The Three-Cornered Hat

One of the best–loved Spanish novels of all time, The Three-Cornered Hat is a hilarious tale of lust, intrigue, and corruption set in 18th-century Andalusia. The musical compositions inspired by this masterpiece have become staples of both the ballet and orchestral repertoires. When the hideous and lascivious corregidor Don Eugenio takes a fancy to the formidable—and formidably desirable—Señora Frasquita, the wife of the local miller, the couple sets about foiling his plans for a seduction. There ensues a fast-paced comedy of moonlight flits, clothes swapping, mistaken identity, and slapstick mishaps as the characters struggle in vain to maintain both dignity and marital harmony. Calm is eventually restored in a scene of unmasking and mutual forgiveness of truly operatic proportions. Pedro Alarcón is one of Spain’s most prominent writers. He is chiefly remembered for his subtly ironic plots and quintessentially Spanish settings and characterizations.