L'art sous la contrainte? La programmation du répertoire de l'Académie Royale de musique au siècle des Lumières

In the eighteenth century, the Paris Opera was the first of all French theaters. As the only theater permitted by privilege to mount musical performances, it embodied the height of style, becoming a symbol of the musical nation. From a political and social angle, the Royal Academy was a seat of power as well as a considerable company that spent tremendous amounts of money, employed large numbers of people and was hugely appreciated by the Parisian audience. Yet, the Paris Opera was a strange institution: an academy with no real members, its legal status resembled that of any other French theatre. But contemporary descriptions often convey a very negative image of this institution which was permanently struggling to overcome administrative problems and balance its takings and outgoings. This paradox appears in the programming of the repertoire, understood both as the organization of one theatrical year and as the repartition of the works over successive lyric seasons. Yet, even though the Academy was powerful, it was under a lot of pressure, being obliged to follow tradition in the programming of the lyric seasons and having to demonstrate a programming policy that could be adapted to any circumstances and needs. Under these conditions, programme planning required considerable skill and a certain amount of risk taking. Thus artistic freedom was limited, variable and totally dependent on the personalities of individual managers.