La peinture des sons dans la Solitude de Charles Sorel

Abstract

Music is a central theme in Charles Sorel's novel, La Solitude et l’amour philosophique de Cléomède (1640). Its protagonist, Cléomède, is a nobleman who withdraws from the world to seek wisdom. His spiritual journey is accompanied by music from the beginning to the end of the novel. Cléomède plays the lute and sings; he is also attuned to the natural soundscape, which he perceives as a form of concert. This study aims to elucidate the role and significance of music in Cléomède's path. Additionally, we seek to analyze the novel’s poetics and its connection to music.