La Chercheuse d’esprit

La Chercheuse d’esprit was performed first at Choisy and then at Fontainebleau in 1777 before its Paris premiere on 1 March 1778. Based on the play of the same title by Favart, this pantomime ballet in a single act by Maximilien Gardel was quite popular even into the nineteenth century because its length made it so suitable for ringing down the curtain. It had 11 representations between 1778 and 1779, and it went on to enjoy a total of 188 billings before being dropped. It was given every year…