Juan Del Encina

In 1492 the poet entertained his patron with a dramatic piece, the ''Triunfo de la fama'', written to commemorate the fall of Granada . In 1496 he published his ''Cancionero'', a collection of dramatic and lyrical Poem s. Some years afterwards he visited Rome , attracted the attention of Pope Alexander VI by his skill in Music , and was appointed choirmaster.

About 1518 Encina took holy orders, and made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem , where he said his first Mass . Since 1509 he had held a lay Canonry at Malaga ; in 1519 he was appointed Prior of Léon and is said to have died at Salamanca about 1533 .

His ''Cancionero'' is preceded by a prose treatise (''Arte de trobar'') on the condition of the poetic art in Spain. His fourteen dramatic pieces mark the transition from the purely Ecclesiastical to the Secular stage. The ''Aucto del Repelón'' and the ''Égloga de Fileno'' dramatize the adventures of Shepherd s; the latter, like ''Pládcida y Vitoriano'', is strongly influenced by the '' Celestina ''. The intrinsic interest of Encina's plays is slight, but they are important from the historical point of view, for the lay pieces form a new departure, and the devout Eclogue s prepare the way for the '' Autos '' of the 17th Century . Moreover, Encina's lyrical poems are remarkable for their intense sincerity and devout grace.

SELECTED WORKS

''Triunfo de la fama'' ( 1492 )

''Cancionero de Palacio'' ( 1496 )

''Tan buen ganadico'' (1496)

''Más vale trocar'' (1496)

''Plácida y Victoriano'' ( 1513 )

''Églogas''

BIBLIOGRAPHY

''Teatro completo de Juan del Encina'' (Madrid, 1893), edited by F. Asenjo Barbieri; ''Cancionero musical de los siglos XV y XVI'' (Madrid, 1894), edited by F. Asenjo Barbieri; R. Mitjana, ''Sobre Juan del Encina, musico y poeta'' (Mlaga, 1895); M. Menendez y Pelayo, ''Antologia de poetas liricos castellanos'' (Madrid, 1890-1903), Vol. VII.

Information About

Juan Del Encina