Spanish Baroque architecture

Spanish Baroque architecture

Royal Palace of Madrid(1738-1892).

Spanish Baroqueis a strand ofBaroque architecturethat evolved inSpain, itsprovinces, and formercolonies.

Contents

HistoryAs Italian Baroque influences penetrated across thePyrenees, they gradually superseded in popularity the restrained classicizing approach ofJuan de Herrera, which had been in vogue since the late sixteenth century. As early as 1667, the facades ofGranada Cathedral(byAlonso Cano) andJan Cathedral(byEufrasio Lpez de Rojas) suggest the artists' fluency in interpreting traditional motifs of Spanish cathedral architecture in the Baroque aesthetic idiom.

InMadrid, a vernacular Baroque with its roots inHerrerianand in traditional brick construction was developed in thePlaza Mayorand in the Royal Palace ofEl Buen Retiro, which was destroyed during the French invasion by Napoleon's troops. Its gardens still remain asEl Retiropark. This sober brick Baroque of the 17th century is still well represented in the streets of the capital in palaces and squares.

In contrast to the art of Northern Europe, the Spanish art of the period appealed to the emotions rather than seeking to please the intellect. TheChurriguerafamily, which specialized in designing altars and retables, revolted against the sobriety of the Herreresque classicism and promoted an intricate, exaggerated, almost capricious style of surface decoration known as theChurrigueresque. Within half a century, they transformedSalamancainto an exemplary Churrigueresque city.

Estipite in the Church ofCaravaca de la Cruz.

The development of the style passed through three phases. Between 1680 and 1720, the Churriguera popularizedGuarini's blend ofSolomonic columnsandcomposite order, known as the "supreme order". Between 1720 and 1760, the Churrigueresque column, orestipite, in the shape of an inverted cone or obelisk, was established as a central element of ornamental decoration. The years from 1760 to 1780 saw a gradual shift of interest away from twisted movement and excessive ornamentation toward a neoclassical balance and sobriety.

Church of St. Michel inLouvain, Belgium:Willem Hesius, 1650.

Three of the most eye-catching creations of Spanish Baroque are the energetic facades of theUniversity of Valladolid(Diego TomeandFray Pedro de la Visitacin, 1719), the western faade (or Fachada del Obradoiro) of theCathedral of Santiago de Compostela(Fernando de Casas y Novoa, 1750) andHospicio de San FernandoinMadrid(Pedro de Ribera, 1722), whose curvilinear extravagance seems to heraldAntonio GaudandArt Nouveau. In this case as in many others, the design involves a play of tectonic and decorative elements with little relation to structure and function. The focus of the florid ornamentation is an elaborately sculptured surround to a main doorway. If we remove the intricate maze of broken pediments, undulating cornices, stucco shells, inverted tapers and garlands from the rather plain wall it is set against, the building's form would not be affected in the slightest. However, Churrigueresque baroque offered some of the most impressive combinations of space and light with buildings likeGranada Charterhouse(sacristy byFrancisco Hurtado Izquierdo), considered to be the apotheosis of Churrigueresque styles applied to interior spaces, or theTransparenteof theCathedral of Toledo, byNarciso Tom, where sculpture and architecture are integrated to achieve notable light dramatic effects.

TheRoyal Palace of Madridand the interventions ofPaseo del Prado(Saln del PradoandAlcalDoorgate) in the same city, deserve special mention. They were constructed in a sober Baroque international style, often mistaken for neoclassical, by the kingsPhilip VandCharles III. The Royal Palaces ofLa Granja de San Ildefonso, inSegovia, andAranjuez, in Madrid, are good examples of baroque integration of architecture and gardening, with noticeable French influence (La Granja is known as theSpanish Versailles), but with local spatial conceptions which in some ways display the heritage of the Moorish occupation.

In the richest imperial province of 17th-century Spain,Flanders, florid decorative detailing was more tightly knit to the structure, thus precluding concerns of superfluity. A remarkable convergence of Spanish, French and Dutch Baroqueaestheticsmay be seen in theAbbey of Averbode(1667). Another characteristic example is the Church of St. Michel atLouvain(165070), with its exuberant two-storey facade, clusters of half-columns, and the complex aggregation of French-inspired sculptural detailing.

Six decades later, the architectJaime Bort y Meli, was the first to introduceRococoto Spain (Cathedral of Murcia, west facade, 1733). The greatest practitioner of the Spanish Rococo style was a native master,Ventura Rodrguez, responsible for the dazzling interior of theBasilica of Our Lady of the PillarinZaragoza(1750).

Gallery[edit]

Plaza Mayor in Salamanca (1729-1755),Albertoand Manuel de Lara Churriguera.Andrs Garcia de Quionesdesigned the city Hall.

