Les consuetes de la Festa d'Elx

Abstract

There are five Consuetes –a kind of director's book– of the only medieval mystery play that is still performed every year today, the Misteri d’Elx. The oldest and well-known Consueta, with song text and scenic instructions, dates back to 1625; unfortunately, it has only come down to us in a scholarly transcription from 1933. The second oldest Consueta, from the year 1639, which lists the score in addition to text and scene instructions, is only accessible to us in academic transcriptions from the 19th century. The Consueta of 1709, which also notates the music, is available in the original. A handwritten copy of the latter is the fourth Consueta from 1722. In 1984 a fifth Consueta was discovered, which is dated to 1751; apart from an appendix with performance information from the 18th century, it is a copy of the Consueta from 1625 – a fact that is important in that the oldest Consueta is only preserved, as mentioned, in a scholarly transcription of the 20th century.