La Fantaisie

Composer: REBEL, Jean-Féry
  • Published in 1729, Rebel’s La Fantaisie was written for ballet-pantomime, a new form of theatrical entertainment for the time.
  • The ballet-pantomime included an assortment of dances featuring the most popular styles of Rebel’s time. In La Fantaisie, Rebel uses the Grave, Chaconne, Loure, and Tambourin.
    • The dancers would portray the story entirely through dance and gesture. It was unique in that it did not appear within an opera or other dramatic work, but was simply a choreographed dance piece.
  • The bucolic character of La Fantaisie evokes imagery found in the artwork of the period, such as Watteau‘s paintings.1

Sources

  1. Cessac, Catherine, “Rebel, Jean-Fery [le père],” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed April 14, 2026, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-90000380133.

Cut IDs

10995