Facade do Obradoiro

Palace of San Telmo(1681-1796), byLeonardo de Figueroa

Palace of Marques Dos Aguas (1740) in Valencia.Ignacio Vergara, sculptor

Cathedral Church of Saint Mary inMurcia. Main facade by Jaime Bort

18th to 20th centuries[edit]Front cover of book:Escuela Msica segn la prctica modernapublished in 1723-1724

By the end of the 17th century the "classical" musical culture of Spain was in decline, and was to remain that way until the 19th century. Classicism in Spain, when it arrived, was inspired by Italian models, as in the works ofAntonio Soler. Some outstanding Italian composers such asDomenico ScarlattiandLuigi Boccheriniwere appointed to the Madrid royal court. The short-livedJuan Crisstomo Arriagais credited as the main beginner of Romantic sinfonism in Spain.[citation needed]Fernando Sor,Dionisio Aguado,Francisco TrregaandMiguel Llobetare known as composers of guitar music. Fine literature for violin was created byPablo SarasateandJess de Monasterio.

Zarzuela, a native form ofoperathat includes spoken dialogue, is a secular musical genre which developed in the mid-17th century, flourishing most importantly in the century after 1850.Francisco Asenjo Barbieriwas a key figure in the development of theromanticzarzuela; whilst later composers such asRuperto Chap,Federico ChuecaandToms Bretnbrought the genre to its late 19th-century apogee. Leading 20th-century zarzuela composers includedPablo SorozbalandFederico Moreno Torroba.

Musical creativity mainly moved into areas of popular music until the nationalist revival of the late Romantic era. Spanish composers of this period includedFelipe Pedrell,Isaac Albniz,Enrique Granados,Joaqun Turina,Manuel de Falla,Jess Guridi,Ernesto Halffter,Federico Mompou,Salvador Bacarisse, andJoaqun Rodrigo.

INTERIOR decoration in Spain prior to the eighteenth century presents a curious combination of Moorish characteristics, on the one hand, and of Renaissance and Baroque features on the other.

In considering this subject, one must bear in mind the peculiarly conservative character of the Spanish people, their almost religious attachment to time-honoured usage and precedent, and their fixed aversion from change, especially when the change has no stronger sanction than the mere compliance with a newly-set fashion.

The wherewithal to have what other nations of the period would have deemed fully furnished and even sumptuous interiors was not lacking. The inclination, however, was towards a paucity of movables. For generations, people had been wont to sit upon cushions on the floor. This was a Moorish custom, to be sure, but Moorish customs had permeated Christian Spain and Christians held to the custom with the same tenacity as the Moors themselves, among whom the usage had more or less religious obligation.

Therefore chairs and seating furniture in general were not so commonly used as in other places. Consequently, there was one factor accounted for that contributed to the comparative austerity and bareness of the Spanish interior. It was a matter of principle with the Moors not to cumber their apartments with articles they did not definitely need. And they were simple in their habits and did not need much. Here, again, was another cause for the characteristic austerity and restraint of the Spanish interior.

Let the reader not imagine, however, that a sixteenth or seventeenth century interior in Spain lacked either richness or interest. Both characteristics were present in a pronounced degree. Concentrated enrichment, and the interest attaching thereto, gathered intensity by contrast with an austere environment which acted as a foil.

In studying Spanish exterior architecture of the early Renaissance, one cannot fail to be deeply impressed by the wonderfully rich effect of the intricate, lace-like carving of a doorway set in a severely plain wall without a trace of other decoration to break its expanse. Much the same phenomenon of sharp contrast was repeated inside the houses where the marvellous cabinets, for which Spain was deservedly famous, had their sumptuous splendour accented by the complete absence of all elements that could in any way detract from their preeminence. The eye was involuntarily focussed there and compelled to take in what was presented to it.

Another factor contributory to interest and enrichment was the frequent use of expanses of gorgeously polychrome tiling (Plate 23 B), at times almost barbaric in its bewildering splendour of colour and pat-tern. This heritage of Moorish civilisation was incorporated with the Renaissance forms that prevailed in the sixteenth century.

Architectural Background and Fixed Decoration.--If the sixteenth and seventeenth century Spaniards had not the frescoed or marble-encrusted walls of the Italians of the same period, nor the wood-panelled walls of the French and English, and had instead plain plaster walls (Plates 23 A and 24), or walls relieved for a portion of their height by multi-coloured tiling or by dados of painted canvas or cloth, their rooms, nevertheless, were by no means lacking in mural interest.

Love of strong colour and of vivid contrast and trenchant design is deeply implanted in the Spanish disposition and this chromatic taste was amply satisfied by the variety of hangings with which they adorned the walls of their apartments in lieu of embellishment incorporated in the actual wall structure. No nation, perhaps, was ever more addicted to the profuse display of wall hangings.

