About “Pygmalion”
Pygmalion is a dramatic work by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, considered one of his most influential pieces aside from his opera Le devin du village. It is classified as one of the first melodramas and features spoken monodrama with instrumental musical interludes. Written in 1762, it was composed with music by Horace Coignet and first performed in 1770 at the Hôtel de Ville in Lyon. The work marked a turning point in Rousseau’s career, as he also wrote The Social Contract in the same year. Though rarely performed today, Pygmalion is credited with helping to spread a new theatrical genre, particularly in German-speaking regions of Europe. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)
Book details
- Published
- 1771