![]() The quintessential Spanish instrument, used in both popular settings and the elegant surroundings of noble courts, the guitar accompanied singing and dancing, and starred on its own in a repertory of purely instrumental variations and fantasies on tunes old and new. Among their treasures are the medieval Huelgas Manuscript, the Cantigas of Alfonso the Wise in praise of the Virgin Mary, the motets of Tomas Luis da Victoria and his Renaissance-era contemporaries, and the elaborate Baroque Mass settings whose style emigrated overseas to become part of the heritage of Hispanic-American composers.Īlso from early days come innumerable works for the guitar and its predecessor, the vihuela, plus instruction books for playing on and composing for them. The history of Spanish music is woven from many threads, creating a rich and complex tapestry.Ī more homogeneous element in Spain’s musical history stems from the strong influence of the Roman Catholic Church, whose cathedrals and monasteries possess vast libraries of sacred music. ![]() Even today, Spain remains a nation of distinct regions with their own cultures, including their own musical traditions. ![]() Back at home, so to speak, another geographical feature jumps out at us from the map of Spain: it is crisscrossed by numerous mountain ranges, forming natural divisions and barriers which, for many centuries, worked against the formation of a unified country. A map of the Iberian Peninsula shows its unique geographical position between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, reminding us of the historic seafaring achievements of Spanish and Portuguese explorers who reached India by sailing around the southern tip of Africa, ventured westward to find the Americas, and eventually circumnavigated the globe. ![]()
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