The querelle de la danse, the controversy between Jean Georges Noverre and his “rival” Gaspare Angiolini, was led with great intensity in the last third of the 18th century, not only by both protagonists, but also in their cultural environment, particularly in artistic-intellectual circles at Milan. The paper deals less with Noverre’s and Angiolini’s well-known positions and dramaturgical concepts concerning ballet en action and danza parlante than with their reception in contemporary writings, published for the most part anonymously during the 1770s. In this context, special attention is given to an important source which appeared in 1776 at Milan, the Memorie per servire alla storia degli spettacoli del teatro di Milano […] by an unknown author (perhaps Giuseppe Carpani ?) who aims at defending Noverre’s artistic productions on the Milan stage as well as his innovative theoretical ideas about the new genre of ballet-pantomime.
