burlesque - wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Burlesque - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlesque_(literary)[27/02/2012 09:28:04]

BurlesqueFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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For other uses, see Burlesque (disambiguation).

Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intendedto cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit ofserious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.[1]The word derives from the Italian burlesco, which itselfderives from the Italian burla a joke, ridicule ormockery.[2]

Burlesque overlaps in meaning with caricature, parody andtravesty, and, in its theatrical sense, with extravaganza, aspresented during the Victorian era.[3] "Burlesque" has beenused in English in this literary and theatrical sense sincethe late 17th century. It has been applied retrospectively toworks of Chaucer and Shakespeare and to the Graeco-Roman classics.[4] Contrasting examples of literaryburlesque are Alexander Pope's sly The Rape of the Lockand Samuel Butler's irreverent Hudibras. An example ofmusical burlesque is Richard Strauss's 1890 Burleske forpiano and orchestra. Examples of theatrical burlesquesinclude W. S. Gilbert's Robert the Devil and the A. C. Torr Meyer Lutz shows, including Ruy Blas and the BlasRou.

A later use of the term, particularly in the United States,refers to performances in a variety show format. Thesewere popular from the 1860s to the 1940s, often incabarets and clubs, as well as theatres, and featuredbawdy comedy and female striptease. Some Hollywoodfilms attempted to recreate the spirit of these performances from the 1930s to the 1960s, or includedburlesque-style scenes within dramatic films, such as 1972's Cabaret (film) and 1979's All That Jazz,among others. There has been a resurgence of interest in this format since the 1990s.

Contents [hide]

1 Literary origins and development2 Burlesque in music

2.1 Classical music2.2 Jazz

3 Victorian theatrical burlesque4 American burlesque5 Notes6 References7 External links

Souvenir programme for Ruy Blas andthe Blas Rou, a Victorian burlesque

[edit]Literary origins and development

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Burleske

Burleske (1885-86), by Richard Strauss.

The word first appears in a title in Francesco Berni's Opereburlesche of the early 16th century, works that had circulated widelyin manuscript before they were printed. For a time burlesque verseswere known as poesie bernesca in his honour. 'Burlesque' as aliterary term became widespread in 17th century Italy and France,and subsequently England, where it referred to a grotesqueimitation of the dignified or pathetic.[5] Shakespeare's Pyramus andThisbe scene in Midsummer Night's Dream and the generalmocking of romance in Beaumont and Fletcher's The Knight of theBurning Pestle were early examples of such imitation.[6]

In 17th century Spain, playwright and poet Miguel de Cervantesridiculed medieval romance in his many satirical works. AmongCervantes' works are Exemplary Novels and the Eight Comediesand Eight New Interludes published in 1615.[7] The term burlesquehas been applied retrospectively to works of Chaucer andShakespeare and to the Graeco-Roman classics.[4]

Burlesque was intentionally ridiculous in that it imitated several styles and combined imitations ofcertain authors and artists with absurd descriptions. In this, the term was often used interchangeablywith "pastiche", "parody", and the 17th and 18th century genre of the "mock-heroic".[8] Burlesquedepended on the reader's (or listener's) knowledge of the subject to make its intended effect, and ahigh degree of literacy was taken for granted.[9]

17th and 18th century burlesque was divided into two types: High burlesque refers to a burlesqueimitation where a literary, elevated manner was applied to a commonplace or comically inappropriatesubject matter as, for example, in the literary parody and the mock-heroic. One of the mostcommonly cited examples of high burlesque is Alexander Pope's "sly, knowing and courtly" The Rapeof the Lock.[10] Low burlesque applied an irreverent, mocking style to a serious subject; anexample is Samuel Butler's poem Hudibras, which described the misadventures of a Puritan knight insatiric doggerel verse, using a colloquial idiom. Butler's addition to his comic poem of an ethicalsubtext made his caricatures into satire.[11]

In more recent times, burlesque true to its literary origins is still performed in revues and sketches.[6]Tom Stoppard's 1974 play Travesties is an example of a full-length play drawing on the burlesquetradition.[12]

Beginning in the early 18th century, the term burlesque was used throughout Europe to describemusical works in which serious and comic elements were juxtaposed or combined to achieve agrotesque effect.[13] As derived from literature and theatre, "burlesque" was used, and is still used, inmusic to indicate a bright or high-spirited mood, sometimes in contrast to seriousness.[13]

