Synopses & Reviews
"There is far too much in this amazing book to describe in a blurb. Suffice it to say that Elisabeth Le Guin has immersed herself in the little-known world of the late eighteenth-century tonadilla and honors it by giving us a wonderfully rich picture of place, genre, and period that encompasses questions of comedy, song, historiography, nationalism, gender, the practicalities of performance, and the disadvantages of an overarching theory." and#151;
Mary Hunter, author of
and#160;The Culture of Opera Buffa in Mozart's Vienna
"This book attests to a true love for musical theatre. Elisabeth Le Guin achieves whatand#160;no modern scholar has so far: she makes the tonadillas hers. The Tonadilla inand#160;Performance offers a sound understanding of Spanish culture and a rare insightand#160;into this repertoire." and#151;Germand#225;n Labrador Land#243;pez de Azcona, Professor of Music at the Universidad Autand#243;noma de Madrid
Synopsis
The tonadilla, a type of satiric musical skit popular on the public stages of Madrid during the late Enlightenment, has played a significant role in the history of music in Spain. This book, the first major study of the tonadilla in English, examines the musical, theatrical, and social worlds that the tonadilla brought together and traces the lasting influence this genre has had on the historiography of Spanish music. The tonadillas' careful constructions of musical populism provide a window onto the tensions among Enlightenment modernity, folkloric nationalism, and the politics of representation; their diverse, engaging, and cosmopolitan music is an invitation to reexamine tired old ideas of musical "Spanishness." Perhaps most radically of all, their satirical stance urges us to embrace the labile, paratextual nature of comic performance as central to the construction of history.
About the Author
Elisabeth Le Guin is Professor of Musicology at UCLA and author of Boccheriniand#8217;s Body: An Essay in Carnal Musicology (UC Press, 2006).
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
A Note on Editions and Translations
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Indispensable Ornaments
The Matter at Handand#151;and#147;A Horrible Stormand#8221;: Nationalist Historiography and the Tonadillasand#151;The Nature and Purpose of This Bookand#151;Kom/oide
1. An Evening at the Theater: An Imaginary Re/creation
The First Act (Which Here They Call and#147;Jornadaand#8221;)and#151;Sainete: El Simple Discretoand#151;Tonadilla: El Pintor y la Viejaand#151;La Niteti: Second Jornadaand#151;Sainete (Entremand#233;s): La Verdad Desnudaand#151;Tonadilla: La Avellanera y Dos Franceses, by Pablo Esteve
2. Players
The Companiesand#151;Training in Actingand#151;Women in the Theaterand#151;Blas de Laserna, La Compositora (1777and#150;1778)and#151;Rehearsalsand#151;Players and Literacyand#151;Oral and Aural Learning and Actingand#151;Actor-Players and Musician-Playersand#151;The First Violin for Dances and Tonadillasand#151;The Music Masterand#151;The Copyistand#151;The Apuntador (and#147;Apunteand#8221;)and#151;Singing Styleand#151;Improvisationand#151;Pablo Esteve, La Desdicha de las Tonadillas (1782)
3. Rhythms
Three Italian Stylesand#151;The Mediterranean Roots of Galant Styleand#151;Coplas and Paired Phrasingand#151;Luis Misand#243;n, La Chinesca (1761)and#151;Blas de Laserna, La Cand#243;mica y la Operista (1783)and#151;The Italian and and#147;el Ytalianoand#8221;and#151;The Galant as the Unmarkedand#151;Training in Compositionand#151;The Seguidilla(s)and#151;Boleras in the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitungand#151;Minguet e Yrol, Arte de Danzar a la Francesa (1758)and#151;Dancing the Seguidillasand#151;Seguidillas as Populist Symboland#151;Ramand#243;n de la Cruz, El Pueblo Quejoso (1765)and#151;Paradox of the Seguidillasand#151;Seguidillas in the Tonadillasand#151;Blas de Laserna, La Fuga de la Pulpillo (1784)and#151;Blas de Laserna, La Lecciand#243;n de Mand#250;sica y de Bolero (1803)
Intermedio: On the Stage of the Metropolis
Metropolitan Solipsismand#151;Enter la Mandingaand#151;The Manguindoyand#151;Historical Sketchand#151;Treacherous Mirrors: Symbols of an Unfinished Conquestand#151;The Spanish Rejection of Musical Mimesisand#151;Exit la Mandingaand#151;Cadence but Not Closure
4. Bandits
Jand#225;caras, Jaques, and Social Historyand#151;Bandoleros and Early Andalucismoand#151;Majismo and Bandolerismoand#151;Marand#237;a Ladvenantand#151;Chinita (Gabriel Land#243;pez)and#151;Jovellanos Is Incensedand#151;Anonymous, El Guapo (Bocanegra) (ca. 1767)and#151;Resistance, Rebellion, Revolutionand#151;Anonymous, La Jand#225;cara (1767)and#151;Improvised Playing and Written Compositionand#151;Thirty Years Laterand#151;Blas de Laserna, Los Contrabandistas (between 1794 and 1803)and#151;Manuel Garcand#237;a, and#147;Yo Que Soy Contrabandistaand#8221; (1805)
5. Late Tonadillas
and#147;The Grand Tragedy: Historical Sketch, 1793and#150;1813and#151;Between the Acts: The Madrid Theaters, 1793and#150;1813and#151;History as Dramatic Materialand#151;General Features of Late Tonadillasand#151;Tonadilla Canonicityand#151; Blas de Laserna, El Ensayo (1805)and#151;Another Afternoon at the Theater: Teatro del Prand#237;ncipe, 25 August 1806and#151;Isidoro Mand#225;iquez and Antonia Pradoand#151;Manuel Quintana, Pelayo (1805)and#151;Ramand#243;n de la Cruz, El Triunfo del Interand#233;s (1777)and#151;Pablo del Moral, El Page Tonto (1799and#150;1809)
Fin de Fiesta: Las Mand#250;sicas
La Rabosoand#151;Blas de Laserna, Las Mand#250;sicas (1779)and#151;The Limits of Re/creation
Appendix. Longer Music Examples
Notes
Bibliography
Index