Date of Award
5-2018
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Comparative Literature
Committee Chair
Charles Ross
Committee Member 1
Beate Allert
Committee Member 2
Charles Ganelin
Committee Member 3
Howard Mancing
Abstract
Calderón de la Barca, a highly philosophical and religious playwright, focused the final part of his career on experimenting with musical court theater. My dissertation explains the motivation behind Calderón’s implementation of music in his theatrical productions and the situation that led him to create the new dramatic genre of zarzuela. This project analyzes the evolution of early modern musical theater in Spain by observing musical elements that are reflected in the text and related to characters and themes in the plays. A reflection on musical conventions in European theater, through the use of cognitive theories, studies on music and emotions, and the world of senses, helps us to analyze Calderón’s musical discourse. This study aims to demonstrate that the use of music in Calderón’s works highlights the lyrical text, rather than the visual effects.
Recommended Citation
Ramiro Moreno, Laura, "Calderón's Musical Message: The Importance of the Auditory over the Visual" (2018). Open Access Dissertations. 1808.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/1808