ABSTRACT
The score for La Corte de Faraon was written by Valencia-born Vicent Lleo, a composer of zarzuelas and a theatrical impresario. The premiere of La Corte de Faraon took place on 21 February 1910, and was hailed as a great success by both critics and the public. La Corte de Faraon was originally presented as a 'biblical' operetta. However, due to its relative shortness, musicologists classified it as belonging to Genero Chico. One of the operetta's comic elements is the depiction of the characters and the allocation of the music and voices. Egypt's contribution to the operetta is limited to providing a setting in which the story takes place. The public's anti-clerical feelings added to their enjoyment of the operetta's numerous jokes on the subjects of infidelity, adultery, feminism and the undervalued male. The dialogue and staging of La Corte de Faraon presents a vision of Egypt that combines elements from the pharaonic period with 19th century orientalism.
