Podcast Summary: "Acontece que no es poco | Recogida de firmas contra el Nobel a Echegaray"

Podcast: Todo Concostrina (SER Podcast)
Date: December 12, 2022
Host: Nieves Concostrina
Guest/Co-Host: Carlas
Theme: The controversy surrounding José de Echegaray's Nobel Prize in Literature (1904), the pushback from contemporary Spanish literary figures, and the political and cultural context of that era.

Main Theme Overview

Nieves Concostrina presents the story of how José de Echegaray, a polymath better known for his work in mathematics and engineering, became one of Spain's most controversial Nobel laureates in Literature. The episode explores the backlash from leading literary figures of the time, hints of political interference in the Nobel selection process, and the lingering legacy of Echegaray's award. With her signature critical tone and humor, Concostrina also delves into similar cases of Nobel controversies, notably the influence of politics on the prize.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Echegaray’s Unexpected Nobel and the Literary Backlash

• Date of the event: On December 12, 1904, newspapers announced Echegaray's Nobel Prize in Literature.

• The recognition, shared with French author Frédéric Mistral, did not unite the Spanish literary world but instead sparked widespread protest.

• Key Point: An unprecedented petition—spearheaded by the Generation of '98 writers, including Azorín, Baroja, the Machado brothers, and Unamuno—urged the academy not to grant the prize to Echegaray, considering him a "vulgar and outdated author."

  • Quote [01:53, Nieves]:

    "Un grupo de escritores de moda por aquel entonces protestó pública y enérgicamente porque lo consideraban un autor vulgar y antiguo. [...] Toda la generación del 98 firmó contra Echegaray."

• Despite the backlash, official Spanish circles (i.e., political and establishment figures) celebrated the award, contrasting sharply with literary sentiment.

2. The Odd Fit: Echegaray as Laureate

• Echegaray’s main talents lay in science and mathematics—areas in which he excelled and for which a Nobel would have seemed more appropriate.
• Quote [02:38, Nieves]:

  “Era pluridisciplinar, fue un genial matemático, era un magnífico ingeniero... Le dieron el Nobel precisamente por lo que peor hacía.”

• Echegaray became the face of the last 1,000-peseta banknote during Franco’s regime, though few people recognized him.

3. The Alternative: Ángel Guimerá and Political Maneuvering

• According to Nieves, the Swedish Academy originally considered Catalan playwright Ángel Guimerá, crucial to the renaissance of Catalan letters.
• The Spanish crown (King Alfonso XIII) and establishment allegedly intervened, preferring Echegaray, a safer, less nationally divisive choice.
  • Quote [05:10, Nieves]:

    “El elegido para el Nobel de Literatura, y ahora viene la sorpresa, queridos amiguitos, fue Ángel Guimerá, el máximo exponente del resurgimiento de las letras catalanas.”

4. The Politics of the Nobel: Unamuno’s Case and Nazi Germany

• The Swedish Academy's vulnerability to political pressures resurfaced in 1935, when Unamuno was denied the Nobel after Nazi Germany protested his anti-fascist stance.
  • Quote [07:02, Nieves]:

    “Alemania de Hitler protestó... porque Unamuno se había posicionado públicamente, abiertamente contra el Tercer Reich... Aquel año el Nobel de Literatura quedó desierto.”

• Concostrina makes a broader point about historical ignorance regarding Unamuno’s complex politics: a right-leaning yet staunch antifascist intellectual.
• Contemporary references illustrate the lasting distortions in how Spain discusses its own history (alcalde contaminador, Almeida... seremos fascistas pero sabemos gobernar).

5. The Award Ceremony: Giving the Establishment the Last Word

• Echegaray, then elderly, did not travel to Sweden; instead, a grand ceremony in Spain saw King Alfonso XIII hand him the diploma and medal.
• The event served as a rebuke to the Generation of '98 writers—“esos intelectuales de pacotilla republicanos”—who had opposed the prize.
  • Quote [09:48, Nieves]:

    “¿Cómo podemos darle en los morros a Baroja, a Azorín, a Unamuno, a Valle Inclán y a toda esa panda de intelectuales...? Pues que sea el mismísimo Rey el que le entregue el Nobel.”

