Burlesque Overture (1717–22), Mozart 's 1783 "Masquerade" (in which Mozart himself took the role of Harlequin and his brother-in-law, Joseph Lange , that of Pierrot), and the "Pierrot" section of Robert Schumann 's Carnival (1835). Even the embryonic art of the motion picture turned to Pierrot before the century was out: he appeared, not only in early celluloid shorts ( Georges Méliès 's The Nightmare [1896], The Magician [1898]; Alice Guy 's Arrival of Pierrette and Pierrot [1900], Pierrette's Amorous Adventures [1900]; Ambroise-François Parnaland's Pierrot's Big Head/Pierrot's Tongue [1900], Pierrot-Drinker [1900]), but also in Emile Reynaud 's Praxinoscope production of Poor Pierrot (1892),
7296-413: The "sad clown" in the postmodern era. Pierrot is sometimes said to be a French variant of the sixteenth-century Italian Pedrolino , but the two types have little but their names ("Little Pete") and social stations in common. Both are comic servants, but Pedrolino, as a so-called "first" Zanni , often acts with cunning and daring. an engine of the plot in the scenarios where he appears. Pierrot, on
7448-542: The 18th century on Parisian stages. Sometimes he spoke gibberish, sometimes the audience itself sang his lines, inscribed on placards held aloft. He could appear as a valet, a cook, or an adventurer; his character is not strictly defined. In the 1720s, Pierrot came into his own. In plays such as Trophonius's Cave (1722) and The Golden Ass (1725), one meets an engaging Pierrot. The accomplished comic actor Jean-Baptiste Hamoche portrayed him with success. After 1733, he rarely appears in new plays. Pierrot also appeared in
7600-542: The 18th century on Parisian stages. Sometimes he spoke gibberish, sometimes the audience itself sang his lines, inscribed on placards held aloft. He could appear as a valet, a cook, or an adventurer; his character is not strictly defined. In the 1720s, Pierrot came into his own. In plays such as Trophonius's Cave (1722) and The Golden Ass (1725), one meets an engaging Pierrot. The accomplished comic actor Jean-Baptiste Hamoche portrayed him with success. After 1733, he rarely appears in new plays. Pierrot also appeared in
7752-493: The 19th century, the harlequinade was a "play within a play" during the pantomime), finding his most notable interpreter in Carlo Delpini (1740–1828). Delpini, according to the popular-theater historian, M. Willson Disher, "kept strictly to the idea of a creature so stupid as to think that if he raised his leg level with his shoulder he could use it as a gun." Pierrot was later displaced by the English clown . In 1800,
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#17327759557927904-431: The 19th century, the harlequinade was a "play within a play" during the pantomime), finding his most notable interpreter in Carlo Delpini (1740–1828). Delpini, according to the popular-theater historian, M. Willson Disher, "kept strictly to the idea of a creature so stupid as to think that if he raised his leg level with his shoulder he could use it as a gun." Pierrot was later displaced by the English clown . In 1800,
8056-496: The 2014 theatrical film Pierrot lunaire . The quintet of instruments used in Pierrot lunaire became the core ensemble for The Fires of London , who formed in 1965 as "The Pierrot Players" to perform Pierrot lunaire , and continued to concertize with a varied classical and contemporary repertory. This group performed works arranged for these instruments and commissioned new works especially to take advantage of this ensemble's instrumental colors, up until it disbanded in 1987. Over
8208-429: The 20th century had acquired a rich and wide range of personae. He was the naïve butt of practical jokes and amorous scheming (Gautier); the prankish but innocent waif (Banville, Verlaine, Willette); the narcissistic dreamer clutching at the moon, which could symbolize many things, from spiritual perfection to death (Giraud, Laforgue, Willette, Dowson); the frail, neurasthenic , often doom-ridden soul (Richepin, Beardsley);
8360-429: The 20th century had acquired a rich and wide range of personae. He was the naïve butt of practical jokes and amorous scheming (Gautier); the prankish but innocent waif (Banville, Verlaine, Willette); the narcissistic dreamer clutching at the moon, which could symbolize many things, from spiritual perfection to death (Giraud, Laforgue, Willette, Dowson); the frail, neurasthenic , often doom-ridden soul (Richepin, Beardsley);
8512-567: The 20th century, of scores of cities throughout the country accustomed their audiences to their fantastic, acrobatic Pierrots. But the Pierrot that would leave the deepest imprint upon the American imagination was that of the French and English Decadents , a creature who quickly found his home in the so-called little magazines of the 1890s (as well as in the poster-art that they spawned). One of
8664-403: The 20th century, of scores of cities throughout the country accustomed their audiences to their fantastic, acrobatic Pierrots. But the Pierrot that would leave the deepest imprint upon the American imagination was that of the French and English Decadents , a creature who quickly found his home in the so-called little magazines of the 1890s (as well as in the poster-art that they spawned). One of
8816-646: The Candles [1917]), and, most importantly, Crispin (in "The Comedian as the Letter C" [1923]). As for fiction , William Faulkner began his career as a chronicler of Pierrot's amorous disappointments and existential anguish in such little-known works as his play The Marionettes (1920) and the verses of his Vision in Spring (1921), works that were an early and revealing declaration of the novelist's "fragmented state" (some critics have argued that Pierrot stands behind
8968-485: The Candles [1917]), and, most importantly, Crispin (in "The Comedian as the Letter C" [1923]). As for fiction , William Faulkner began his career as a chronicler of Pierrot's amorous disappointments and existential anguish in such little-known works as his play The Marionettes (1920) and the verses of his Vision in Spring (1921), works that were an early and revealing declaration of the novelist's "fragmented state" (some critics have argued that Pierrot stands behind
