Lully | The Sicilian, or Love the Painter

One-act comedy-ballet

The Sicilian owes its brevity to its place in the immense and sumptuous Ballet of the Muses, of which it was only one of fourteen "entries" – but the very last one, and therefore the highlight. In barely an hour, Molière and Lully outdo themselves. All the codes of court comedy are respected: the priority given to the love plot in a gallant tone, the refinement of modes of expression, and, of course, the exaltation of French excellence! But the two accomplices, always experts in the art of knowing how far to go too far, do not hesitate to mix in the joys of farce (complete with "Turkish" antics and burlesque entertainment in gibberish), irony regarding supposed national characteristics (including French ones...), and the pursuit of their research into the genre.

Molière, in particular, tests a mode of extreme dramatic writing here. His prose—always musical—reaches a unique level of refinement in his body of work. Composed entirely of blank verse, echoes, and assonance, the language assigned to the actors is in perfect harmony with the musical universe into which it is subtly integrated.

Synopsis

‍The scene is set in Sicily—which, in the spirit of the time, was an exotic and sunny land, conducive to all kinds of fantasy; a more or less fantasized melting pot where all the nations of the Mediterranean basin cross paths and mingle; a land, finally, where passions are reputed to be violent and the jealousy of the natives proverbial. The young Adraste, a worthy representative of French excellence and its well-known gallantry (Cock-a-doodle-doo!), has fallen madly in love with the beautiful Isidore, the captivating Greek slave of the stern Sicilian Don Pèdre—who, of course, intends her for his own bed. How will Adraste, prevented from communicating with his beloved by the jealous man's obsessive guarding, be able to find out if his feelings are shared by the beautiful Isidore? With the help of his Turkish slave Hali (the resident trickster, though not particularly clever), the young man will embark on a series of... gallant ruses.