6. Was Echegaray Even Read?

• Nieves notes that Echegaray was successful in the theater but little read as an author; his works were seen, not read.

7. Valle-Inclán vs. Echegaray: Animosity and Anecdotes

• Valle-Inclán had a particular vendetta, frequently sabotaging Echegaray’s premieres and delivering memorable jibes.

  • Quote [11:02, Nieves]:

    “El escritor gallego desplegó toda su inquina... Una vez... fue informado por el médico de que Echegaray había ido a donar sangre para salvarle la vida. Valle se incorporó como pudo y dijo: ‘yo no quiero la sangre de ese, que la tiene llena de gerundios’.”

• Another recurring anecdote: Valle-Inclán, instead of using “Calle de José Echegaray” when writing to a friend, would address letters to “calle del viejo imbécil”—and they always arrived.

  • Quote [12:30, Nieves]:

    “Cada vez que Valle escribía una carta al amigo, no ponía en la dirección calle de José Chegaray, sino calle del viejo imbécil. Y las cartas siempre llegaban a destino.”

• At a play, Valle-Inclán once stood up after a melodramatic line and shouted:

  • Quote [13:07, Nieves]:

    “‘Eso no es una mujer, eso es un paraguas.’”

8. Reflection on Literary Honors and Legacy

• Echegaray’s Nobel remains controversial, arguably more so than other debated awards (e.g., Bob Dylan’s).
• Nieves closes by affirming that, despite his talents and success, Echegaray didn’t merit the Nobel in Literature.

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• [01:53] Nieves Concostrina:

  "Un grupo de escritores de moda por aquel entonces protestó pública y enérgicamente porque lo consideraban un autor vulgar y antiguo..."

• [02:38] Nieves Concostrina:

  "Fue un genial matemático, magnífico ingeniero... Le dieron el Nobel precisamente por lo que peor hacía."

• [05:10] Nieves Concostrina:

  “El elegido para el Nobel de Literatura fue Ángel Guimerá...”

• [07:02] Nieves Concostrina:

  “Aquel año de 1935 el Nobel de Literatura quedó desierto porque se lo quitaron a Unamuno.”

• [09:48] Nieves Concostrina:

  “¿Cómo podemos darle en los morros a Baroja, a Azorín, a Unamuno, a Valle Inclán...?”

• [11:02] Nieves Concostrina (anécdota sobre la sangre de Echegaray):

  "Yo no quiero la sangre de ese, que la tiene llena de gerundios."

• [12:30] Nieves Concostrina:

  "Calle del viejo imbécil. Y las cartas siempre llegaban a destino."

• [13:07] Nieves Concostrina (anécdota en el teatro):

  “‘Eso no es una mujer, eso es un paraguas.’”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:48–01:53: The nature of national recognition and start of Echegaray’s controversy
• 01:53–03:53: Protest signatures, Echegaray’s biography, and official response
• 04:10–06:09: Alternative candidate (Guimerá), politics behind the award
• 06:09–08:04: Nobel’s political history: Unamuno and Nazi intervention
• 09:13–10:49: Echegaray’s Spanish award ceremony; establishment pushback against critics
• 10:49–13:07: Valle-Inclán’s vendetta, anecdotes, and literary vengeances

Conclusion

This episode humorously and insightfully dissects the paradoxes and politics behind a century-old Nobel Prize. It exposes how literary merit, national pride, and power struggles shaped Spain’s first Nobel in Literature—and how those fractures still echo in cultural memory. Concostrina’s blend of wit and critical eye makes this a revealing look at the messy intersection of honor, envy, and historical reputation.