9120-582: The Cat [1889]), and Édouard Vuillard ( The Black Pierrot [c. 1890]). The mime "Tombre" of Jean Richepin 's novel Nice People ( Braves Gens [1886]) turned him into a pathetic and alcoholic "phantom"; Paul Verlaine imagined him as a gormandizing naïf in "Pantomime" (1869), then, like Tombre, as a lightning-lit specter in "Pierrot" (1868, pub. 1882). Laforgue put three of the "complaints" of his first published volume of poems (1885) into "Lord" Pierrot's mouth—and dedicated his next book, The Imitation of Our Lady
9272-533: The Cat [1889]), and Édouard Vuillard ( The Black Pierrot [c. 1890]). The mime "Tombre" of Jean Richepin 's novel Nice People ( Braves Gens [1886]) turned him into a pathetic and alcoholic "phantom"; Paul Verlaine imagined him as a gormandizing naïf in "Pantomime" (1869), then, like Tombre, as a lightning-lit specter in "Pierrot" (1868, pub. 1882). Laforgue put three of the "complaints" of his first published volume of poems (1885) into "Lord" Pierrot's mouth—and dedicated his next book, The Imitation of Our Lady
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#17327759557929424-491: The Decadence, such exotica discombobulated the mainstream American public, which regarded the little magazines in general as "freak periodicals" and declared, through one of its mouthpieces, Munsey's Magazine , that "each new representative of the species is, if possible, more preposterous than the last". And yet the Pierrot of that species was gaining a foothold elsewhere. The composers Amy Beach and Arthur Foote devoted
9576-434: The Decadence, such exotica discombobulated the mainstream American public, which regarded the little magazines in general as "freak periodicals" and declared, through one of its mouthpieces, Munsey's Magazine , that "each new representative of the species is, if possible, more preposterous than the last". And yet the Pierrot of that species was gaining a foothold elsewhere. The composers Amy Beach and Arthur Foote devoted
9728-451: The French dramatists writing roles for Pierrot were Jean de Palaprat , Claude-Ignace Brugière de Barante, Antoine Houdar de la Motte , and Jean-François Regnard . They present him as an anomaly among busy social personalities around him. Columbine laughs at his advances; his masters who are in pursuit of pretty young wives brush off his warnings to act their age. His isolation bears the pathos of Watteau 's portraits. An Italian company
9880-473: The Funambules" and aftermath below), but he is very rarely pugnacious (as he is in the pantomimes of the Hanlon-Lees ). Pierrot Pierrot ( / ˈ p ɪər oʊ / PEER -oh , US also / ˈ p iː ə r oʊ , ˌ p iː ə ˈ r oʊ / PEE -ə-roh, PEE -ə- ROH ; French: [pjɛʁo] ), a stock character of pantomime and commedia dell'arte , has his origins in
10032-779: The Italian players in France go back to Molière 's peasant Pierrot in Don Juan, or The Stone Guest (1665). In 1673, the Comédie-Italienne made its own contribution to the Don Juan legend with an Addendum to "The Stone Guest ", which included Molière's Pierrot. Thereafter the character—sometimes a peasant, but more often now an Italianate "second" Zanni—appeared fairly regularly in the Italians' offerings, his role always taken by one Giuseppe Giaratone (or Geratoni, fl. 1639-1697). Among
10184-481: The Moon (1886), completely to Pierrot and his world (Pierrots were legion among the minor, now-forgotten poets: for samples, see Willette's journal The Pierrot , which appeared between 1888 and 1889, then again in 1891). In the realm of song, Claude Debussy set both Verlaine's "Pantomime" and Banville 's "Pierrot" (1842) to music in 1881 (not published until 1926)—the only precedents among works by major composers being
10336-430: The Moon (1886), completely to Pierrot and his world (Pierrots were legion among the minor, now-forgotten poets: for samples, see Willette's journal The Pierrot , which appeared between 1888 and 1889, then again in 1891). In the realm of song, Claude Debussy set both Verlaine's "Pantomime" and Banville 's "Pierrot" (1842) to music in 1881 (not published until 1926)—the only precedents among works by major composers being
10488-896: The Murderer (1883). But French mimes and actors were not the only figures responsible for Pierrot's ubiquity: the English Hanlon brothers (sometimes called the Hanlon-Lees ), gymnasts and acrobats who had been schooled in the 1860s in pantomimes from Baptiste's repertoire, traveled (and dazzled) the world well into the 20th century with their pantomimic sketches and extravaganzas featuring riotously nightmarish Pierrots. The Naturalists — Émile Zola especially, who wrote glowingly of them—were captivated by their art. Edmond de Goncourt modeled his acrobat-mimes in his The Zemganno Brothers (1879) upon them; J.-K. Huysmans (whose Against Nature [1884] would become Dorian Gray 's bible) and his friend Léon Hennique wrote their pantomime Pierrot
10640-776: The Murderer (1883). But French mimes and actors were not the only figures responsible for Pierrot's ubiquity: the English Hanlon brothers (sometimes called the Hanlon-Lees ), gymnasts and acrobats who had been schooled in the 1860s in pantomimes from Baptiste's repertoire, traveled (and dazzled) the world well into the 20th century with their pantomimic sketches and extravaganzas featuring riotously nightmarish Pierrots. The Naturalists — Émile Zola especially, who wrote glowingly of them—were captivated by their art. Edmond de Goncourt modeled his acrobat-mimes in his The Zemganno Brothers (1879) upon them; J.-K. Huysmans (whose Against Nature [1884] would become Dorian Gray 's bible) and his friend Léon Hennique wrote their pantomime Pierrot
10792-485: The Odyssey label. The jazz singer Cleo Laine recorded Pierrot lunaire in 1974. Her version was nominated for a classical Grammy Award . Another jazz singer who has performed the piece is Sofia Jernberg , who sang it with Norrbotten NEO . The avant-pop star Björk , known for her interest in avant-garde music, performed Pierrot lunaire at the 1996 Verbier Festival with Kent Nagano conducting. According to
