Spanish Baroque Theatre: Society, Culture, and Playwrights

Posted on Sep 7, 2024 in Music

Society and Culture in the Baroque Theatre

The decline of the Spanish Empire during the Baroque period (loss of European possessions, war debts, and weakened monarchs) had significant economic, political, and social consequences. Social clashes arose between the bourgeoisie and nobility, leading to an alliance between the royalty and nobility. This weakened the bourgeoisie and the absolute monarchy. The court became a means to distract the people with an illusion of wealth and power through extravagant spending on events like bullfights, dances, festivals, and theatre.

Theatre as a Center of Spectacle: It exalted the figure of the king, but also showcased characters like villains and peasants.

Subgenres of Baroque Theatre

While the New Comedy was the dominant genre, several “minor genres” existed:

Auto Sacramental: A drama celebrating the Eucharist, with allegorical characters, performed during Corpus Christi.
Entremés: Short comic pieces meant to entertain with stereotypical characters, performed between acts of comedies.
Loa: An introduction to the comedy, requesting silence and praising the play.
Baile: Combined music, singing, and dancing, performed between acts of comedies.
Jácara: Poetic pieces with minimal action, depicting a world of pimps and brothels.
Mojiganga: Short, popular pieces of carnival origin with costumed characters.

Tirso de Molina

Characteristics of his Theatre:

Psychological depth of characters (especially strong female characters)
Intrigue and humor

Works:

Religious drama (e.g., The Divine Beekeeper)
Historical dramas (e.g., The Wisdom of Women)
Character comedies (e.g., The Shameful Palace)
Comedies of intrigue (e.g., Don Gil of the Green Breeches)
Most famous works: The Man Condemned for Mistrust, The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest

Lope de Vega

Lope de Vega had a vast literary output, though the attribution of some works is debated.

a) Nature of his Theatre:

Used features of the New Comedy
Strong sense of drama and lyricism
Naturalness of characters

b) Works:

Comedies about Spanish history and legend
Invented plots
Religious, mythological, and mystery plays

c) Masterpieces:

Peribáñez and the Commander of Ocaña
Fuenteovejuna
The Knight of Olmedo

Baroque Theatre in Everyday Life

In the second half of the 16th century, the first public theatres, called corrales de comedias, emerged. These theatres had a structure that separated social classes:

Patio (courtyard)
Boxes
Galleries
Cazuela (literally “stewpot,” the area for women)

Stage Design: Minimalistic, with no curtains or elaborate decorations, only doors.

Acting Troupes: Named based on the number of actors and the plays they performed. Plays had short runs.

Performances: Lasted 2-3 hours.

Types of Theatre: Popular, courtly, and religious.

The New Comedy

Origins: A formula established by Lope de Vega, influenced by earlier themes of Spanish history and legends (e.g., Juan de la Cueva). Lope’s time in Valencia, a city with a rich theatrical tradition, also contributed.

Characteristics: Lope de Vega outlined his theatrical theory in New Art of Writing Plays. He advocated for:

Mixing the comic and the tragic
Breaking the rule of the three unities (time, place, and action)
Three-act structure
Variety of verse forms adapted to different scenes
Characters and language appropriate to the situation
Incorporating songs

Themes: Wide variety of themes drawn from medieval epics, Renaissance literature, mythology, the Bible, Spanish history, and folklore. Common themes included glory, honor, love affairs, and history.

Character Types: Fixed characteristics, such as the lover, the lady, the king, the nobleman, the knight, and the villain.

Authors:

Major figures: Lope de Vega (established the New Comedy) and Calderón de la Barca (more rigorous plot organization and philosophical themes).
Authors closer to Lope’s style: Tirso de Molina, Guillén de Castro, Antonio Mira de Amescua, Luis Vélez de Guevara, Juan Ruiz de Alarcón.
Authors closer to Calderón’s style: Francisco Rojas Zorrilla and Agustín Moreto.

Calderón de la Barca

Calderón began his career within the New Comedy but brought his own unique perspective.