THE THREE-CORNERED HAT. The True History of an Affair current in certain Tales and Ballads.Now Translated Out of the Spanish. By Martin Armstrong

First edition of this translation. With illustrations by Norman Tealby, with four tipped-in colour plates, inclusive of the frontispiece, and numerous black and white illustrations all throughout ranging from small head and a tale pieces to nearly full page. 4to, in the publisher’s original black clothwith a geometric pattern in blind on the upper cover, lettered in gilt on the spine panel. xiv, 129pp. Internally essentially as new being unopened and uncut, the paper very lightly aged to a pleasing tone of ivory, the binding solid and sound but with a little mottling and edge rubbing.

Edizione: first of the edition, with stylish illustrations, four in colour, by norman tealby. translated by martin armstrong, alarcon's adaptation of folk traditions provide a description of village life in his native region of andalusia. in a story such as this, which has to be by turns romantic and buffoonish, archaic in feeling and realistic in its portrayal of character, reminiscent of the folk tale and yet firmly planted in history, the chief problem for the writer lies in striking and keeping the right tone. alarcon does this almost perfectly. the result is a little masterpiece quite unlike anything else.<br> el sombrero de tres picos has twice been made into an opera, in german by hugo wolf in 1897 and in italian by riccardo zandonai in 1933, and also been made into a ballet by manuel de falla in 1919.