About the digital library
EMOTHE: THE CLASSICS OF EARLY MODERN EUROPEAN THEATRE project, based at the University of Valencia, and directed by Professor Joan Oleza, entails a significant expansion, in European direction, of the vast research experience on early modern Spanish theatre and new research tools and strategies, whose axis was the creation of ARTELOPE, a powerful database of Lope de Vega’s plays (including their plots) published online in 2011 <http://artelope.uv.es>.
The core of EMOTHE is the creation of a repertory of classics of early modern European Theatre. Its foundations have already been established by the Artelope Group, that has developed a database, hosted on a server at the University of Valencia.
The repertory comprises plays from five basic traditions of early modern European theatre (Italian, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish), and uses its corresponding languages. The edition of each play must contain at least two versions, one in the original language and the other in a language of translation. However, the aim is to present each play in the original language and in four translations, if available. But there can be more versions. The structure is conceived as a galaxy of texts, as a set of planetary systems, in which each star/play is the orbiting centre of its planets/texts, that are translations of a original play into other languages, or different versions in the same original language of that play, or successive adaptations in the same language or in others, etc. The database, for example, allows room for other texts of the same play reflecting different early witnesses in their original language. Furthermore, it is possible to insert subsequent adaptations, including those versions in different languages (for instance, the case of the Italian comedy Gl’Ingannati, by the Intronati di Siena, adapted (not translated) into Spanish by Lope de Rueda as Los engañados). Some exceptional cases showing the European circulation of a theme will incorporate more adaptations and derivatives than translations as such: plays on the figures of Don Juan or Faustus, for example.
The original texts consist of reliable scholarly editions. The team counts on the collaboration of prestigious editors of the different theatrical traditions. In the case of the translations, we attempt to use translations of historical value showing the European circulation of texts. If they cannot be found, we use either translations by scholars associated with the team who transfer us their rights, or translations commissioned andsubcontracted to specialists. A prose translation will be used if an existing verse translation cannot be found or if a new translation into verse is not feasible.