Lorenzaccio

Lorenzaccio is famous a Play (drama) written by Alfred de Musset in 1834, on an idea of George Sand. It described a tragic hero and there romantic, Lorenzo, facing the fate of the destiny. The intrigue of this part is taken again real events told in a chronicle of the Rebirth on the life of Florence at the 16th century.

Subject

The patrician Florentin Lorenzo de Médicis, nineteen years old, studious young man, admiror of the heroes of the Antiquity Latin and Greek, dedicates himself to the restoration of the Republic. Difficult task: its distance cousin Alexandre de Médicis, reigns on Florence as a tyrant with the support of the emperor of Germany and the pope; a German garrison ensures its protection; the Cibo cardinal, who defends at the same time the interests of Charles-Quint and those of the Roman pontiff, is his firmer support. Lorenzo becomes trusty servant of the Duke, becomes his familiar like his/her companion of vice. He imagines that by killing Alexandre he will provide to the national and republican party of Toscane the occasion to release the city. Pure Lorenzo thus that succeeds which Florentins call Lorenzaccio, by adding to its name a suffix marking the contempt. Incarnating all the vice of Florence, Lorenzo will thus play a double game during all the part, that of “Lorenzino”, hero romantic par excellence, filled up ideals and inspired by both Brutus, and that of “Lorenzaccio”, corrupted and perverse character, who will stick to him soon with the skin.

Settings in scene

" Lorenzaccio" was not put in scene immediately. One even knows that the five acts of Lorenzaccio were never played completely; their thirty-six scenes would require three evenings, an about sixty decorations, more than four hundred interpreters. They were not carried besides to the scene of living of Musset. In 1863, his/her Paul brother arranged a text for the Théâtre of Odéon. The imperial censure refused it, waited until “the discussion of the right to assassinate a sovereign whose crimes and iniquities shout revenge, the murder even of the prince by one of his parents, type of degradation and degradation, appear a spectacle dangerous to show with the public”. It is known that the deputy minister with the small and medium-size companies was not foreign with the decision.

It is necessary to await 1896 to see the first representation of the drama, with the Théâtre of the Rebirth, in an adaptation which redistributes the action in three acts. Lorenzaccio is incarnated there by Sarah Bernhardt. Thereafter, the role was taken again by other actresses, before being interpreted for the first time by a man, with the Festival of Avignon. Several great settings in scene for summer have tried, in particular by Jean-Pierre Vincent with Nanterre.

Internal bonds

Lorenzino de Médicis

Random links: