Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun: Analysis & Guide
Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun by Claude Debussy
Rhythm
Debussy employs a rhythmic approach that avoids a rigid alternation of strong and weak accents. Instead of eliminating the bar, he weakens it through continuous changes in time signature: 9/8, 6/8, 9/8, 12/8, 9/8. In the first part, the eighth note consistently serves as the ternary subdivision. However, the middle section (not included in the provided score) features 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures. The melodic rhythm is subtle due to the varied
Read More19th Century Spanish Literature: Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism
19th Century Spanish Literature
Costumbrismo
Ramon de Mesonero Romanos
Madrid, his hometown. Work: Scenes of Marriage.
Mariano José de Larra
Father of journalism. Works: Diligence, You Old Castilian, and Again Tomorrow.
Serafín Estébanez Calderón
Work: Scenes of Andalusia.
Romantic Novel
Influences of European novelists on our novelists: Chateaubriand, Fielding, Daniel Defoe, and Sir Walter Scott. Lord Byron, Victor Hugo (Les Misérables), Alexandre Dumas, Larra, and Gil y Carrasco.
Women writers: Gertrudis
Read MoreSpanish Literature: From Golden Age to Romanticism
Lope de Vega and the New Comedy
In the seventeenth century, Lope de Vega revolutionized theater with a new formula, later followed by dramatists who recognized him as a master. This formula is known as the New Comedy. Lope de Vega’s theater wasn’t solely based on classical models. For example, his play “Punishment without Revenge” is a free adaptation of Euripides’ Medea.
Several differences distinguish the New Comedy from Classical Comedy:
- Number of Events/Acts: Lope’s plays unfold over three days,
Baroque Literature: Style, Drama, and Poetry
Baroque Literature
Contrasts, Conceits, and Culteranismo
Baroque literature is marked by strong contrasts. The sonnet and romance forms reach a peak of perfection.
Two main tendencies define the Baroque style: conceptismo and culteranismo. Conceptismo, represented by Francisco de Quevedo and Baltasar Gracián, emphasizes ingenuity and wit. Culteranismo, championed by Luis de Góngora, focuses on formal beauty and elaborate language.
Conceptismo
This style reflects the Baroque aesthetic centered on
Read MoreRenaissance and Baroque Literature in Spain
The Renaissance
The Renaissance, a cultural movement during the sixteenth century, transformed European life. Key features include the recovery of classical Greek and Latin, the rebirth of classical culture, the valuation of man and the world, and the shift from theological to human culture.
Humanism, a cultural and ideological force emerging in late fourteenth-century Italy, aimed to restore classical ideals. Its two main tenets were the study of classical Greek and Latin, and the valuation of the
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Medieval Prose in Europe
Influences from the East
Medieval prose in Europe was influenced by collections of short stories of Indian origin, such as Kalila and Dimna and Sendebar.
Boccaccio’s Decameron
Giovanni Boccaccio wrote The Decameron, a collection of novellas, in Italy during the 14th century.
Alfonso X the Wise (13th Century)
In Spain, Alfonso X fostered a diverse intellectual environment at his court, where wise Christians, Arabs, and Jewish scholars gathered, forming the School of Translators
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