A Dissolution of Meaning. Remarks on libretto as archi-writing and lost pantomime

This paper presents a two-part investigation into nineteenth-century Italian dance librettos, examining them both through a theoretical framework and through a historical case study. The first section introduces a textual and philosophical analysis of dance librettos, particularly those centered on the myth of Antigone published between 1788 and 1832. Framing the libretto not as a passive or mute relic, but through the concept of Derridean archi-writing, this part outlines six specific compositional strategies and graphic mechanisms through which spatiality, movement, and physical presence are encoded into written text. The second section focuses on the historical transition of Italian pantomime, taking Salvatore Viganò’s coreodramma—specifically his 1813 La Scala production of Prometeo—as a primary focal point. Through a structural breakdown of the ballet's six tableaux and an overview of contemporary 19th-century critical commentary (including writings by critical commentators, Ermes Visconti, Carlo Ritorni, and Giulio Ferrario), this section traces the evolution, perfection, and ultimate dissolution of meaning within traditional pantomime art, detailing how this shift paved the way for the emerging structural logic of romantic ballet.