There were, to begin with, tapestries, for tapestries were the common possession of all civilised countries and were esteemed alike in all. There were "fine Italian hangings," which meant brocades, damasks and velvet, the last named of which materials, when hung as a wall embellishment, was usually enriched with embroidery in the form of applique medallions, car-touches and the like, with an appropriate accompaniment of scrolls, tendrils and arabesques of gold thread or gold galons. When the ground was a rich crimson or a full, brilliant green velvet, this form of wall decoration, often enlivened with armorial, bearings as a part of the applique needlework, was both dignified and effective.

There were painted canvas hangings which presented both vivid colour and emphatic design. There were painted and scalloped canvas friezes or scalloped velvet frieze hangings rich with gold braid and fringe, There wasand this was peculiarly distinctive of Spain, although the fashion afterwards spread to other countriesthe gorgeous stamped and engraved leather, polychromed and, later on, polychromed and gilt. The skins were either sewed together to make hangings or else the pieces of leather were applied directly to the wall. Add to these, "India fabrics," doubtless brought in from Portugal, "delicate summer hangings," Toledo cloths, red and yellow and Roman linens, and it becomes quite plain that the Spanish interior, although it might display certain evidences of austerity, at times, and a sparseness of movables as compared with the fashions of other countries, was by no means void of interest.

In the seventeenth century, the Italian "domino" paper, in small sections, was sometimes applied to the walls, as it was also in Italy and France, its mottled or marbleised pattern and colouring having always found favour in the Iberian peninsula.

Fireplaces showed practically the same lines of structure and ornamentation as were to be noted in Italy and France during the same period, there being, of course, some evidences of national interpretation in the matter of details. In this connexion it should be noted that the brasier was so essential an item of equipment that it may almost be regarded as a part of the fixed outfit. The brasier was generally an ornate specimen of brass craftsmanship, chased, engraved and em-bossed, supported either on an high stand, so that the hands might conveniently be warmed at its rim, or on a low stand where feet could be toasted. The stands were of wrought iron or of turned and carved walnut.

The beams of the ceilings and the panels of doors Plate 23 A) were especially favourite objects of decorative enrichment and were often intricately carved or inlaid. The facility for working in small panel divisions, with telling decorative effect, was an accomplishment learned from the Moors, and the practice was retained and elaborated with happy results. The carving on doors and on ceiling beams was not seldom enhanced by the application of colour and gilding as well. The floors were of tiles, stone and wood. During the seventeenth century some gorgeously coloured hard woods were brought from the Spanish colonies and incorporated in the parquetted floorings.

Wrought ironwork, in the form of grilles for windows and openings and as handrails, frequently added a decorative emphasis of strong character. The design and workmanship of these bits of ironwork were admirable. Colour and gilding were generally added to them.

Furniture and Decoration.The two most significant and characteristic items of Spanish Renaissance furniture were the chest and the vargueno cabinet (v. illustration in Part III). There were chests of all varieties and shapes and contrived for all purposes. There were no less than seven distinct classifications into which they could be divided. Of these, the bride's chest was deemed an absolutely indispensable piece of household equipmentvery much like a marriage certificate, in factwhatever other chests might or might not be represented in an inventory of possessions.

In addition to the chests, which usually manifested conspicuous marks of national taste, there were the vargueno cabinets and the papeleras, both of which were set on stands. The vargueno cabinet had a drop front, hinged at the bottom, which could be used to write upon, and the inside contained tiers of small drawers. It was, in a word, the direct ancestor of the later drop front secretary. The inside of the vargueno was generally a splendid blaze of bone inlay, brilliant colour and gold. The papelera (Plate 140) was a cabinet of small drawers but had no drop front. It, like-wise, was often decorated in a gorgeous and colourful manner.

Besides these, there were hanging cabinets or cup-boards, massive walnut tables (Plate 24) of many varieties, settles, benches, stools and chairs. Some of the chests were covered with velvet strained tightly over the woodbright green was a favourite colourwith gilded iron mounts and ornamental bands or studding.

The characteristic contours and motifs of decoration indicated the gradual transition from Renaissance, or Renaissance mingled with Moorish, forms to Baroque conceptions. The dimensions and structure of the period were bold and substantial. Walnut was the staple and favourite material, although oak and chest-nut were used also in cabinetwork and occasionally pine likewise.

The mounts and studdings, both of brass and of wrought iron, gilt or plain, were especially indicative of sixteenth and seventeenth century Spanish form conception and added a very appreciable share to the rich and striking effect of the interiors of the period.

Other Decorative Accessories and Movable Decorations.Tapestries and other hangings were discussed in the section dealing with fixed decoration because their function was permanent rather than otherwise. It is only necessary to add, with respect to hangings, that canopies of green or crimson velvet or brocade, fringed with gold, often played a conspicuous role when they were hung over seats or tables of state. Damask, velvet and lace for table covers, embroideries, Cuenca green cloth, Spanish carpets and Turkey car-pets, as items in the inventory of fabrics afforded considerable resources of vivid colour.

