Angiolini in the Enlightenment´s Culture of Knowledge

Gasparo Angiolini (1731-1803), next to Noverre the most important dance theorist and dance reformer of the 18th century, has with his innovative action ballets, but also by means of his theoretical writings contributed in a decisive way to the radical new orientation of theatrical dance at around the mid 18th century. His writings - the prefaces to those Viennese reform ballets composed along with Christoph Willibald Gluck like Don Juan, Citera assediata and Sémiramis, and his theoretical works in a proper sense (Lettere di Gasparo Angiolini a Monsieur Noverre sopra i balli pantomimi, Riflessioni di Gasparo Angiolini sopra l`uso dei programmi nei balli pantomimi etc.) as well as the explanatory introductions ("avvisi") to opera and ballet libretti - are handed down in print and form a multifarious corpus of a highly heterogeneous character which has as yet only in parts been recognised in research. In the course of the FWF project "Tanztheoretische Schriften von Gasparo Angiolini" / "Writings on Dance Theory by Gasparo Angiolini" (P19568) an annotated critical edition of Angiolini`s complete writings known thus far could be achieved, an essential requirement for future more detailed preoccupation with the choreographer and dance theorist Angiolini. Aim of the consecutive project "Angiolini`s late work in the Enlightenment`s Culture of Knowledge", which is directly linked to the extensive research achieved in the running FWF project, is a systematic investigation and evaluation of new and as yet completely or largely unknown and mostly handwritten sources of considerable dimensions, by means of which not just the existing stock of Angiolini`s writings will be enlarged, but also Angiolini`s personality and in particular the so far rarely researched last third of his life will appear in new light. With help of the newly discovered sources (autobiographical texts, ballet-scenarios and treatises) a new dimension in the consideration of Angiolini`s work opens up: the documents add new facets to the as yet common knowledge of Angiolini and his part in the debates on arts and aesthetics of his time, which from the so far existing stock of sources could not been deduced. His late writings particularly reveal his view of theatre as a moral educational institution, his conviction that theatre should serve to transport social ideas, and consequently a modified interpretation of theatre pointing to ideas of the 19th century. The source discoveries thus promise new insight into Angiolini`s personality and particularly into the development of his thinking on dance and theatre which in the last period of his life widened to a more global view on theatrical phenomena in the cultural and social context during a period of historic upheaval.

The aim of the project was to analyse, classify, examine and contextualise new sources on the life and work of the dancer, choreographer and dance theorist Gasparo Angiolini (17311803) which had been discovered in a previous FWF-project (Writings on Dance Theory by Gasparo Angiolini, FWF P 19568) and to integrate them in the annotated edition of Angiolinis dance-theoretical writings which will be published as the conclusion of both projects. In contrast to the previously known documents by Angiolini, these new sources consist predominantly of unknown handwritten material from the last phase of his life (since 1790) which have never been published. The extensive and heterogeneous stock of autobiographical texts, letters, libretto-scenarios, notes and fragments as well as treatises on various cultural and socially political topics in this late work throws new light on Angiolini's personality and presents the man of dance in his political and sociocultural dimension: The examination of Angiolinis late writings has increased and modified the level of knowledge on Angiolini and shows in an impressive way that his work was not just significant for his contribution to the ballet reform of the 18th century, but also provided an influential new impulse for the role of the theatre beyond the perspective of dance theatre during a period of political and social upheaval in the context of the French Revolution. In later life, Angiolinis thinking surpassed more and more specific dance questions and finally widened his perception of theatre in general, whereby dance in combination with other theatrical phenomena, was assigned an explicit social and political function. In his later work, Angiolini expresses his notion of theatre as a moral educational institution, and adopts the conviction that scenic and dramatic art serve to transport social and political ideas, a view which refers to the theatrical reform ideas of J. Chr. Gottsched and in particular F. Schiller. Altogether, the examination of the new sources of Angiolinis late work made a re-evaluation of his personality, his work and his part in the cultural context of his time necessary. In turn, this may open up new possibilities and perspectives for extensive academic research, which takes the sociocultural aspects and current art aesthetic discourse of the theatre into account.