In this sense of farce and exaggeration rather than parody, it appears frequently on the German-language stage between the middle of the 19th century and the 1920s. Burlesque operettas werewritten by Johann Strauss II (Die lustigen Weiber von Wien, 1868),[14] Ziehrer (Mahomed'sParadies,1866; Das Orakel zu Delfi, 1872; Cleopatra, oder Durch drei Jahrtausende, 1875; In fnfzigJahren, 1911)[15] and Bruno Granichstaedten (Casimirs Himmelfahrt, 1911). French references toburlesque are less common than German, though Grtry composed for a "drame burlesque"(Matroco, 1777).[16] Stravinsky called his 1916 one-act chamber opera-ballet Renard (The Fox) a"Histoire burlesque chante et joue" (burlesque tale sung and played). A later example is the 1927burlesque operetta by Ernst Krenek entitled Schwergewicht (Heavyweight) (1927).

Some orchestral and chamber works have alsobeen designated as burlesques, of which twoearly examples are the Ouverture-SuiteBurlesque de Quixotte, TWV 55, by Telemann

Arabella Fermor, target of TheRape of the Lock

[edit]Burlesque in music

[edit]Classical music

Trke



Performed by Neal O'Doan with the SeattlePhilharmonic Orchestra

Problems listening to this file? See media help.

and the Sinfonia Burlesca by Leopold Mozart(1760). Another often-performed piece isRichard Strauss's 1890 Burleske for piano andorchestra.[13] Other examples include thefollowing:

1901: Six Burlesques, Op. 58 for piano four hands by Max Reger1904: Scherzo Burlesque, Op. 2 for piano and orchestra by Bla Bartk1911: Three Burlesques, Op. 8c for piano by Bartk1920: Burlesque for Piano, by Arnold Bax1931: Ronde burlesque, Op. 78 for orchestra by Florent Schmitt1932: Fantaisie burlesque, for piano by Olivier Messiaen1956: Burlesque for Piano and Chamber Orchestra, Op. 13g by Bertold Hummel1982: Burlesque for Wind Quintet, Op. 76b by Hummel

Burlesque can be used to describe particular movements of instrumental musical compositions, ofteninvolving dance rhythms. Examples are the Burlesca, in Partita No. 3 for keyboard (BWV 827) byBach, the "Rondo-Burleske" third movement of Symphony No. 9 by Mahler, and the "Burlesque"fourth movement of Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1.[17]

The use of burlesque has not been confined to classical music. Well known ragtime travesties includeThe Russian Rag, by George L. Cobb, which is based on Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C-sharp minor,and Harry Alford's Lucy's Sextette based on the sextet, 'Chi mi frena in tal momento?', from Lucia diLammermoor by Donizetti.[18]

Main article: Victorian burlesque

Victorian burlesque, sometimes known as "travesty" or"extravaganza",[19] was popular in London theatres between the1830s and the 1890s. It took the form of musical theatre parody inwhich a well-known opera, play or ballet was adapted into a broadcomic play, usually a musical play, often risqu in style, mockingthe theatrical and musical conventions and styles of the originalwork, and quoting or pastiching text or music from the original work.The comedy often stemmed from the incongruity and absurdity ofthe classical subjects, with realistic historical dress and settings,being juxtaposed with the modern activities portrayed by the actors.Madame Vestris produced burlesques at the Olympic Theatrebeginning in 1831 with Olympic Revels by J. R. Planch.[20] Otherauthors of burlesques included H. J. Byron, G. R. Sims, F. C.Burnand, W. S. Gilbert and Fred Leslie.[21]

Victorian burlesque related to and in part derived from traditionalEnglish pantomime "with the addition of gags and 'turns'."[22] In the

early burlesques, following the example of ballad opera, the words of the songs were written topopular music;[23] later burlesques mixed the music of opera, operetta, music hall and revue, andsome of the more ambitious shows had original music composed for them. This English style ofburlesque was successfully introduced to New York in the 1840s.[24]

Some of the most frequent subjects for burlesque were the plays ofShakespeare and grand opera.[25][26] The dialogue was generallywritten in rhyming couplets, liberally peppered with bad puns.[22] Atypical example from a burlesque of Macbeth: Macbeth and Banquo

[edit]Jazz

[edit]Victorian theatrical burlesque

Florence St. John in Carmenup to data



enter under an umbrella, and the witches greet them with "Hail! hail!hail!" Macbeth asks Banquo, "What mean these salutations, noblethane?" and is told, "These showers of 'Hail' anticipate your'reign'".[26] A staple of burlesque was the display of attractivewomen in travesty roles, dressed in tights to show off their legs, butthe plays themselves were seldom more than modestly risqu.[22]

