El Secreto a Voces - La Desdicha de la Voz

El Secreto a Voces - La Desdicha de la Voz – Testimonio Compañía Editorial – Res. 117 – Biblioteca Nacional de España (Madrid, Spain)

Spain — 1642

The highlight of Spanish baroque theater: two suspenseful and at the same time profound entanglement-comedies by the brilliant court dramatist Pedro Calderón de la Barca, full of trials and tribulations

  1. Two wonderful plays from the quill of the great Spanish dramatist Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600–81)

  2. Secrets and surprises, as well as errors and ambiguities, play a large roll In these entanglement-comedies

  3. In addition to being an author, la Barca was a court official, member of the Spanish army, and chaplain

El Secreto a Voces - La Desdicha de la Voz

  1. Description
  2. Facsimile Editions (1)
Description
El Secreto a Voces - La Desdicha de la Voz

El Secreto a Voces and La Desdicha de la Voz are the titles of two wonderful plays from the quill of Pedro Calderón de la Barca. He is considered to be the most significant Spanish dramatist of the 17th century and with his entertaining entanglement-comedies created countless pieces full of wit, suspense, and with profound meaning that remains to this day. The original manuscripts of both pieces are stored in the Spanish National Library in Madrid. These allow the high time of Spanish Baroque theater under Calderón de la Barca to be vividly resurrected!

El Secreto a Voces - La Desdicha de la Voz

El Secreto a Voces and La Desdicha de la Voz are the titles of two wonderful plays from the quill of Pedro Calderón de la Barca. He is considered to be the most significant Spanish dramatist of the 17th century and with his entertaining entanglement-comedies created countless pieces full of wit, suspense, and with profound meaning that remains to this day. The original manuscripts of both pieces are stored in the Spanish National Library in Madrid. These allow the high time of Spanish Baroque theater under Calderón de la Barca to be vividly resurrected!

A Figure of World Literature

Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600–1681) was a great Spanish poet and the most important Spanish dramatist of the Baroque period. Calderón de la Barca originated from a noble family, his father held office at the royal court in Madrid. The young Pedro was already fascinated with literature at a young age. He enjoyed great praise through the Spanish poet Lope de Vega, whose office as court dramatist under King Philip IV was taken over by Pedro after his death in 1635. Caledrón de la Barca was already considered by his peers to be “the best dramatist of his time.” He was nonetheless also a member of the Spanish army and as such continuously took part in campaigns. Around the middle of the century, Calderon finally devoted himself to a religious path and was ordained as a priest. He served as a chaplain in Toledo and was named court chaplain in 1663. As such, in the last ten years of his life he composed the so called Autos Sacramentales, Corpus Christi plays, or allegorical pieces characterized by Christian beliefs.

The Open Secret

El secreto a voces, the title translates into English as The Open Secret, is by contrast one of the most beloved romantic comedies by the dramatist. El secreto a voces originated in the year 1642 as the so-called Comedia Palantina, a work by the court dramatist. Belonging together with this is the second surviving play in the form of a manuscript, La desdicha de la voz. This piece, translated as The Misery of the Voice, is a piece from the year 1639. El secreto a voces is one of the most famous and important comedies by Calderón de la Barca. The precious manuscript of this masterpiece of 17th century Spanish drama can be found today in the Spanish National Library in Madrid. Calderón de la Barca composed a wonderfully entertaining play on 116 pages.

The Comedies of a Great Dramatist

These comedies are known as the so-called Comedias de enredo, comedies that could also come up with an excitingly complicated story. In these entanglement-comedies secrets and surprises, as well as errors and ambiguities play a large roll. Calderón de la Barca arranged comedies from complicated intrigues and entanglements, which lend the events their enormous entertainment value and fine sense of humor. Yet, a more profound philosophical background is also not neglected. Thus arose theater pieces, which are not only significant for Spain, but for world literature as a whole! The success and popularity of Calderon’s pieces is probably rooted in the fact that he made use of all kinds of human characters and activities. The comedies from the quill of the great Calderón de la Barca are still pieces of unique beauty to this day!

Codicology

Alternative Titles
Calderón de la Barca: “El secreto a voces”
Size / Format
116 pages / 22.4 × 16.3 cm
Origin
Spain
Date
1642
Language
Artist / School

Available facsimile editions:
El Secreto a Voces - La Desdicha de la Voz – Testimonio Compañía Editorial – Res. 117 – Biblioteca Nacional de España (Madrid, Spain)
Testimonio Compañía Editorial – Madrid, 2000
Limited Edition: 980 copies
Facsimile Editions

#1 El Secreto a Voces

Facsimile Copy Available!
Price Category: €€
(1,000€ - 3,000€)
You might also be interested in:
De larvis scenicis et figuris comicis de Francesco de Ficoroni – Siloé, arte y bibliofilia – Private Collection
De larvis scenicis et figuris comicis de Francesco de Ficoroni
Rome (Italy) – 1754

With 85 detailed engravings of Roman theater masks: a unique insight into the now lost world of ancient theater and its props

Experience More
El Buscón (Manuscript B) – Millennium Liber – Inv. 15513 – Museo de la Fundación Lázaro Galdiano (Madrid, Spain)
El Buscón (Manuscript B)
Spain – 17th century

One of only three surviving copies of a literary masterpiece of the Golden Age in Spain: Quevedo's picaresque novel full of sophisticated linguistic wit and astute social criticism

Experience More
El Quijote - Part I & II – Testimonio Compañía Editorial – Biblioteca Nacional de España (Madrid, Spain)
El Quijote - Part I & II
Spain – 1605 and 1615

The tragicomedy about Don Quixote fighting windmills and the parody of a chivalric romance: the classic of world literature in two parts by Miguel de Cervantes

Experience More
El Quijote - Segunda Parte – Testimonio Compañía Editorial – Biblioteca Nacional de España (Madrid, Spain)
El Quijote - Segunda Parte
Spain – 1605 and 1615

The sequel to a classic of world literature full of suspense, wit, and depth: the second part of the famous Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes about his "hero" Don Quixote

Experience More
Don Quixote de la Mancha – Millennium Liber – KR1378 – Biblioteca del Cigarral del Carmen (Toledo, Spain)
Don Quixote de la Mancha
Madrid (Spain) – 1605 and 1615

The first edition of Miguel de Cervante's worldwide success: one of the most important works in world literature and a milestone in Spanish literary history

Experience More
The Quixote of Avellaneda – Millennium Liber – Cerv. vit. III-3 – Biblioteca Nacional de Catalunya (Barcelona, Spain)
The Quixote of Avellaneda
Terragona (Spain) – 1614

Written by a rival: the fascinating, unauthorized sequel to Don Quijote, which preceded Part II by Miguel de Cervantes

Experience More
Blog articles worth reading
Filter selection
Publisher