Josep Feliú i Codina
Encyclopedia
Josep Feliu i Codina (May 1845 – 2 May 1897) was a Catalan
journalist, novelist and playwright whose work is linked to the Realist movement
and to the Catalan Renaixença
.
in May 1845. An affiliate of the Partit Liberal Dinàstic (Liberal Monarchist Party), he took a law degree in 1867 and worked in several administrative posts for the party. He also began his literary career at that time, initially writing in Catalan
. In 1867, he founded the weekly periodical La Pubilla. A year earlier, he had produced his first comedy Un mosquit d'arbre (A Mosquito Tree), and in 1871 his first serious play, Els fadrins externs (The Strange Companions). He also collaborated (under the pseudonym
"Josep Serra") on several plays by Frederic Soler. During his time in Barcelona he went on to write several more plays and novels, and founded two more periodicals, Lo Nunci and La Jornada.
In 1886, Feliu i Codina moved to Madrid where he became fluent in Spanish. He was the editor La Iberia and also wrote for El Rhin, La América, La Revolución, and La Democracia. Once in Madrid, much of his dramatic output was written in Spanish. Two of his most well-known plays from that time are La Dolores (1892) which formed the libretto
for Tomás Bretón
's 1895 opera
of the same name and María del Carmen (1896) which formed the libretto for Enrique Granados
's 1898 opera, María del Carmen
. Both plays had several film adaptations. María del Carmen was also the basis of a Broadway musical
, Spanish Love, which opened on 17 August 1920 at Maxine Elliot's Theatre
in New York City
and ran for 308 performances. In addition to his own plays and novels, he translated into Spanish a collection of tales by the Italian Renaissance
writer, Matteo Bandello
, and several short stories by the French novelist and playwright, Honoré de Balzac
.
Feliu i Codina's brother, Antoni Feliu i Codina (1846 - 1917), was a prominent politician and man of letters. Both brothers wrote for the Catalan literary magazine
, Un troç de paper. Josep Feliu i Codina died in Madrid on 2 May 1897.
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
journalist, novelist and playwright whose work is linked to the Realist movement
Realism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
and to the Catalan Renaixença
Renaixença
The Renaixença was an early 19th century late romantic revivalist movement in Catalan language and culture, akin to the Galician Rexurdimento or the Occitan Félibrige movements. The first stimuli of the movement date of the 1830s and 1840s, but the Renaixença stretches up into the 1880s, until it...
.
Biography
Josep Feliu i Codina was born in BarcelonaBarcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
in May 1845. An affiliate of the Partit Liberal Dinàstic (Liberal Monarchist Party), he took a law degree in 1867 and worked in several administrative posts for the party. He also began his literary career at that time, initially writing in Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
. In 1867, he founded the weekly periodical La Pubilla. A year earlier, he had produced his first comedy Un mosquit d'arbre (A Mosquito Tree), and in 1871 his first serious play, Els fadrins externs (The Strange Companions). He also collaborated (under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Josep Serra") on several plays by Frederic Soler. During his time in Barcelona he went on to write several more plays and novels, and founded two more periodicals, Lo Nunci and La Jornada.
In 1886, Feliu i Codina moved to Madrid where he became fluent in Spanish. He was the editor La Iberia and also wrote for El Rhin, La América, La Revolución, and La Democracia. Once in Madrid, much of his dramatic output was written in Spanish. Two of his most well-known plays from that time are La Dolores (1892) which formed the libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
for Tomás Bretón
Tomás Bretón
Tomás Bretón was a Spanish musician and composer.-Biography:Tomás Bretón was born in Salamanca.He gained renown as a result of the success of his zarzuela La verbena de la Paloma, although other were well-received works, included his operas Los amantes de Teruel, based on the eponymous legend,...
's 1895 opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
of the same name and María del Carmen (1896) which formed the libretto for Enrique Granados
Enrique Granados
Enrique Granados y Campiña was a Spanish pianist and composer of classical music. His music is in a uniquely Spanish style and, as such, representative of musical nationalism...
's 1898 opera, María del Carmen
María del Carmen (opera)
María del Carmen is an opera in three acts composed by Enrique Granados to a Spanish libretto by José Feliú i Codina based on his 1896 play of the same name. It was Granados's first operatic success and although largely forgotten today, he considered it to be his best opera...
. Both plays had several film adaptations. María del Carmen was also the basis of a Broadway musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, Spanish Love, which opened on 17 August 1920 at Maxine Elliot's Theatre
Maxine Elliott
Maxine Elliott was an American stage actress.It is said that reviewers disagreed "over whether it was her beauty or her acting ability that attracted attention" In addition to her stage skills, Elliott was also a savvy businesswoman.Born Jessie Dermott in 1868...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and ran for 308 performances. In addition to his own plays and novels, he translated into Spanish a collection of tales by the Italian Renaissance
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
writer, Matteo Bandello
Matteo Bandello
-Biography:Matteo Bandello was born at Castelnuovo Scrivia, near Tortona , c. 1480 or 1485. He received a good education, and entered the church, but does not seem to have been very interested in theology. For many years he lived at Mantua, and superintended the education of the celebrated Lucrezia...
, and several short stories by the French novelist and playwright, Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac was a French novelist and playwright. His magnum opus was a sequence of short stories and novels collectively entitled La Comédie humaine, which presents a panorama of French life in the years after the 1815 fall of Napoleon....
.
Feliu i Codina's brother, Antoni Feliu i Codina (1846 - 1917), was a prominent politician and man of letters. Both brothers wrote for the Catalan literary magazine
Literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
, Un troç de paper. Josep Feliu i Codina died in Madrid on 2 May 1897.
External links
- Public domain essays written by Josep Feliu i Codina (under the pseudonym "Josep Serra") for the literary magazine, Un troç de paper. All texts are in the original CatalanCatalan languageCatalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
.- Converses (Retalls d'«Africana») Comentaris satírics de l'òpera L'Africaine (Satirical commentary on the opera L'AfricaineL'AfricaineL'africaine is a grand opera, the last work of the composer Giacomo Meyerbeer. The French libretto was written by Eugène Scribe. The opera is about fictitious events in the life of the real historical person Vasco da Gama...
). - Un home de sa casa Relat sobre la vida del senyor Rafel, un home molt casolà (Story about the life of Mr. Rafael, a very home-loving man).
- La Vetlla del Sant Escenes d'una festa veïnal per a celebrar un sant (Scenes of a neighbourhood festival celebrating a saint)
- Converses (Retalls d'«Africana») Comentaris satírics de l'òpera L'Africaine (Satirical commentary on the opera L'Africaine
- Public domain plays written by Josep Feliu i Codina. All texts are in the original Catalan.