Burlesque became the speciality of certain London theatres,including the Gaiety and Royal Strand Theatre from the 1860s tothe early 1890s. Until the 1870s, burlesques were often one-actpieces running less than an hour and using pastiches and parodiesof popular songs, opera arias and other music that the audiencewould readily recognize. The house stars included Nellie Farren,John D'Auban, Edward Terry and Fred Leslie.[27][21] From about1880, Victorian burlesques grew longer, until they were a whole evening's entertainment rather thanpart of a double- or triple-bill.[21] In the early 1890s, these burlesques went out of fashion in London,and the focus of the Gaiety and other burlesque theatres changed to the new more wholesome butless literary genre of Edwardian musical comedy.[28]

Main article: American burlesque

American burlesque shows were originally an offshoot of Victorianburlesque. The English genre had been successfully staged in NewYork from the 1840s, and it was popularised by a visiting Britishburlesque troupe, Lydia Thompson and the "British Blondes",beginning in 1868.[29] New York burlesque shows soonincorporated elements and the structure of the popular minstrelshows. They consisted of three parts: first, songs and ribald comicsketches by low comedians; second, assorted olios and male acts,such as acrobats, magicians and solo singers; and third, chorusnumbers and sometimes a burlesque in the English style on politicsor a current play. The entertainment was usually concluded by anexotic dancer or a wrestling or boxing match.[30]

While burlesque went out of fashion in England towards the end ofthe 19th century, to be replaced by Edwardian musical comedy, theAmerican style of burlesque flourished, but with increasing focus onfemale nudity. Exotic "cooch" dances were brought in, ostensiblySyrian in origin. The entertainments were given in clubs and

cabarets, as well as music halls and theatres. By the early 20th century, there were two nationalcircuits of burlesque shows competing with the vaudeville circuit, as well as resident companies inNew York, such as Minsky's at the Winter Garden.[30]

The transition from burlesque on the old lines to striptease wasgradual. At first soubrettes showed off their figures while singingand dancing; some were less active but compensated by appearingin elaborate stage costumes.[31] The strippers gradually supplantedthe singing and dancing soubrettes; by 1932 there were at least150 strip principals in the US.[31] Star strippers included SallyRand, Gypsy Rose Lee, Tempest Storm, Lili St. Cyr, Blaze Starr,Ann Corio and Margie Hart, who was celebrated enough to bementioned in song lyrics by Lorenz Hart and Cole Porter.[31] By thelate 1930s, burlesque shows would have up to six stripperssupported by one or two comics and a master of ceremonies.

Sheet music from Faust up toDate

[edit]American burlesque

Advertisement for a burlesquetroupe, 1898



Comics who appeared in burlesque early in their careers includedFanny Brice, Mae West, Eddie Cantor, Abbott and Costello, W. C.Fields, Jackie Gleason, Danny Thomas, Al Jolson, Bert Lahr, PhilSilvers, Sid Caesar, Danny Kaye, Red Skelton and SophieTucker.[31]

The uninhibited atmosphere of burlesque establishments owed much to the free flow of alcoholicliquor, and the enforcement of Prohibition was a serious blow.[32] In New York, Mayor FiorelloLaGuardia clamped down on burlesque, effectively putting it out of business by the early 1940s.[33] Itlingered on elsewhere in the U.S., increasingly neglected, and by the 1970s, with nuditycommonplace in theatres, reached "its final shabby demise."[34] Both during its declining years andafterwards there have been films that sought to capture American burlesque, including Lady ofBurlesque (1943),[35] Striporama (1953),[36] and The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968).[37]

In recent decades, there has been a revival of burlesque.[33] A new generation, nostalgic for thespectacle and perceived glamour of the classic American burlesque, developed a cult following forthe art in the early 1990s at Billie Madley's "Cinema" and later at the "Dutch Weismann's Follies"revues in New York City, "The Velvet Hammer" troupe in Los Angeles, and The Shim-Shamettes inNew Orleans. Notable Neo-burlesque performers include Dita Von Teese, and Julie Atlas Muz andAgitprop groups like Cabaret Red Light incorporated political satire and performance art into theirburlesque shows. Annual conventions such as the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival andthe Miss Exotic World Pageant are held.[38][39]

1. ^ "Burlesque", Oxford English Dictionary,Oxford University Press, accessed 16 February2011 (subscription required)

