On Wednesday October 16, the plays ‘Garcilaso… Well, you love, what is love!’, a show of theater, music and poetry inspired by the life and work of Garcilaso de la Vegawith direction, screenplay and adaptation by Jesús Román. It is a unique opportunity to appreciate Garcilaso’s verses in the church where the body of the Toledo poet rests, current headquarters of the University of Castile-La Mancha (UCLM), organizer of the show.
The text of the work is the result of careful bibliographical, historical and musical research by its author on emblematic figures of Spanish culture and civilization such as Garcilaso de la Vega and Juan Boscán.
In this Renaissance zarzuela, Garcilaso de la Vega, Beatriz de Sá and Isabel Clara Eugenia meet on Mount Parnassusa place to which only verses, music and joys can stand. There, surrounded by the muses, they will sing songs and poems and chat while remembering the past. Brilliant times, no doubt, because they were loving times.
Garcilaso de la Vega and Juan Boscán are essential figures of our culture. However, his work has never left libraries. Now, finally, we can enjoy his verses, poems and songs performed with live music on stage. A must-see show for lovers… or for those who would like to be.
Garcilaso de la Vega was a true Renaissance knight: cultured, musician, poet, heroic warrior in a turbulent era when Spain was moving from the Middle Ages to the Empire of Charles V and Philip II. Garcilaso, a native of Toledo, and his great friend Juan Boscán, a Catalan, created modern lyrics in hendecasyllables on the peninsula while they waged war against the Turks and French and fell in love in Italy, Portugal and Spain. Garcilaso de la Vega left us some of the most beautiful verses ever written in the Spanish language in a work that had a wide influence on literature and future authors. Beatriz could have been his beloved and inspired many of these verses. Isabel Clara Eugenia, daughter of Philip II, was a woman ahead of her time: cultured, determined, strong and powerful in a world ruled by men.
‘Garcilasso. Well, you love, what is love! is a production of the Garcilasos company, directed by Jesús Román. Performers: Laura Gadez (Isabel Clara Eugenia) Marta del Barrio (Beatriz de Sá) José Soto (Garcilaso). Musical interpretation: Marta del Barrio (soprano) Jonathan Harris (vihuela, baroque guitar), Aarón López (viola da gamba) Scenography and photography: Javier Martínez. Costumes: Margarita Moran.
Created at the Teatro Bellas Artes (Madrid), it was performed at the Real Coliseo Carlos III (San Lorenzo de El Escorial), at the Teatro Real Carlos III (Aranjuez), at the Auditorium of the Carlos de Antwerp Foundation – Diputación Royale de San Andrés de los Flamencos, the Sarabia Theater (Carrión de los Condes), the Ducal Palace of Medinaceli, the Lázaro Galdiano Museum (Madrid) and the Palace of the Dukes of Medinaceli (Cogolludo).