10944-597: The Painter (1893), a pantomime by Alfred Thompson , set to music by the American composer Laura Sedgwick Collins , The New York Times covered it as an event, although it was only a student production. It was found to be "pleasing" because, in part, it was "odd". Not until the first decade of the next century, when the great (and popular) fantasist Maxfield Parrish worked his magic on the figure, would Pierrot be comfortably naturalized in America. Of course, writers from
11096-487: The Painter (1893), a pantomime by Alfred Thompson , set to music by the American composer Laura Sedgwick Collins , The New York Times covered it as an event, although it was only a student production. It was found to be "pleasing" because, in part, it was "odd". Not until the first decade of the next century, when the great (and popular) fantasist Maxfield Parrish worked his magic on the figure, would Pierrot be comfortably naturalized in America. Of course, writers from
11248-724: The Skeptic (1881) after seeing them perform at the Folies Bergère (and, in turn, Jules Laforgue wrote his pantomime Pierrot the Cut-Up [ Pierrot fumiste , 1882] after reading the scenario by Huysmans and Hennique). It was in part through the enthusiasm that they excited, coupled with the Impressionists ' taste for popular entertainment, such as the circus and the music-hall, as well as the new bohemianism that then reigned in artistic quarters such as Montmartre (and which
11400-489: The Skeptic (1881) after seeing them perform at the Folies Bergère (and, in turn, Jules Laforgue wrote his pantomime Pierrot the Cut-Up [ Pierrot fumiste , 1882] after reading the scenario by Huysmans and Hennique). It was in part through the enthusiasm that they excited, coupled with the Impressionists ' taste for popular entertainment, such as the circus and the music-hall, as well as the new bohemianism that then reigned in artistic quarters such as Montmartre (and which
11552-516: The United States living abroad—especially in Paris or London—were aberrantly susceptible to the charms of the Decadence. Such a figure was Stuart Merrill , who consorted with the French Symbolists and who compiled and translated the pieces in Pastels in Prose . Another was William Theodore Peters , an acquaintance of Ernest Dowson and other members of the Rhymers' Club and a driving force behind
11704-408: The United States living abroad—especially in Paris or London—were aberrantly susceptible to the charms of the Decadence. Such a figure was Stuart Merrill , who consorted with the French Symbolists and who compiled and translated the pieces in Pastels in Prose . Another was William Theodore Peters , an acquaintance of Ernest Dowson and other members of the Rhymers' Club and a driving force behind
11856-461: The Zanni: the fifty rondels of his Pierrot lunaire ( Moonstruck Pierrot, 1884) inspired generations of composers (see Pierrot lunaire below), and his verse-play Pierrot-Narcissus (1887) offered a definitive portrait of the poet-dreamer. The choreographer Joseph Hansen staged the ballet Macabre Pierrot in 1884 in collaboration with the poet Théo Hannon . Pierrot figured prominently in
12008-409: The Zanni: the fifty rondels of his Pierrot lunaire ( Moonstruck Pierrot, 1884) inspired generations of composers (see Pierrot lunaire below), and his verse-play Pierrot-Narcissus (1887) offered a definitive portrait of the poet-dreamer. The choreographer Joseph Hansen staged the ballet Macabre Pierrot in 1884 in collaboration with the poet Théo Hannon . Pierrot figured prominently in
12160-493: The attention of the Romantics . In 1842, Théophile Gautier published a fake review of a "Shakespeare" pantomime he claimed to have seen at the Funambules. It placed Pierrot in the company of over-reachers in high literature such as Don Juan or Macbeth . Deburau's son, Jean-Charles (or, as he preferred, "Charles" [1829–1873]), assumed Pierrot's blouse the year after his father died. Another important Pierrot of mid-century
12312-437: The attention of the Romantics . In 1842, Théophile Gautier published a fake review of a "Shakespeare" pantomime he claimed to have seen at the Funambules. It placed Pierrot in the company of over-reachers in high literature such as Don Juan or Macbeth . Deburau's son, Jean-Charles (or, as he preferred, "Charles" [1829–1873]), assumed Pierrot's blouse the year after his father died. Another important Pierrot of mid-century
12464-534: The attention of the great theater innovator Edward Gordon Craig . Craig's involvement with the figure grew with time. In 1897, Craig, dressed as Pierrot, gave a quasi-impromptu stage-reading of Hans Christian Andersen 's story "What the Moon Saw" as part of a benefit performance for theater artists in need. Although he lamented that "the Pierrot figure was inherently alien to the German-speaking world",
12616-413: The attention of the great theater innovator Edward Gordon Craig . Craig's involvement with the figure grew with time. In 1897, Craig, dressed as Pierrot, gave a quasi-impromptu stage-reading of Hans Christian Andersen 's story "What the Moon Saw" as part of a benefit performance for theater artists in need. Although he lamented that "the Pierrot figure was inherently alien to the German-speaking world",
12768-575: The canvases of Georges Seurat ( Pierrot with a White Pipe [Aman-Jean] [1883]; The Painter Aman-Jean as Pierrot [1883]), Léon Comerre ( Pierrot [1884], Pierrot Playing the Mandolin [1884]), Henri Rousseau ( A Carnival Night [1886]), Paul Cézanne ( Mardi gras [Pierrot and Harlequin] [1888]), Fernand Pelez ( Grimaces and Miseries a.k.a. The Saltimbanques [1888]), Pablo Picasso ( Pierrot and Columbine [1900]), Guillaume Seignac ( Pierrot's Embrace [1900]), Théophile Steinlen ( Pierrot and
12920-519: The canvases of Georges Seurat ( Pierrot with a White Pipe [Aman-Jean] [1883]; The Painter Aman-Jean as Pierrot [1883]), Léon Comerre ( Pierrot [1884], Pierrot Playing the Mandolin [1884]), Henri Rousseau ( A Carnival Night [1886]), Paul Cézanne ( Mardi gras [Pierrot and Harlequin] [1888]), Fernand Pelez ( Grimaces and Miseries a.k.a. The Saltimbanques [1888]), Pablo Picasso ( Pierrot and Columbine [1900]), Guillaume Seignac ( Pierrot's Embrace [1900]), Théophile Steinlen ( Pierrot and
