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Chantecler
Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin, 7 février 1910 : le rideau se lève sur Chantecler. Depuis plus de cinq ans, la nouvelle pièce de l’auteur de Cyrano est sans cesse annoncée, puis reportée : ce jour-là, le Tout-Paris s’est déplacé et la découvre enfin. Mais très vite, la perplexité gagne la salle. Point de décor historique ni de personnage héroïque : la scène est une basse-cour ; les personnages, des poules, des dindons, des canards, des lapins, des crapauds. Et le héros? Un coq, Chantecler, persuadé que c’est son chant qui, chaque matin, fait lever le soleil...
Chantecler connut tout au plus un succès d’estime ; après cette pièce, le «roi de la Belle Époque», incompris et déçu, se détourna peu à peu du théâtre. Pourtant, la poésie de Rostand, nourrie du Roman de Renart et des Fables de La Fontaine, y apparaît dans toute sa splendeur, et fait de cette féerie animalière détonante et cocasse une réflexion sur les affres de la création artistique, digne d’un véritable chef-d’œuvre.
Chantecler connut tout au plus un succès d’estime ; après cette pièce, le «roi de la Belle Époque», incompris et déçu, se détourna peu à peu du théâtre. Pourtant, la poésie de Rostand, nourrie du Roman de Renart et des Fables de La Fontaine, y apparaît dans toute sa splendeur, et fait de cette féerie animalière détonante et cocasse une réflexion sur les affres de la création artistique, digne d’un véritable chef-d’œuvre.
420 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 7, 1910
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189 people want to read
About the author
Edmond Rostand
197 books753 followersPeople know light, entertaining works, particularly
Cyrano de Bergerac
(1897), of French playwright Edmond Rostand.
Neo-romanticism associates poet and dramatist Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand. His romantic plays provided an alternative to the popular naturalistic theatre during the late 19th century. People adapted "Les Romanesques" as the highly successful musical comedy "The Fantasticks."
The Académie Française elected this youngest writer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmond_...
Neo-romanticism associates poet and dramatist Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand. His romantic plays provided an alternative to the popular naturalistic theatre during the late 19th century. People adapted "Les Romanesques" as the highly successful musical comedy "The Fantasticks."
The Académie Française elected this youngest writer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmond_...
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 28, 2019
This is the kind of play that's hard to describe. It isn't for children, exactly, but it isn't not for children either. All I can say is that it's interesting, and much more forgotten than it deserves to be.
January 15, 2023
Chantecler is an inspiration and an absolute joy to read. It's romantic idealism at its best with idealism vs realism as its central conflict. It's a classic filled with gems like "There is no great love outside the shadow of a great dream", and "How to find courage after doubting the work's value"-> "Buckle down to work!". I wish I could read French, but I enjoyed Getrude Hall translation.
May 31, 2022
about that magpie
March 15, 2023
Cyrano de Bergerac is Rostand's masterpiece, in my mind, yet that doesn't, nor shouldn't diminish his other works. The Romancers is of an entirely different mood, yet it still has all the wit and a lot of the truth as Cyrano. And since Cyrano, and to a lesser degree, The Romancers, had such a lasting effect on me, I knew that I would have to read more. So I did a little research and found Chantecler, which was hailed as Rostand's most noteworthy piece. As a fan, I would have been a fool not to salivate at such an opportunity. I found a copy of the play on-line and printed it off and read.
Chantecler seems to meander a bit more than Rostand's other works, and it is certainly his least humorous, which is always a shame to deny an audience when you have such a refined and sophisticated sense of humor like Rostand does. Yet, at its core, everything that made Cyrano so great is here also. The pure, romantic appeal of a hero that stands his ground no matter how terrible the circumstances, no matter how seemingly absurd his professed principles--such a character has never been mastered by anyone better than Rostand. And just as he does it with Cyrano, he does it with Chantecler.
For a while, as I started reading the play, I wondered if Mr. Rostand was in earnest, whether he was really, truly presenting this as a serious play. I tried to picture the actors in elaborate barnyard animal apparel and the ridiculousness of the image could not be removed from my mind. The dialogue didn't seem to go anywhere. The story, aimless. But then, Chantecler starts to take control, and his words ... his powerful words, overwhelm all of these otherwise legitimate concerns. The silliness is dropped, and the greatness, the nobility, the humanity of this character are brought to the forefront. The ideas are so lasting, so deep, so pure, that it is a pleasure to dip into them, even in the strange form of farm animal life. There are a few occasions where the play lapses back into mediocrity or wandering, but it quickly regains life when its main characters and ideals return.
Because of the abstract nature of parts of the play, I don't think I would ever set this before students, who would probably not get past the strange setting and premise. But for you, all those of you reading and understanding this review, I recommend it. Tap into your most romantic self (not cupid romance, but romantic ideals) and lap up its greatness ... and never watch another dawn in the same way again.
