The Burgraves, 1843
Original title: Les Burgraves
The Burgraves was a product of Hugo's Rhineland excursions. In this pre-Wagnerian drama, Hugo put brother against brother, loving the same girl, in the setting of Rhinean castles.
Comédie-Française admitted the play with acclamations, but people was getting tired of the Romantic dramas. The Classic tragedies were returning to the French stages, popularized by young actors like Rachel. Although the auditorium was filled with friends, the premiere on 7 March was calm, almost boring. It played for 33 nights, loosing audiences to Rachel's interpretation of Racine and Ponsard's Lucréce. After The Burgraves, Hugo stopped writing for the theatre.