13072-617: The character—sometimes a peasant, but more often now an Italianate "second" Zanni—appeared fairly regularly in the Italians' offerings, his role always taken by one Giuseppe Giaratone (or Geratoni, fl. 1639-1697). Among the French dramatists writing roles for Pierrot were Jean de Palaprat , Claude-Ignace Brugière de Barante, Antoine Houdar de la Motte , and Jean-François Regnard . They present him as an anomaly among busy social personalities around him. Columbine laughs at his advances; his masters who are in pursuit of pretty young wives brush off his warnings to act their age. His isolation bears
13224-522: The clumsy, although ardent, lover, who wins Columbine's heart, or murders her in frustration (Margueritte); the cynical and misogynistic dandy , sometimes dressed in black (Huysmans/Hennique, Laforgue); the Christ-like victim of the martyrdom that is Art (Giraud, Willette, Ensor); the androgynous and unholy creature of corruption (Richepin, Wedekind); the madcap master of chaos (the Hanlon-Lees);
13376-402: The clumsy, although ardent, lover, who wins Columbine's heart, or murders her in frustration (Margueritte); the cynical and misogynistic dandy , sometimes dressed in black (Huysmans/Hennique, Laforgue); the Christ-like victim of the martyrdom that is Art (Giraud, Willette, Ensor); the androgynous and unholy creature of corruption (Richepin, Wedekind); the madcap master of chaos (the Hanlon-Lees);
13528-503: The conception and theatrical realization of Dowson's Pierrot of the Minute (1897; see England above). Of the three books that Peters published before his death (of starvation) at the age of forty-two, his Posies out of Rings: And Other Conceits (1896) is most notable here: in it, four poems and an "Epilogue" for the aforementioned Dowson play are devoted to Pierrot (from the mouth of Pierrot loquitur : "Although this pantomime of life
13680-450: The conception and theatrical realization of Dowson's Pierrot of the Minute (1897; see England above). Of the three books that Peters published before his death (of starvation) at the age of forty-two, his Posies out of Rings: And Other Conceits (1896) is most notable here: in it, four poems and an "Epilogue" for the aforementioned Dowson play are devoted to Pierrot (from the mouth of Pierrot loquitur : "Although this pantomime of life
13832-408: The drawings of Aubrey Beardsley , and various writers referenced him in their poetry. Ethel Wright painted Bonjour, Pierrot! (a greeting to a dour clown sitting disconsolate with his dog) in 1893. The Pierrot of popular taste also spawned a uniquely English entertainment. In 1891, the singer and banjoist Clifford Essex , resolved to create a troupe of English Pierrot entertainers, and called them
13984-408: The drawings of Aubrey Beardsley , and various writers referenced him in their poetry. Ethel Wright painted Bonjour, Pierrot! (a greeting to a dour clown sitting disconsolate with his dog) in 1893. The Pierrot of popular taste also spawned a uniquely English entertainment. In 1891, the singer and banjoist Clifford Essex , resolved to create a troupe of English Pierrot entertainers, and called them
14136-511: The earliest and most influential of these in America, The Chap-Book (1894–98), which featured a story about Pierrot by the aesthete Percival Pollard in its second number, was soon host to Beardsley-inspired Pierrots drawn by E.B. Bird and Frank Hazenplug (the Canadian poet Bliss Carman should also be mentioned for his contribution to Pierrot's dissemination in mass-market publications such as Harper's ). Like most things associated with
14288-455: The earliest and most influential of these in America, The Chap-Book (1894–98), which featured a story about Pierrot by the aesthete Percival Pollard in its second number, was soon host to Beardsley-inspired Pierrots drawn by E.B. Bird and Frank Hazenplug (the Canadian poet Bliss Carman should also be mentioned for his contribution to Pierrot's dissemination in mass-market publications such as Harper's ). Like most things associated with
14440-464: The end of the nineteenth century. Though the music is atonal , it does not employ Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique , which he did not use until 1921. Pierrot lunaire is among Schoenberg's most celebrated and frequently performed works. Its instrumentation – flute , clarinet , violin , cello , and piano with standard doublings and in this case with the addition of a vocalist – is an important ensemble in 20th- and 21st-century classical music and
14592-687: The few extant contemporary illustrations involving Pedrolino—i.e., the frontispiece of Giulio Cesare Croce's Pedrolino's Great Victory against the Doctor Gratiano Scatolone, for Love of the Beautiful Franceschina (1621)—the Zanni is shown thrashing il Dottore rather savagely (and, as the title indicates, victoriously). Such aggressive ferocity is almost never to be seen, early or late, in the behavioral repertoire of Pierrot. Pierrot can be murderous (see "Shakespeare at
14744-481: The few extant contemporary illustrations involving Pedrolino—i.e., the frontispiece of Giulio Cesare Croce's Pedrolino's Great Victory against the Doctor Gratiano Scatolone, for Love of the Beautiful Franceschina (1621)—the Zanni is shown thrashing il Dottore rather savagely (and, as the title indicates, victoriously). Such aggressive ferocity is almost never to be seen, early or late, in the behavioral repertoire of Pierrot. Pierrot can be murderous (see "Shakespeare at
14896-410: The first animated movie and the first hand-colored one. In Belgium, Félicien Rops depicted a grinning Pierrot who witnesses an unromantic backstage scene ( Blowing Cupid's Nose [1881]). James Ensor painted Pierrots obsessively, in various poses from prostrate to bowing his head in despondency, sometimes even with a smiling skeleton. The Belgian poet and dramatist Albert Giraud also identified with
15048-410: The first animated movie and the first hand-colored one. In Belgium, Félicien Rops depicted a grinning Pierrot who witnesses an unromantic backstage scene ( Blowing Cupid's Nose [1881]). James Ensor painted Pierrots obsessively, in various poses from prostrate to bowing his head in despondency, sometimes even with a smiling skeleton. The Belgian poet and dramatist Albert Giraud also identified with
