Gloria A. Rodríguez-Lorenzo, The Clarinet in Spain: Miguel Yuste Moreno (1870-1947)

The recent creation of a national committee dedicated to the study of musical bands and linked to the Spanish Musicological Society (Sociedad Española de Musicología, SEdeM), as well as recent publications by authors like Alberto Veintimilla Bonet and Vicente Pastor García, work in harmony with this book to fill this surprising gap in the musical history of the country. Unfortunately, although there are some excellent previous publications on this subject, they have tended to focus on describing how the bands were organized, rather than exploring other features which would lead to a better understanding of these groups and the social and musical effects they had. Here the author's deep analysis introduces the reader to the personality of this brilliant clarinetist, composer, teacher, and band master born in Alcalá del Valle.2 His training and the beginning of his career, where he was part of groups such as the Orquesta de la Sociedad de Conciertos, Spain's first professional orchestra, are described in detail.