¿Una armonía de contrarios?: Commedia dell’arte in Two Productions of Valle-Inclán’s La marquesa Rosalinda

Abstract

Through an analysis of two specific productions of Valle-Inclán’s La marquesa Rosalinda, I explore the ways in which these can inform our understanding of the play. I argue that the 1912 premiere did not do full justice to its richness and complexity, and that the first part of its subtitle, ‘farsa sentimental y grotesca’, was overemphasised at the expense of the second. I contend that neither María Guerrero and Fernando Díaz de Mendoza — the wife/ husband partnership who were responsible for the premiere — nor newspaper critics of this and other productions during the following eight decades have fully appreciated the duality that is inherent both in Valle’s designation and in the long history of the commedia dell’arte, four of whose characters play a key role in La marquesa. After contextualising the play within this commedia context, I make use of photographs of the premiere and of photographs and a sound recording of a 1970 Madrid production directed by Miguel Narros in tandem with designer Francisco Nieva, in order to argue that it is their understanding of the play’s sonic and, more particularly, visual possibilities that truly uncovers its dramatic possibilities.

Resumen

Partiendo de un análisis de dos montajes de La marquesa Rosalinda de Valle-Inclán, subtitulada ‘farsa sentimental y grotesca’, investigo hasta qué punto dichas representaciones nos pueden ayudar a comprender la obra. El estreno en 1912 no acabó de hacer justicia a su riqueza y complejidad, ya que enfatizó mucho más el aspecto sentimental que el grotesco. Arguyo que ni los responsables del estreno — María Guerrero y Fernando Díaz de Mendoza — ni los críticos periodísticos de este y de otros montajes durante las ocho décadas siguientes, han apreciado completamente la dualidad, inherente tanto en el subtítulo como en la larga historia de la commedia dell’arte, cuatro de cuyos personajes juegan un papel clave en La marquesa. Después de contextualizar la obra dentro de dicha historia, valoro fotografías del estreno de 1912, así como fotografías y una grabación de una representación de 1970 en Madrid. Debido a la apreciación de las características sónicas y, sobre todo, visuales de La marquesa por parte de los responsables de este montaje — el director Miguel Narros y el escenógrafo Francisco Nieva — concluyo que es aquí donde se revela plenamente la teatralidad de la obra.

Keywords:

• Valle-Inclán
• Commedia Dell’Arte
• performance
• stage design
• costume design
• press reviews

Palabras Clave:

• Valle-Inclán
• commedia dell’arte
• representación teatral
• escenografía
• figurinismo
• reseñas periodísticas

Acknowledgments

The award of a Leverhulme Emeritus Fellowship allowed me to conduct research in the preparation of this article at the Centro de Documentación Teatral (CDT) in Madrid and the Museo del Teatro in Almagro. I am most grateful to Julio Huélamo, Director of the CDT, to Berta Muñoz and Pedro Ocaña at the Centro, and María Teresa del Pozo Arroyo in Almagro for their assistance with the photographs and other images from productions of La marquesa Rosalinda, and finally to friend and colleague Dr Emilio Peral Vega of the Universidad Complutense, Madrid, for his support and advice in this venture.

Notes

² Photographs of the 1912 premiere are reproduced in the newspaper coverage and reviews of the production. Photographs of the 1970 production are available at the Centro de Documentación Teatral and the Museo del Teatro in Almagro. I have also consulted photographs of productions from 1954, 1956–57, 1986–87, 1988 and 2004.

³ However, remembering Schiavo’s characterisation of the hybrid nature of Watteau’s fêtes galantes paintings, one should be cautious of perceiving the dichotomy simply in terms of a Watteau-Goya juxtaposition.

⁴ See George (2017) for an analysis of the commedia dell’arte and the Princesa.

⁵ Alberca’s view is that Rivas could not possibly have overheard or known about this conversation in 1912 (Alberca 2015, 301).

⁶ This approach echoes that of Catalan poet and playwright Joan Brossa, whose avant-garde theatre was not performed regularly until well after the end of the Franco dictatorship.

⁷ Narros had already designed the costumes for a 1956 production of the play at Torrelaguna.

⁸ The traditional Pierrot’s ruff is, of course, white.