15200-827: The first two lines of the first stanza (1,2) repeated as the last two lines of the second stanza (7,8), and line 1 additionally repeated (13) to close the third stanza and the poem. The first poem is shown below. Den Wein, den man mit Augen trinkt, Giesst Nachts der Mond in Wogen nieder, Und eine Springflut überschwemmt Den stillen Horizont. Gelüste schauerlich und süss, Durchschwimmen ohne Zahl die Fluten! Den Wein, den man mit Augen trinkt, Giesst Nachts der Mond in Wogen nieder. Der Dichter, den die Andacht treibt, Berauscht sich an dem heilgen Tranke, Gen Himmel wendet er verzückt Das Haupt und taumelnd saugt und schlürft er Den Wein, den man mit Augen trinkt. The wine that one drinks with one's eyes Is poured down in waves by
15352-524: The harlequinade in Russia". Vsevolod Meyerhold , who both directed the first production and took on the role, dramatically emphasized the multifacetedness of the character: according to one spectator, Meyerhold's Pierrot was "nothing like those familiar, falsely sugary, whining Pierrots. Everything about him is sharply angular; in a hushed voice he whispers strange words of sadness; somehow he contrives to be caustic, heart-rending, gentle: all these things yet at
15504-471: The harlequinade in Russia". Vsevolod Meyerhold , who both directed the first production and took on the role, dramatically emphasized the multifacetedness of the character: according to one spectator, Meyerhold's Pierrot was "nothing like those familiar, falsely sugary, whining Pierrots. Everything about him is sharply angular; in a hushed voice he whispers strange words of sadness; somehow he contrives to be caustic, heart-rending, gentle: all these things yet at
15656-415: The introduction of the commedia dell'arte characters into parodic metatheater (Pierrot is a member of the audience watching the play). The penetration of Pierrot and his companions of the commedia into Spain is documented in a painting by Goya , Itinerant Actors (1793). It foreshadows the work of such Spanish successors as Picasso and Fernand Pelez , both of whom also showed strong sympathy with
15808-415: The introduction of the commedia dell'arte characters into parodic metatheater (Pierrot is a member of the audience watching the play). The penetration of Pierrot and his companions of the commedia into Spain is documented in a painting by Goya , Itinerant Actors (1793). It foreshadows the work of such Spanish successors as Picasso and Fernand Pelez , both of whom also showed strong sympathy with
15960-498: The issue of naturalization: Hermann Bahr took his inspiration for his Pantomime of the Good Man (1893) directly from his encounter with the exclusively French Cercle Funambulesque ; Rudolf Holzer set the action of his Puppet Loyalty (1899), unapologetically, in a fabulous Paris; and Karl Michael von Levetzow settled his Two Pierrots (1900) in the birthplace of Pierrot's comedy, Italy. In Germany, Frank Wedekind introduced
16112-442: The issue of naturalization: Hermann Bahr took his inspiration for his Pantomime of the Good Man (1893) directly from his encounter with the exclusively French Cercle Funambulesque ; Rudolf Holzer set the action of his Puppet Loyalty (1899), unapologetically, in a fabulous Paris; and Karl Michael von Levetzow settled his Two Pierrots (1900) in the birthplace of Pierrot's comedy, Italy. In Germany, Frank Wedekind introduced
16264-470: The last year of the century, Pierrot appeared in a Russian ballet, Harlequin's Millions a.k.a. Harlequinade (1900), its libretto and choreography by Marius Petipa , its music by Riccardo Drigo , its dancers the members of St. Petersburg's Imperial Ballet . It would set the stage for the later and greater triumphs of Pierrot in the productions of the Ballets Russes . The Pierrot bequeathed to
16416-407: The last year of the century, Pierrot appeared in a Russian ballet, Harlequin's Millions a.k.a. Harlequinade (1900), its libretto and choreography by Marius Petipa , its music by Riccardo Drigo , its dancers the members of St. Petersburg's Imperial Ballet . It would set the stage for the later and greater triumphs of Pierrot in the productions of the Ballets Russes . The Pierrot bequeathed to
16568-518: The late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne . The name is a diminutive of Pierre (Peter), using the suffix -ot and derives from the Italian Pedrolino . His character in contemporary popular culture—in poetry, fiction, and the visual arts, as well as works for the stage, screen, and concert hall—is that of the sad clown , often pining for love of Columbine (who usually breaks his heart and leaves him for Harlequin ). Performing unmasked, with
16720-460: The lives of traveling saltimbancos . The Théâtre des Funambules was a little theater licensed in its early years to present only mimed and acrobatic acts. It was the home, beginning in 1816, of Jean-Gaspard Deburau (1796–1846), the most famous Pierrot ever. He was immortalized by Jean-Louis Barrault in Marcel Carné 's film Children of Paradise (1945). Deburau, from the year 1825,
16872-401: The lives of traveling saltimbancos . The Théâtre des Funambules was a little theater licensed in its early years to present only mimed and acrobatic acts. It was the home, beginning in 1816, of Jean-Gaspard Deburau (1796–1846), the most famous Pierrot ever. He was immortalized by Jean-Louis Barrault in Marcel Carné 's film Children of Paradise (1945). Deburau, from the year 1825,
17024-489: The moon at night, And a spring tide overflows The silent horizon. Lusts, thrilling and sweet Float numberless through the waters! The wine that one drinks with one's eyes Is poured down in waves by the moon at night. The poet, urged on by his devotions, Becomes intoxicated with the sacred beverage; Enraptured, he turns toward heaven His head, and, staggering, sucks and sips The wine that one drinks with one's eyes. The atonal, expressionistic settings of
17176-433: The music. To the extent that the tonepainterly representation [ tonmalerische Darstellung ] of the events and feelings in the text were of importance to the composer, it will be found in the music anyway. Wherever the performer fails to find it, he must resist adding something that the composer did not intend. If he did so, he would not be adding, but subtracting. In the score, Sprechstimme is indicated with small x's through
