LA MEDIANOCHE ES PASADA – A musical play

LEONOR, cortesana   – Ailén Monti Valdés

ROMERICO, camarero del rey   –   Elias Ongay

JUAN, camarero del rey  – Alberto Palacios

ANTONILLA, cortesana – Jaia Niborski

FÉLIX, músico – Silas Bischoff

NICOLAS, músico – Stephen Moran

Farsa cortesana representada por Matilde Valdés ante los ilustres Scolares Basilienses. Toledo, la medianoche es pasada. Introdúcense dos camareros de la corte, Juan e Romerico e con ellos Leonor, la qual de las doradas flechas del Amor mal herido, se quexaba, pues su amado no llegaba. Sobreviene Antonilla, moza cortesana y amiga de Leonor, trayendo consigo dos músicos: Felix e Nicolas, de la corte de Felipe el Hermoso, recién llegado a España y esposo de Juana, hija de los reyes católicos. 

Directed by Ailén Monti Valdés, the project is focused on two Spanish songbooks of the early 16th century: the Cancionero de Palacio and the Codex Segovia. These manuscripts contain music from Spain, Flanders, and Italy, courts that had a close relationship and exchange of repertoires and musicians. The program is complemented by music from other Italian sources such as the Cancionero de Montecassino, Paris 676, the Thibault lute manuscript, and prints by Petrucci. In addition, new music for introductions, transitions and arrangements was written by Ailén following models of the time. The performance involves six musicians who play characters and have dialogues in between the songs. The musical pieces are arranged in a theater scene that tries to reenact the stage practice of the beginning of the 16th century, instead of reproducing an ideal concert practice typical of the 19th century, where songs are performed one after another.

The performance is conceived from the perspective of dramaturgy: a story is developed in one act, including characters with defined personalities, dialogues, and stage movements. Like the actor-authors of the time, Ailén “Matilde” Valdés combines in one person the functions of "author" - which at the time meant "theatrical director"-, actress and playwright, creator of the texts that the company puts on stage.

The characters of this play are derived both from historical personages (Felix and Nicolas were musicians in the Chapelle of Philip I the Fair of Castile, traveling with him to Spain) and from villancicos by Juan del Encina (Antonilla, Juan, and Romerico). Leonor is a lady of the court, well educated in music and trained to play the lute and the guitar, just like Lucrezia Borgia or Isabella d’Este. Their dialogues link the songs and expand their content; they are fictional, but based on historical facts, such as the conflict in Naples against the French, the marriage of Juana of Aragon, or the itinerary made by Philip I on his return from Bruges to Spain.

As Baldassarre Castiglione says, music and dance were among the activities of the ideal courtier, lady or gentleman. Music was played in the private sphere, and in palace performances. "La medianoche es pasada" echoes this: on the one hand, it shows a group of courtiers making music for fun, to pass the time, to sing about sorrows and joys; and on the other hand it has a specific purpose which is to create an atmosphere, to amuse, please, and entertain the courtly public at the palace festivities, where the attendants were the sovereign, his family, his entourage, and his honorable visitors. One thing differs from the palace plays: the protagonists here are neither peasants nor mythological figures, but the courtiers themselves, and the palace hall (Leonor's house) becomes both the scenic and the dramatic space. To complete the atmosphere and mood of the fictional space, in our performance the characters wear an item of historical clothing to identify them, and there is a minimum of scenography.

The dialogues were newly written, but quote or are inspired by plays of Juan del Encina, such as the Églogas de Cristino y Febea, and from his villancicos, that are sung or recited throughout the play, such as Repastemos el ganado, and Pues que mi triste penar. Juan del Encina: poet, musician and dramaturge, was the main organizer of spectacles in the private and aristocratic sphere at the palace of Alba de Tormes in Toledo, for the entertainment and solace of the lords. There he composed most of his cancionero. Today, Juan del Encina is known as the "father of Spanish secular theater". Throughout his plays, music is always present and is of great importance, either because the theme requires it or in an ornamental way.

All sung and recited texts follow the Spanish pronunciation of the early 16th century. For this we have consulted experts in the field, such as Sebastián León. The staging was revised in consultation with Deda Cristina Colonna. Inspired by the ensaladas, the dialogues use quotes, different languages, and styles, with both serious and comic elements. The ensalada was conceived for the amusement of the courtiers and achieved great popularity in the palace festivities, where they would also perform plays with music.

The idea of this project is to reintroduce the musical repertoire to theater, creating a context for its performance, for which we still have models. Today we bring this show to new audiences trying to involve them in the context of the performance.

Ensemble La Enstameña:

Jaia Niborski, Alberto Palacios, Elias Ongay – Voice

Silas Bischoff – Lute

Stephen Moran – Viola da gamba

Ailén Monti Valdés – Lutes, Renaissance Guitar, Voice, Tamburello; Script and Direction