A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE SPANISH MUSIC

PREHISTORICAL MUSIC Spanish music begins singing and knocking or percuting different objects. Adding pieces of skins to vessels, whistling on pipes or rubbing strings offer interesting effects. Painting on walls in caves prove it, specially in Mediterranean area. HISPANIC MUSIC Until 11th century our Peninsula cultivated a music written by pneumata. In spite of its visigothic origin, it has been called mozarabic singing. It was performed during lithurgic ceremonies and it is yet difficult to be read in our days. GREGORIAN SINGING Also known as carolingian-roman: it was cultivated since 12th century in Catalonia, since Castille was jealous of its old ways. Gregorian singing -produced by Gregorius I's (540-604) reformations between 6th and 13th centuries- was performed by a single voice during the Mass. POLYPHONY Gregorian singing would be forgotten after polyphonic music -from ars antiqua (12th and 13th centuries)- derived from Nôtre Dame School. 16TH CENTURY In Carlos 1st age there were composers as Mateo Flecha "the Old" (1481-ca.1549), author of The Salads (Prague, 1581), a gener that combinates verses in different languages. 17TH CENTURY Music evolutions towards polychoralism: compositions for several choirs -exceptionally up to sixteen voices-. An outstanding soloist voice singing melodies would break Renaissance sense of unity. 18TH CENTURY Presence of Borbon dinasty in Spain modified our music. It introduced homophony with disonances learnt from italian music, instead of old contrapunctus. Musicians of this age discuss the role of note B in octave and other questions. 19TH CENTURY This century begins with unfortunate Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga (Bilbao, 1806-1826). This precocious musician learnt in Paris. In 1819 he wrote The Happy Slaves, opera with a libretto by L. Comella, from wich we just keep the Oberture. In 1824 his quartets for strings and his Simphony in D minor appeared in Paris. 20TH CENTURY This century opens with the foundation of a Symphonic Orchestra in Madrid (1904), followed by that of Barcelone (1910).