2. ^ In theatrical use, a burla was "a comicinterlude or practical joke introduced, usuallyextempore, into a performance by the servantmasks of the commedia dell'arte developedat will into a small independent 'turn', thecharacters returning at its conclusion to themain theme of the plot". See Hartnoll, Phyllisand Peter Found. "Burla", The ConciseOxford Companion to the Theatre, OxfordUniversity Press, 1996. Oxford ReferenceOnline, accessed 16 February 2011(subscription required)

3. ^ Fowler, H. W., rev. Sir Ernest Gowers (1965).Modern English Usage. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press, pp. 68 and 96

4. ^ a b Baldick, Chris. "Burlesque", The OxfordDictionary of Literary Terms, Oxford UniversityPress, 2008. Oxford Reference Online. OxfordUniversity Press, accessed 16 February 2011

22. ^ a b c Schwandt, Erich et al. "Burlesque",Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online,accessed 3 February 2011 (subscriptionrequired)

23. ^ Moss, Harold Gene. "Popular Music and theBallad Opera", Journal of the AmericanMusicological Society, Vol. 26, No. 3 (Autumn,1973), pp. 36582, University of CaliforniaPress, accessed 2 February 2011(subscription required)

24. ^ Rogers, Delmer D. "Public MusicPerformances in New York City from 1800 to1850", Anuario Interamericano deInvestigacion Musical, Vol. 6 (1970), pp. 550,accessed 2 February 2011 (subscriptionrequired)

25. ^ Marvin, Roberta Montemorra. "Verdian OperaBurlesqued: A Glimpse into Mid-VictorianTheatrical Culture", Cambridge OperaJournal, Vol. 15, No. 1 (March 2003), pp. 3366, Cambridge University Press, accessed 2

(subscription required)

Gypsy Rose Lee

[edit]Notes



(subscription required)5. ^ Fredric Woodbridge Wilson: "Burlesque",

Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (AccessedDecember 04, 2008), (subscription access)

6. ^ a b Stanton, p. 507. ^ "MSN Encarta" . MSN Encarta. Archived

from the original on 2009-10-31.8. ^ Sanders, p. 2919. ^ Speaight, George. "All froth and bubble", The

Times Literary Supplement, 1 October 1976, p.1233

10. ^ Sanders, pp. 2909111. ^ Hudibras was so popular that it became the

subject of parody itself. See Sanders, p. 255.12. ^ Stanton, p. 50; and Hunter, Jim (1982) Tom

Stoppard's Plays. London: Faber and Faber,ISBN 0-571-11903-4, pp. 2333, 141146, and237242

13. ^ a b c Kennedy, Michael (2006), The OxfordDictionary of Music, p. 134

14. ^ Lamb, Andrew (1992), "Strauss, Johann" inThe New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed.Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7

15. ^ Lamb, Andrew (1992), "Ziehrer, C. M." in TheNew Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. StanleySadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7

16. ^ Charlton, David and M. Elizabeth C. Bartlet,"Grtry, Andr-Ernest-Modeste: Works,"Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online,accessed 24 February2011 (subscriptionrequired)

17. ^ McGregor, Andrew, "Dmitri ShostakovichViolin Concertos 1 & 2 Review" , BBC Music,accessed 24 February 2011

18. ^ Harrison, Max (2006): Rachmaninoff: Life,Works, Recordings p 229

19. ^ According to the Grove Dictionary of Musicand Musicians, "the various genre terms werealways applied freely", and by the 1860s theiruse had become "arbitrary and capricious": see"Burlesque," Grove Music Online. OxfordMusic Online, accessed 3 February 2011(subscription required). In an 1896 article onBurlesque in The Theatre, the three terms areused interchangeably: see Adams, W.Davenport. "Burlesque: Old v. New", TheTheatre, 1 March 1896, pp. 14445

20. ^ Adams, W. Davenport. A Book of Burlesque(London: Henry and Co., 1891), p. 44

21. ^ a b c "Theatrical Humour in the Seventies",The Times, 20 February 1914, p. 9

February 2011 26. ^ a b Wells, Stanley. "Shakespearian

Burlesques", Shakespeare Quarterly, Vol. 16,No. 1 (Winter, 1965), pp. 4961, FolgerShakespeare Library in association withGeorge Washington University, accessed 2February 2011 (subscription required)