ANOTHER READING 10 August 2012
Maybe I'm just getting more used to Rostand (I certainly doubt he has posthumously adjusted his plays for my personal benefit), but this play seemed much more consistent the second time I went through it.
This meant that, where last time I read to catch the beauty of just Chantecler's words when they would appear, this time I got to lap in every scene for its brilliant ability to portray the noble truths of this world. Rostand is a genius who saw the world around him for what it could be, someone who saw simple, mundane things and revealed the world's greatest lessons in them.
To quote Chantecler from the play:
"With power to see, capacity to suffer, one may come Ito understand all things. In an insect's death are hinted all disasters. Through a knot-hole can be seen the sky and marching stars!" ... and, if I might add, in a barnyard play can be found the potential for greatness of the people and world we belong to.
This is just a sampling of those truths to be found from a rooster and his animal compatriots. But they are there in abundance for the seeking reader. I know I will seek again and again. Maybe I was wrong, maybe this is something my students have to read, especially in a world so increasingly devoid of virtuous principles and the heroes who will defend them.
Chantecler seems to meander a bit more than Rostand's other works, and it is certainly his least humorous, which is always a shame to deny an audience when you have such a refined and sophisticated sense of humor like Rostand does. Yet, at its core, everything that made Cyrano so great is here also. The pure, romantic appeal of a hero that stands his ground no matter how terrible the circumstances, no matter how seemingly absurd his professed principles--such a character has never been mastered by anyone better than Rostand. And just as he does it with Cyrano, he does it with Chantecler.
For a while, as I started reading the play, I wondered if Mr. Rostand was in earnest, whether he was really, truly presenting this as a serious play. I tried to picture the actors in elaborate barnyard animal apparel and the ridiculousness of the image could not be removed from my mind. The dialogue didn't seem to go anywhere. The story, aimless. But then, Chantecler starts to take control, and his words ... his powerful words, overwhelm all of these otherwise legitimate concerns. The silliness is dropped, and the greatness, the nobility, the humanity of this character are brought to the forefront. The ideas are so lasting, so deep, so pure, that it is a pleasure to dip into them, even in the strange form of farm animal life. There are a few occasions where the play lapses back into mediocrity or wandering, but it quickly regains life when its main characters and ideals return.
Because of the abstract nature of parts of the play, I don't think I would ever set this before students, who would probably not get past the strange setting and premise. But for you, all those of you reading and understanding this review, I recommend it. Tap into your most romantic self (not cupid romance, but romantic ideals) and lap up its greatness ... and never watch another dawn in the same way again.
ANOTHER READING 10 August 2012
Maybe I'm just getting more used to Rostand (I certainly doubt he has posthumously adjusted his plays for my personal benefit), but this play seemed much more consistent the second time I went through it.
This meant that, where last time I read to catch the beauty of just Chantecler's words when they would appear, this time I got to lap in every scene for its brilliant ability to portray the noble truths of this world. Rostand is a genius who saw the world around him for what it could be, someone who saw simple, mundane things and revealed the world's greatest lessons in them.
To quote Chantecler from the play:
"With power to see, capacity to suffer, one may come Ito understand all things. In an insect's death are hinted all disasters. Through a knot-hole can be seen the sky and marching stars!" ... and, if I might add, in a barnyard play can be found the potential for greatness of the people and world we belong to.
This is just a sampling of those truths to be found from a rooster and his animal compatriots. But they are there in abundance for the seeking reader. I know I will seek again and again. Maybe I was wrong, maybe this is something my students have to read, especially in a world so increasingly devoid of virtuous principles and the heroes who will defend them.
January 17, 2020
I liked the writing, but need to read it again to get the full meaning.
July 3, 2024
4.5-5
J'avais très envie de découvrir d'autres pièces d'Edmond Rostand après Cyrano de Bergerac , mais j'avais peur qu'aucune ne soit à la hauteur. Et, effectivement, Chantecler m'a moins touchée et moins plu que Cyrano, mais je me dis aussi qu'elles ne sont pas, toutes les deux, dans la même classe et qu'elles ne peuvent donc pas vraiment être comparées.
Ici, l'auteur met en scène un coq qui Il ne m'a pas, pour autant, semblé arrogant mais, plein de sa mission, il ne peut se permettre de ne pas chanter quand l'aube arrive.
La pièce m'a touchée, m'a fait rire et certains passages sont véritablement excellents. Certes, c'est "stéréotypé" au niveau de la symbolique des animaux : les oiseaux de la nuit sont maléfiques et Chantecler, le coq, symbole de la France, attaqué, se doit de resplendir et de triompher. Mais cela ne m'a pas gênée. C'est une pièce métaphorique qui demandait un "combat" entre bien et mal, Chantecler représentant aussi une certaine forme de morale.
