Music in the Iberian Courts: Performance and Power

Abstract

O n – December , musicologists and historians gathered in Lisbon for the second seminar dedicated to the theme of music in Iberian courts in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a joint venture between the Instituto Complutense de Ciencias Musicales (ICCMU) of the Universidad Complutense, Madrid (UCM), and the Instituto de Etnomusicologia–Centro de Estudos de Musica e Dança (INET–MD) of the Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (NOVA). The theme was ‘Performing Arts and Representation of Power’ in both the absolute monarchies of the eighteenth century and the constitutional monarchies of the nineteenth, extending to include music in private contexts among members of the royal families and connections with the world outside the court. The first keynote speaker, Juan José Carreras (University of Zaragoza), in his presentation ‘Court Opera between Politics and Aesthetics’ focused on opera at the Buen Retiro Palace during the time of Giuseppe Farinelli’s management (–), more specifically the circumstances of its establishment and the centrality of opera not only as court ceremony and entertainment, but also as a representation of sentimental life at court. The second session followed immediately with two papers relating to Maria Barbara of Braganza (a Portuguese princess who became queen of Spain). The first, presented by Teresa Casanova (UCM), explained what an inventory of the Queen’s library tells us about performances of intermezzi at the Spanish court between  and , while the second, given by Sara Erro (UCM), examined two volumes of opera arias, linking them to the same inventory and suggesting that they were for use by musicians of the Royal Chamber during the reign of King Fernando VI and Queen Maria Barbara. The morning continued with Ana Machado (NOVA) speaking about the few, but precious, references to music at the Portuguese court in the thrice-weekly periodical Gazeta de Lisboa (–). Inês Thomas Almeida (NOVA) drew attention to Prussian sources that describe a wide variety of ceremonies that the court attended between  and , including the music that formed a central part of them. The afternoon was divided into two sessions. The first was made up of three presentations. Carlos González Ludeña (UCM) focused on the serenatas, cantatas and comedias performed in Madrid between  and  in celebration of royal births and baptisms. Rosana Marreco Brescia (NOVA) turned attention to the complex process of importing lavish theatrical costumes for the productions of opera seria at the court theatres during the reign of King José I of Portugal (–). Not only were they made to measure in Milan, but veils came specifically from Bologna and false pearls from France. Passing on to the reign of Maria I (–), Pedro Castro (NOVA) showed how