27. ^ "Mr. D'Auban's 'Startrap' Jumps". The Times,17 April 1922, p. 17

28. ^ Gnzl, Kurt. "Edwardes, George Joseph(18551915)", Oxford Dictionary of NationalBiography, Oxford University Press, 2004,accessed 3 February 2011 (subscriptionrequired)

29. ^ Hoffos, Signe and Moulder, Bob."Desperately Seeking Lydia" and "AppreciatingLydia", The Friends of Kensal GreenCemetery Magazine, Vol. 43, Autumn 2006, pp.17

30. ^ a b "Burlesque show", EncyclopdiaBritannica, Online Library Edition, accessed 16February 2011 (subscription required)

31. ^ a b c d Humez, Nick. "Burlesque". St.James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, ed.Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast, GaleVirtual Reference Library, accessed 16February 2011 (subscription required)

32. ^ Hartnoll, Phyllis and Peter Found. "Burlesque,American", The Concise Oxford Companionto the Theatre, Oxford University Press, 1996.Oxford Reference Online, accessed 16February 2011 (subscription required)

33. ^ a b Caldwell, Mark. "The Almost NakedCity", The New York Times, 18 May 2008,accessed 19 September 2009

34. ^ Allen, p. xi35. ^ "New Films In London", The Times, 2 August

1943, p. 836. ^ Striporama Internet Movie Database,

accessed 17 February 201137. ^ Slonimsky, Nicholas, "Burlesque show",

Baker's Dictionary of Music, SchirmerReference, New York, 1997, accessed 16February 2010 (subscription required)

38. ^ Sohn, Amy. Teasy Does It, New YorkMagazine , 21 May 2005, accessed 24February 2011

39. ^ Clodfelter, Tim. "This ain't your granddad'sburlesque - but he sure wouldn't mindwatching" . Winston-Salem Journal, 31January 2008, accessed 24 February 2011

[edit]References



Look up Burlesque inWiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has mediarelated to: Burlesque

Wikisource has the text of the1911 Encyclopdia Britannicaarticle Burlesque.

Abrams, M. H. (1999) A Glossary of Literary Terms. Seventh edition. Fort Worth, TX: HarcourtBrace College PublishersAdams, William Davenport (1904) A dictionary of the drama London: Chatto & WindusAllan, Kirsty L. 'A Guide to Classical Burlesque Funny Ha Ha or Funny Peculiar?'Allan, Kirsty L. and Charms, G. 'Diamonds From the Rough The Darker Side of AmericanBurlesque striptease'Allen, Robert Clyde (1991). Horrible Prettiness: Burlesque and American Culture. Chapel Hill:University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 0-8078-1960-3Baldwin, Michelle. Burlesque and the New Bump-n-GrindBriggeman, Jane (2009) Burlesque: A Living History. BearManor Media, 2009. ISBN 978-1593934699DiNardo, Kelly. "Gilded Lili: Lili St. Cyr and the Striptease Mystique"; Archive of articles, video,pictures and interviews about neo-burlesque.Frye, Northrop. (1957) Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays. Princeton: Princeton University PressHedin, Thomas F. (2001) The Petite Commande of 1664: Burlesque in the gardens of Versailles,The Art BulletinHollingshead, John. (1903) Good Old Gaiety: An Historiette & Remembrance London: GaityTheatre CoKennedy, Michael (2006), The Oxford Dictionary of Music, Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN0-19-861459-4Kenrick, John. A History of The Musical BurlesqueSanders, Andrew (1994). The Short Oxford History of English Literature. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press. ISBN 0-19-811201-7Stanton, Sarah and Banham, Martin (1996). Cambridge Paperback Guide to Theatre, Cambridge:Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521446549Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992), The Oxford Dictionary of Opera, Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press. ISBN 0-19-869164-5Wilson, Frederic Woodbridge (1992), 'Burlesque' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed.Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7Zeidman, Irving: The American Burlesque Show. Hawthorn Books, Inc 1967, OCLC 192808 ,OCLC 493184629 .

Ruckus! American Entertainments at the Turn of theTwentieth Century From the collection of theBeinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at YaleUniversityClassic Burlesque: We Aim to Tease slideshow byLife magazineBehind the Burly Q . 2010 documentary film by LeslieZemeckisEncyclopaedia Britannica 1911: "Burlesque"History of Burlesque at Musicals101.com, The CyberEncyclopedia of Musical Theatre, TV and Film"A Guide to Classical Burlesque - Funny Ha Ha or Funny Peculiar?" Allan, K., The CuriousAdventures of Kittie

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