Henry W. Sullivan , Mahlon L. Stoutz (review)

Abstract

orderwith the chapterdivisionscorrespondingto centuries.This latteraspectis one of the disadvantagesof thework,as thereisno realjustificationgiven forthe division of the workson this basis. Analysisof the texts is kept to a minimum, although the relationships between the various texts are highlighted throughout. As might be expected in a work of this type there are frequent citations and referencesto other works,forwhich reasonthe scholarseekinga wide rangeof referencesto aid further studywill find it an enormouslyusefulwork. On the other hand, the readerseeking an in-depth analysisof the genre will look in vain. Many interestingpoints arise;for example, FradrejasRueda establishesa bipartiteclassificationof Spanish falconry works,and points out that the Peninsulawas unique in theWestforhaving available in translationthe rich body of texts in Arabic at its disposal. However, apart from the recognition of the existence of such possible points of interest there is little by way of development, and the reader will be left either encouraged to explore the field in other worksreferredto or, more likely, frustratedat the absence of textual analysis. As might be expected, apart from the occasional typographical or typesettingerror,thehighpresentationalandbibliographicalstandardsof the series, which continues to provide an important bulwark of hispano-medievalism, is maintained. UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM AENGUS WARD La comediaespanolay el teatroeuropeodel siglo XVII. Ed. by HENRYW. SULLIVAN, RAUL A. GALOPPEand MAHLONL. STOUTZ. (Coleccion Tamesis, Serie A: Monografias, I64) London: Tamesis; Madrid: Editorial Tamesis. I999. x + 193 pp. ?35.00; $6o. A generation ago, when Hispanists argued about the 'universalityof the comedia', some claimed that the comedia was peculiarto Spain. Certainlythere are differences in the kindsof nationaltheatrethat developed in Europe'svariouscountries,but no one can claim that Golden-Age dramadid not travel.In thisvolume, ten specialists examine the spread of that drama in six countries, and demonstrate that the influence of Spain on Europeantheatrewas, in the editors'words, 'aplastante'. Nancy D'Antuono ('Lacomedia espafiolaen la Italiadel sigloXVII: La Commedia dell'arte') shows that scenari, translations, or adaptations of classical Spanish plays survivedin the Italian theatre from the I62os to the I790s. The authors included Lope, Calder6n, Perez de Montalban, Rojas Zorrilla,Tirso, Moreto, Coello, Mira, Ruiz de Alarcon, Villaizan, Villegas and Solis, in that order of frequency; the favouriteswere apparentlyLadamaduende and El burlador deSevilla. Lope titlesrunto over forty, Calder6n's to over thirty. The Appendix (pp. I7-3I) lists over one hundred scenari, mostlymanuscript,and overfortytranslations. Alejandro Cioranescu's classic study ('Calderony el teatro clasico frances')first appeared in Estudios deliteratura espafolaycomparada (La Laguna:Universidadde La Laguna, I954). I encountered it thirty-five years ago in the context of the relationshipbetween Calder6n'sEnla vidatodo esverdady todo mentira and Corneille's Heraclius. Cioranescu's conclusion, that on that occasion the borrowing went the other way, is still correct, but perhaps his most useful finding is that until I732 (Louisde Boissy'sversionof Lavidaessueno), only Calder6n'scomedieswere imitated in France, where his influence lasted over a century. Frederickde Armas ('"Es dama o es torbellino?":La damaduende en Francia de D'Ouville a Hauteroche') points out that if references in his other plays are a guide, La damaduende was Calder6n'sown favourite.Certainly,it was one of the four comedies he included in his Primera parte(the otherswere Casacondospuertas, Lances deamoryfortuna and Peor orderwith the chapterdivisionscorrespondingto centuries.This latteraspectis one of the disadvantagesof thework,as thereisno realjustificationgiven forthe division of the workson this basis. Analysisof the texts is kept to a minimum, although the relationships between the various texts are highlighted throughout. As might be expected in a work of this type there are frequent citations and referencesto other works,forwhich reasonthe scholarseekinga wide rangeof referencesto aid further studywill find it an enormouslyusefulwork. On the other hand, the readerseeking an in-depth analysisof the genre will look in vain. Many interestingpoints arise;for example, FradrejasRueda establishesa bipartiteclassificationof Spanish falconry works,and points out that the Peninsulawas unique in theWestforhaving available in translationthe rich body of texts in Arabic at its disposal. However, apart from the recognition of the existence of such possible points of interest there is little by way of development, and the reader will be left either encouraged to explore the field in other worksreferredto or, more likely, frustratedat the absence of textual analysis. As might be expected, apart from the occasional typographical or typesettingerror,thehighpresentationalandbibliographicalstandardsof...