17328-464: The other hand, as a "second"' Zanni, stands "on the periphery of the action". He dispenses advice and courts his master's young daughter, Columbine, bashfully. His origins among the Italian players in France go back to Molière 's peasant Pierrot in Don Juan, or The Stone Guest (1665). In 1673, the Comédie-Italienne made its own contribution to the Don Juan legend with an Addendum to "The Stone Guest ", which included Molière's Pierrot. Thereafter
17480-565: The pathos of Watteau 's portraits. An Italian company was called back to Paris in 1716, and Pierrot was reincarnated by the actors Pierre-François Biancolelli (son of the Harlequin of the banished troupe of players) and, after Biancolelli abandoned the role, the celebrated Fabio Sticotti (1676–1741) and his son Antoine Jean (1715–1772). But the character seems to have been regarded as unimportant by this company, since he appears infrequently in its new plays. The character appeared often in
17632-437: The playwright Franz Blei introduced him enthusiastically into his playlet The Kissy-Face: A Columbiade (1895), and his fellow-Austrians Richard Specht and Richard Beer-Hofmann made an effort to naturalize Pierrot—in their plays Pierrot-Hunchback (1896) and Pierrot-Hypnotist (1892, first pub. 1984), respectively—by linking his fortunes with those of Goethe 's Faust. Still others among their countrymen simply sidestepped
17784-437: The playwright Franz Blei introduced him enthusiastically into his playlet The Kissy-Face: A Columbiade (1895), and his fellow-Austrians Richard Specht and Richard Beer-Hofmann made an effort to naturalize Pierrot—in their plays Pierrot-Hunchback (1896) and Pierrot-Hypnotist (1892, first pub. 1984), respectively—by linking his fortunes with those of Goethe 's Faust. Still others among their countrymen simply sidestepped
17936-664: The poems of Jules Laforgue , whose "ton 'pierrot'" informed all of Eliot's early poetry. (Laforgue, he said, "was the first to teach me how to speak, to teach me the poetic possibilities of my own idiom of speech.") Prufrock is a Pierrot transplanted to America. Another prominent Modernist, Wallace Stevens , was undisguised in his identification with Pierrot in his earliest poems and letters—an identification that he later complicated and refined through such avatars as Bowl (in Bowl, Cat and Broomstick [1917]), Carlos (in Carlos Among
18088-554: The poems of Jules Laforgue , whose "ton 'pierrot'" informed all of Eliot's early poetry. (Laforgue, he said, "was the first to teach me how to speak, to teach me the poetic possibilities of my own idiom of speech.") Prufrock is a Pierrot transplanted to America. Another prominent Modernist, Wallace Stevens , was undisguised in his identification with Pierrot in his earliest poems and letters—an identification that he later complicated and refined through such avatars as Bowl (in Bowl, Cat and Broomstick [1917]), Carlos (in Carlos Among
18240-430: The poor, undaunted Pierrot. There was some criticism of blasphemy in the texts, to which Schoenberg responded, "If they were musical, not a single one would give a damn about the words. Instead, they would go away whistling the tunes." Pierrot lunaire consists of three groups of seven poems. In the first group, Pierrot sings of love , sex and religion ; in the second, of violence , crime , and blasphemy ; and in
18392-440: The premiere at the Berlin Choralion-Saal on October 16, 1912. Reaction was mixed. According to Anton Webern , some in the audience were whistling and laughing, but in the end "it was an unqualified success". According to eyewitness Salka Viertel , the sister of the premiere's pianist Eduard Steuermann , When she appeared in a Pierrot costume, her painted, frightened face framed by a ruff, her aging ankles in white stockings, she
18544-526: The premiere, "the music was not strong enough, and someone advised her to approach Schoenberg." Schoenberg began work on March 12 and completed the piece on July 9, 1912, having expanded the forces to an ensemble consisting of flute (doubling on piccolo ), clarinet in A (doubling on bass clarinet and clarinet in B ♭ ), violin (doubling on viola ), cello , and piano . After forty rehearsals, Schoenberg and Zehme (in Columbine dress) gave
18696-555: The purveyor of hearty and wholesome fun (the English pier Pierrots)—and various combinations of these. Like the earlier masks of commedia dell'arte, Pierrot now knew no national boundaries. Thanks to the international gregariousness of modernism, he would soon be found everywhere. Pierrot played a seminal role in the emergence of modernism in the arts. He was a key figure in every art-form except architecture. With respect to poetry , T. S. Eliot 's "breakthrough work", " The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock " (1915), owed its existence to
18848-555: The purveyor of hearty and wholesome fun (the English pier Pierrots)—and various combinations of these. Like the earlier masks of commedia dell'arte, Pierrot now knew no national boundaries. Thanks to the international gregariousness of modernism, he would soon be found everywhere. Pierrot played a seminal role in the emergence of modernism in the arts. He was a key figure in every art-form except architecture. With respect to poetry , T. S. Eliot 's "breakthrough work", " The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock " (1915), owed its existence to
19000-401: The same time impudent." The fifty poems that were published by Albert Giraud (born Emile Albert Kayenbergh) as Pierrot lunaire: Rondels bergamasques in 1884 were set to music several times. The best known version is by Arnold Schoenberg , i.e., his Opus 21: Dreimal sieben Gedichte aus Albert Girauds Pierrot lunaire ( Thrice-Seven Poems from Albert Giraud's Pierrot lunaire—Schoenberg
19152-401: The same time impudent." The fifty poems that were published by Albert Giraud (born Emile Albert Kayenbergh) as Pierrot lunaire: Rondels bergamasques in 1884 were set to music several times. The best known version is by Arnold Schoenberg , i.e., his Opus 21: Dreimal sieben Gedichte aus Albert Girauds Pierrot lunaire ( Thrice-Seven Poems from Albert Giraud's Pierrot lunaire—Schoenberg
19304-459: The semi-autobiographical Nick Adams of Faulkner's fellow- Nobel laureate Ernest Hemingway , and another contends that James Joyce 's Stephen Dedalus , again an avatar of his own creator, also shares the same parentage). In music , historians of modernism generally place Arnold Schoenberg 's 1912 song-cycle Pierrot lunaire at the very pinnacle of high-modernist achievement. And in ballet , Igor Stravinsky 's Petrushka (1911), in which
19456-459: The semi-autobiographical Nick Adams of Faulkner's fellow- Nobel laureate Ernest Hemingway , and another contends that James Joyce 's Stephen Dedalus , again an avatar of his own creator, also shares the same parentage). In music , historians of modernism generally place Arnold Schoenberg 's 1912 song-cycle Pierrot lunaire at the very pinnacle of high-modernist achievement. And in ballet , Igor Stravinsky 's Petrushka (1911), in which
19608-407: The singer in a 2004 interview, "Kent Nagano wanted to make a recording of it, but I really felt that I would be invading the territory of people who sing this for a lifetime [ sic ]." Only small recorded excerpts (possibly bootlegs ) of her performance have become available. The American mezzo-soprano Mary Nessinger has performed Pierrot lunaire extensively with organizations such as
19760-416: The stage, screen, and concert hall—is that of the sad clown , often pining for love of Columbine (who usually breaks his heart and leaves him for Harlequin ). Performing unmasked, with a whitened face, he wears a loose white blouse with large buttons and wide white pantaloons. Sometimes he appears with a frilled collaret and a hat, usually with a close-fitting crown and wide round brim and, more rarely, with
19912-422: The text, with their echoes of German cabaret , bring the poems vividly to life. Sprechstimme is a style in which the vocalist uses the specified rhythms and pitches but does not sustain the pitches, allowing them to drop or rise, in the manner of speech . Schoenberg describes the technique in a foreword to the score: The melody given in notation in the vocal part (with a few specially indicated exceptions)
20064-434: The third of his return home to Bergamo , with his past haunting him. Schoenberg, who was fascinated by numerology , also makes great use of seven-note motifs throughout the work, while the ensemble (with conductor ) comprises seven people. The piece is his opus 21, contains 21 poems, and was begun on March 12, 1912. Other key numbers in the work are 3 and 13: each poem consists of 13 lines (two four-line verses followed by
20216-471: The traditionally Pulcinella -like clown wears the heart of Pierrot, is often argued to have attained the same stature. Students of modernist painting and sculpture are familiar with Pierrot (in many different attitudes, from the ineffably sad to the ebulliently impudent) through the masterworks of his acolytes, including Pablo Picasso , Juan Gris , Georges Rouault , Salvador Dalí , Max Beckmann , August Macke , Paul Klee , Jacques Lipchitz —the list
20368-471: The traditionally Pulcinella -like clown wears the heart of Pierrot, is often argued to have attained the same stature. Students of modernist painting and sculpture are familiar with Pierrot (in many different attitudes, from the ineffably sad to the ebulliently impudent) through the masterworks of his acolytes, including Pablo Picasso , Juan Gris , Georges Rouault , Salvador Dalí , Max Beckmann , August Macke , Paul Klee , Jacques Lipchitz —the list
20520-453: The two types have little but their names ("Little Pete") and social stations in common. Both are comic servants, but Pedrolino, as a so-called "first" Zanni , often acts with cunning and daring. an engine of the plot in the scenarios where he appears. Pierrot, on the other hand, as a "second"' Zanni, stands "on the periphery of the action". He dispenses advice and courts his master's young daughter, Columbine, bashfully. His origins among
20672-528: The visual arts and in folksongs (" Au clair de la lune "). The art of Claude Gillot ( Master André's Tomb [c. 1717]), of Gillot's students Watteau ( Italian Actors [c. 1719]) and Nicolas Lancret ( Italian Actors near a Fountain [c. 1719]), of Jean-Baptiste Oudry ( Italian Actors in a Park [c. 1725]), of Philippe Mercier ( Pierrot and Harlequin [n.d.]), and of Jean-Honoré Fragonard ( A Boy as Pierrot [1776–1780]), features him prominently. As early as 1673, just months after Pierrot had made his debut in
20824-528: The visual arts and in folksongs (" Au clair de la lune "). The art of Claude Gillot ( Master André's Tomb [c. 1717]), of Gillot's students Watteau ( Italian Actors [c. 1719]) and Nicolas Lancret ( Italian Actors near a Fountain [c. 1719]), of Jean-Baptiste Oudry ( Italian Actors in a Park [c. 1725]), of Philippe Mercier ( Pierrot and Harlequin [n.d.]), and of Jean-Honoré Fragonard ( A Boy as Pierrot [1776–1780]), features him prominently. As early as 1673, just months after Pierrot had made his debut in
20976-526: The years, other groups have continued to use this instrumentation professionally (current groups include Da Capo Chamber Players , eighth blackbird and the Finnish contemporary group Uusinta Lunaire ) and have built a large repertoire for the ensemble. Pierrot Pierrot ( / ˈ p ɪər oʊ / PEER -oh , US also / ˈ p iː ə r oʊ , ˌ p iː ə ˈ r oʊ / PEE -ə-roh, PEE -ə- ROH ; French: [pjɛʁo] ),
21128-597: Was Charles-Dominique-Martin Legrand, known as Paul Legrand (1816–1898; see photo at top of page). He began appearing at the Funambules as Pierrot in 1845. Legrand left the Funambules in 1853 for the Folies-Nouvelles , which attracted the fashionable set, unlike the Funambules' working-class audiences. Legrand often appeared in realistic costume, his chalky face his only concession to tradition, leading some advocates of pantomime, such as Gautier, to lament that he
21280-476: Was Charles-Dominique-Martin Legrand, known as Paul Legrand (1816–1898; see photo at top of page). He began appearing at the Funambules as Pierrot in 1845. Legrand left the Funambules in 1853 for the Folies-Nouvelles , which attracted the fashionable set, unlike the Funambules' working-class audiences. Legrand often appeared in realistic costume, his chalky face his only concession to tradition, leading some advocates of pantomime, such as Gautier, to lament that he
21432-529: Was betraying the character of the type. Legrand's Pierrot influenced future mimes. In the 1880s and 1890s, the pantomime reached a type of apogee, and Pierrot became ubiquitous. Moreover, he acquired a female counterpart, Pierrette, who rivaled Columbine for his affections. A Cercle Funambulesque was founded in 1888, and Pierrot (sometimes played by female mimes, such as Félicia Mallet ) dominated its productions until its demise in 1898. Sarah Bernhardt even donned Pierrot's blouse for Jean Richepin 's Pierrot
21584-529: Was betraying the character of the type. Legrand's Pierrot influenced future mimes. In the 1880s and 1890s, the pantomime reached a type of apogee, and Pierrot became ubiquitous. Moreover, he acquired a female counterpart, Pierrette, who rivaled Columbine for his affections. A Cercle Funambulesque was founded in 1888, and Pierrot (sometimes played by female mimes, such as Félicia Mallet ) dominated its productions until its demise in 1898. Sarah Bernhardt even donned Pierrot's blouse for Jean Richepin 's Pierrot
21736-450: Was called back to Paris in 1716, and Pierrot was reincarnated by the actors Pierre-François Biancolelli (son of the Harlequin of the banished troupe of players) and, after Biancolelli abandoned the role, the celebrated Fabio Sticotti (1676–1741) and his son Antoine Jean (1715–1772). But the character seems to have been regarded as unimportant by this company, since he appears infrequently in its new plays. The character appeared often in
21888-448: Was celebrated by such denizens as Adolphe Willette , whose cartoons and canvases are crowded with Pierrots)—it was through all this that Pierrot achieved almost unprecedented currency and visibility towards the end of the century. He invaded the visual arts —not only in the work of Willette, but also in the illustrations and posters of Jules Chéret ; in the engravings of Odilon Redon ( The Swamp Flower: A Sad Human Head [1885]); and in
22040-448: Was celebrated by such denizens as Adolphe Willette , whose cartoons and canvases are crowded with Pierrots)—it was through all this that Pierrot achieved almost unprecedented currency and visibility towards the end of the century. He invaded the visual arts —not only in the work of Willette, but also in the illustrations and posters of Jules Chéret ; in the engravings of Odilon Redon ( The Swamp Flower: A Sad Human Head [1885]); and in
22192-420: Was greeted by an ominous murmur from the audience. One could not help admiring her courage, as she went on from poem to poem, disregarding the hissing, booing and insulting invective shouted at her and Schoenberg. There were also fanatical ovations from the young generation, but the majority were outraged. A well-known virtuoso, his face purple with rage, shouted: "Shoot him. Shoot him," meaning Schoenberg, not
22344-957: Was numerologically superstitious). This led, among other things, to ensemble groups' appropriating Pierrot's name, such as the English Pierrot Players (1967–70). The Pierrot behind those cycles has invaded worlds well beyond those of composers, singers, and ensemble-performers. Theatrical groups such as the Opera Quotannis have brought Pierrot's Passion to the dramatic stage; dancers such as Glen Tetley have choreographed it; poets such as Wayne Koestenbaum have derived original inspiration from it. It has been translated into still more distant media by painters, such as Paul Klee ; fiction-writers, such as Helen Stevenson; filmmakers, such as Bruce LaBruce ; and graphic-novelists, such as Antoine Dodé. A passionately sinister Pierrot Lunaire has even shadowed DC Comics' Batman . Pierrot
22496-817: Was numerologically superstitious). This led, among other things, to ensemble groups' appropriating Pierrot's name, such as the English Pierrot Players (1967–70). The Pierrot behind those cycles has invaded worlds well beyond those of composers, singers, and ensemble-performers. Theatrical groups such as the Opera Quotannis have brought Pierrot's Passion to the dramatic stage; dancers such as Glen Tetley have choreographed it; poets such as Wayne Koestenbaum have derived original inspiration from it. It has been translated into still more distant media by painters, such as Paul Klee ; fiction-writers, such as Helen Stevenson; filmmakers, such as Bruce LaBruce ; and graphic-novelists, such as Antoine Dodé. A passionately sinister Pierrot Lunaire has even shadowed DC Comics' Batman . Pierrot
22648-543: Was premiered as a film by Baldassarre Negroni in 1914. Its libretto, like that of Monti's "mimodrama" Noël de Pierrot a.k.a. A Clown's Christmas (1900), was written by Fernand Beissier, one of the founders of the Cercle Funambulesque . (Monti would go on to acquire his own fame by celebrating another spiritual outsider much akin to Pierrot—the Gypsy . His Csárdás [c. 1904], like Pagliacci , has found
22800-421: Was premiered as a film by Baldassarre Negroni in 1914. Its libretto, like that of Monti's "mimodrama" Noël de Pierrot a.k.a. A Clown's Christmas (1900), was written by Fernand Beissier, one of the founders of the Cercle Funambulesque . (Monti would go on to acquire his own fame by celebrating another spiritual outsider much akin to Pierrot—the Gypsy . His Csárdás [c. 1904], like Pagliacci , has found
22952-402: Was the only actor at the Funambules to play Pierrot, and he did so in several types of pantomime: rustic, melodramatic, "realistic", and fantastic. His style, according to Louis Péricaud , formed "an enormous contrast with the exuberance, the superabundance of gestures, of leaps, that ... his predecessors had employed". He altered the costume: he dispensed with the frilled collaret, substituted
23104-402: Was the only actor at the Funambules to play Pierrot, and he did so in several types of pantomime: rustic, melodramatic, "realistic", and fantastic. His style, according to Louis Péricaud , formed "an enormous contrast with the exuberance, the superabundance of gestures, of leaps, that ... his predecessors had employed". He altered the costume: he dispensed with the frilled collaret, substituted
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