Spanish Music in the Twentieth Century

Abstract

From the exhilarating impact of Isaac Albeniz at the beginning of the century to today's complex and adventurous avant-garde, this interpretive history introduces 20th century Spanish music to English-speaking readers. Tomas Marco, award-winning composer and critic, covers a wide spectrum of composers and their works: trends and movements, critical and popular reception, national institutions, influences from Europe and beyond, and the effect of such historic events as the Spanish Civil War and the death of Franco. Marco's aesthetic critiques are threaded throughout each phase of this account. Marco provides coverage of the key figures, including a chapter devoted to Manuel de Falla - Spain's most celebrated 20th century composer - and a survey of recent arrivals on the contemporary music scene. Exploring the rise and fall of the zarzuela, the author highlights innovative works in this authentic Spanish genre. He analyzes the attempts to find an audience for Spanish opera; demonstrates the flowering of symphonic and chamber music at the beginning of the century; traces currents such as romanticism, impressionism, and neoclassicism; and tracks the influence of Spain's distinctive regional folk traditions. Covering musical innovation after Spain's emergence from its period of isolation, Marco notes the speed with which many composers absorbed the work of Stravinsky and Bartok, the twelve-tone system, aleatory forms, electronic techniques, and other European developments. English-speaking scholars, musicians, critics, and general readers have for decades been without full information on the rich and varied work coming out of Spain in this century. This history aims to fill a long-felt need with the knowledge and insights of a significant figure in the musical world.