Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand

Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand

Cyrano de Bergerac struck a responsive chord when first performed in 1897. Its unashamed glorification of panache, the heroic individualism of a bygone age allied to an unimpeachable ethical code, flattered and soothed a country shaken by war and financial scandals, and low in self-esteem.
With great empathy, the devout Rostand portrays a proud freethinker who, in a world where little can be cured and much has to be endured, is always equal to the situation, at least linguistically. This delicate balance between humour and pathos is an example of the rare genre of comédie héroïque. The demanding role of Cyrano has proved an irresistible challenge to the monsters sacrés of stage and screen, recently to the greatest of them all, Gérard Depardieu.

Edmond Rostand was born in Marseilles in 1868 and died in 1918. His thirty-year literary career is marked primarily by one astronomical success and a number of plays of lesser note. Early on, Edmond displayed an interest in marionette theater and poetry. While attending the College Stanislas in Paris, Rostand studied French literature, history, and philosophy. He followed his own inclination and deviated from the course his father had designed for him as a lawyer, although he did finally earn a legal degree and gain admission to the bar. His first poetry appeared in the small academy review Mireille. In 1888, his LeGantRouge was produced and, in 1890, Rostand published his first book of poetry, LesMusardises. His play LesRomanesques was produced in 1894, followed a year later by LaPrincessLointaine. The playwright's name and influence spread. Rostand's fame peaked in 1898 with the first production of CyranodeBergerac, a five-act verse drama. The play was important to the drama of its time for its romantic nature, a departure from the realistic conventions then in vogue. It was an enormous success. After his next success, L'Aiglon (1900), ten years followed before Rostand completed another play. He spent the remaining years of his life in semiretirement, and died in 1918.?

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781853993725
ISBN 10	1853993727
Title	Cyrano de Bergerac
Author	Edmond Rostand
Series	French Texts
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Year published	1998-02-27
Number of pages	300
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.