L’œuvre reste originale en mettant en scène des animaux dans une pièce impossible à représenter sans virer au ridicule ; ce n'est pas pour autant qu'elle est mauvaise. Au contraire : j'ai vraiment apprécié entrer dans l'univers de la ferme, découvrir les personnalités de chacun et comprendre la raison
Un des grands thèmes abordés également par la pièce est celui de la création artistique. Si certains sont de véritables artistes, parfois modestes, parfois moins, d'autres ne sont que des imitateurs, des perroquets, voire des êtres qui ne font qu'aligner des mots sans queue ni tête pour paraître intelligents ou avant-gardistes, peut-être même différents, incompris et donc supérieurs à ceux qui ne les comprennent pas. Il m'a semblé à la fois drôle et affligeant que l'on puisse aujourd'hui encore faire le même constat. Entre ceux qui adorent s'entendre parler, ceux qui prononcent des phrases incompréhensibles pour avoir le plaisir de se revendiquer génies incompris et ceux qui sont de véritables créateurs, le champ artistique est un fouillis dans lequel on trouve quelques perles.
Dernière remarque sur ma scène préférée : celle du Coq et du Rossignol. C'était vraiment très beau et porteur d'espoir puisque C'est aussi le passage où j'ai trouvé les plus beaux vers et où j'ai le plus annoté !
Je continuerai à lire les pièces de Rostand avec plaisir !
J'avais très envie de découvrir d'autres pièces d'Edmond Rostand après Cyrano de Bergerac , mais j'avais peur qu'aucune ne soit à la hauteur. Et, effectivement, Chantecler m'a moins touchée et moins plu que Cyrano, mais je me dis aussi qu'elles ne sont pas, toutes les deux, dans la même classe et qu'elles ne peuvent donc pas vraiment être comparées.
Ici, l'auteur met en scène un coq qui Il ne m'a pas, pour autant, semblé arrogant mais, plein de sa mission, il ne peut se permettre de ne pas chanter quand l'aube arrive.
La pièce m'a touchée, m'a fait rire et certains passages sont véritablement excellents. Certes, c'est "stéréotypé" au niveau de la symbolique des animaux : les oiseaux de la nuit sont maléfiques et Chantecler, le coq, symbole de la France, attaqué, se doit de resplendir et de triompher. Mais cela ne m'a pas gênée. C'est une pièce métaphorique qui demandait un "combat" entre bien et mal, Chantecler représentant aussi une certaine forme de morale.
L’œuvre reste originale en mettant en scène des animaux dans une pièce impossible à représenter sans virer au ridicule ; ce n'est pas pour autant qu'elle est mauvaise. Au contraire : j'ai vraiment apprécié entrer dans l'univers de la ferme, découvrir les personnalités de chacun et comprendre la raison
Un des grands thèmes abordés également par la pièce est celui de la création artistique. Si certains sont de véritables artistes, parfois modestes, parfois moins, d'autres ne sont que des imitateurs, des perroquets, voire des êtres qui ne font qu'aligner des mots sans queue ni tête pour paraître intelligents ou avant-gardistes, peut-être même différents, incompris et donc supérieurs à ceux qui ne les comprennent pas. Il m'a semblé à la fois drôle et affligeant que l'on puisse aujourd'hui encore faire le même constat. Entre ceux qui adorent s'entendre parler, ceux qui prononcent des phrases incompréhensibles pour avoir le plaisir de se revendiquer génies incompris et ceux qui sont de véritables créateurs, le champ artistique est un fouillis dans lequel on trouve quelques perles.
Dernière remarque sur ma scène préférée : celle du Coq et du Rossignol. C'était vraiment très beau et porteur d'espoir puisque C'est aussi le passage où j'ai trouvé les plus beaux vers et où j'ai le plus annoté !
Je continuerai à lire les pièces de Rostand avec plaisir !
August 30, 2021
Edmond Rostand est un grand poète. Chantecler n'a pas le panache ou le rythme de Cyrano mais on y retrouve sa verve. Les (trop) nombreux personnages rendent la pièce un peu laborieuse à lire mais j'aimerais la voir représentée !
June 19, 2024
A funny and charming play about dreams and vanity, with a cast of farm and forest animals. I laughed out loud a lot and loved the poetic writing. Cyrano is one of my favorite plays of all time, it was fun to read more of Rostand’s work and enjoy his witty lyricism 4.5
May 16, 2017
Nice writing with very entertaining bits and nice tirade.
April 5, 2020
The first three chapters were pure joy. Still making sense of the last one.
May 8, 2020
so many references that i didnt get!! i love Rostand! imagine seeing this in 1910. a cultural reset
February 14, 2024
I read the Hall translation. A lot of great stuff here but no Cyrano. The beginning was rather slow and I don’t think the last act fits the main plot.
January 15, 2023
4.5 stars.
My only disappointment is that the poetic verse in which this wonderful play is written is lost in translation, as are some of its wordplay and witticisms, and I'm sure I'd give it 5 stars if I were fluent enough in French.
My only disappointment is that the poetic verse in which this wonderful play is written is lost in translation, as are some of its wordplay and witticisms, and I'm sure I'd give it 5 stars if I were fluent enough in French.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews