Pedro Calderon de la Barca (1600-1681), one of the great dramatists
of Spain's Golden Age, wrote a series of mythological spectacle
plays for the Habsburg courts. Written when court spectacles were
an instrument of monarchical absolutism, these later works by
Calderon have often been dismissed by critics as servile flattery
of the royalty or mere displays of dazzling showmanship. Margaret
Rich Greer argues, however, that many of the playwright's court
dramas not only explore human life and social organization, but
also possess artistic unity and thematic complexity that make them
landmarks in European dramatic history. Analyzing seven of these
plays, she demonstrates Calderon's mastery in the integration of
music, dance, elaborate scenery, and stage machinery to enhance
rather than overpower his poetic text. Greer shows that by
envisioning each drama in the physical setting of its performance
and in the political context of its time, readers can appreciate a
complex relationship of texts: intertwined with the flattering
image of the splendor of royal power are a discourse relevant to
common spectators and another one that is subtly critical of the
policies of the king and the court. Originally published in 1991.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand
technology to again make available previously out-of-print books
from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press.
These editions preserve the original texts of these important books
while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions.
The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase
access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of
books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in
1905.
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