MARTA OF THE LOWLANDS (Terra baixa), the foremost achievement of the Catalan theatre, was written in Catalan by Angel Gui mera for Fernando Diaz de Mendoza and Maria Guerrero and performed for the first time by these actors in the Spanish transla tion by Jose Echegaray. It is the first Catalan work to obtain general currency beyond the limit of the provincial tongue. During the present century no play has been more popular in the Spanish or Hispano-American countries, where it has maintained itself upon the stage without interruption since 1896, enlisting the talents of all the leading actors. 'Terra baixa) is predominantly social and human in appeal. This is its fundamental quality; but in equal degree it possesses high theatric effectiveness, which is not inferior to the best work of its period in this vein, whether produced in Spain or elsewhere. Simple feeling and torrential passion, in conjunction with sensitive insight and unusual grasp of significant situation, con vey an impression of elemental forces operating behind the broad effects of a carefully elab orated theatrical art, happily employed strictly in subservience to the theme. More than any
other play, 'Terra baixa' has contributed to fix the general conception of Iberian peasant drama which prevails in Europe and America. A certain idealization may be noted in the rural characters, a reminiscence of the author's ap prenticeship in the poetic drama. In objective realistic detail Guimera is an unequivocal master. 'Terra baixa' has been translated into more than 20 languages. The English version by Wallace Gillpatnck (New York 1914) was acted successfully in England and the United States previous to publication. As 'Tiefland,' the play is favorably known in operatic form, with music by Eugene d'Albert.