El llenguatge d'Àngel Guimerà

Abstract

In 1928 Carles Soldevila said that if Angel Guimerà’s language was not written up he would become a genius bound to disappear. Almost forty years later, in 1967, the actor Màrius Cabré asked me to write up Guimerà's vocabulary. The Catalan used by Guimerà was the language spoken by the inhabitants of El Vendrell; he had also been influenced by the language used in the magazine «Lo Gay Saber». I have allowed myself to be persuaded by Màrius Cabré. Comparative fragments from Maria Rosa and Mar i cel. On the occasion of the first night of these new versions the critics have made no comment. Instead of attacking Guimerà because of his anachronistic language, he should be honoured since with him we have reached the definitive phase of art. Guimerà has got beyond Verdaguer because of his sense of conciseness.