Large pictures, both portraits and religious paintings, occupied a prominent place in decorative schemes. Porcelains came in through Portuguese trade with the Orient and were highly prized; maiolica pottery of admirable colour, design and shape, was made in considerable quantity in Spain as well as the glazed tiles; glass vessels of large size and good shape, cut, en-graved and sometimes gilded, were also made in Spain and had distinct decorative value; finally, the Spanish smiths were unsurpassed in their manipulation of brass and iron, from which they fashioned candlesticks, candelabra, sconces, chandeliers (Plate 24), brasiers and a host of lesser accessories for various purposes, all of which, in both metals, were wrought with a fascinating invention.

Materials and Colour.The texture of materials, their contrast with their structural background, and the emphasis of their colour, were such essential parts of the ensemble in the composition of a sixteenth or seventeenth century Spanish interior that one can scarcely dissociate them from the actual architectural structure.

The velvets, plain and figured, the brocades and damasks, and the linens, imported from Italy were supplemented by Oriental fabrics brought by Portuguese traders from India and China, and by the gay-coloured cloths and carpets woven at Toledo, Cuenca or Alcaroz.

The colours were vivid and rich to the fullest degree. This applied to the leathers as well as to textiles. As to pattern, it should be noted that while the vigorous and somewhat large figures, so generally to be found in Italy, in France and in England, and which were quite consistent in scale with the colouring in which they were interpreted, were also approved in Spain, at the same time, the Moorish tradition for fine inter-lacing pattern and compact distribution and the Indian tendency toward attenuation with a certain openness of design, both disposed the Spaniard to an appreciation of refinement as well as vigour in pattern.

Arrangement.The one important lesson in arrangement to be learned from Spanish interiors is that their restraint in the number of objects employed, and the consequent necessity of wide open spaces for pieces to stand alone, contributed to dignity and served also to enhance the decorative balance of each object when there was nothing to detract from its individual effect.Golden AgeTheSpanish Golden Age, a period of Spanish political ascendancy and subsequent decline, saw a great development of art in Spain. The period is generally considered to have begun at some point after 1492 and ended by or with theTreaty of the Pyreneesin 1659, though in art the start is delayed until the reign ofPhilip III(1598-1621), or just before, and the end also delayed until the 1660s or later. The style thus forms a part of the widerBaroqueperiod in art, although as well as considerable influence from great Baroque masters such asCaravaggioand laterRubens, the distinctive nature of the art of the period also included influences that modified typical Baroque characteristics. These included influence from contemporaryDutch Golden Age paintingand the native Spanish tradition which give much of the art of the period an interest in naturalism, and an avoidance of the grandiosity of much Baroque art. Important early contributors includedJuan Bautista Mano(15691649), who brought a new naturalistic style into Spain,[21]Francisco Ribalta(15651628),[22]and the influentialstill lifepainter,Snchez Cotn(15601627).[23]El Greco(15411614) was one of the most individualistic of the painters of the period, developing a strongly Mannerist style based on his origins in the postByzantineCretan school, in contrast to the naturalist approaches then predominant in Seville, Madrid and elsewhere in Spain.[24]Many of his works reflect the silvery-greys and strong colours of Venetian painters such asTitian, but combined with strange elongations of figures, unusual lighting, disposing of perspective space, and filling the surface with very visible and expressive brushwork.[25]Although mostly active in Italy, particularly in Naples,Jos de Ribera(15911652) considered himself Spanish, and his style is sometimes used as an example of the extremes of Counter-Reformation Spanish art. His work was very influential (largely through the circulation of his drawing and prints throughout Europe) and developed significantly through his career.

Being the gateway to theNew World,Sevillebecame the cultural centre of Spain in the 16th Century, and attracted artists from across Europe, drawn by lure of commissions for the growing empire, and for the numerous religious houses of the wealthy city. Starting from a strongly Flemish tradition of detailed and smooth brushwork, as revealed in the works ofFrancisco Pacheco(15641642), over time a more naturalistic approach developed, with the influence ofJuan de Roelas(c. 15601624) andFrancisco Herrera the Elder(15901654). This more naturalistic approach, influenced byCaravaggio, became predominant in Seville, and formed the training background of three Golden Age masters: Cano, Zurbarn and Velzquez.

Francisco Zurbarn(15981664) is known for the forceful, realistic use ofchiaroscuroin his religious paintings andstill lifes. Although seen as limited in his development, and struggling to handle complex scenes. Zurbarn's great ability to evoke religious feelings made him very successful in receiving commissions in conservative Counter-Reformation Seville.[29]Sharing the same painting master - Francisco Pacheco - as Velzquez,Alonso Cano(166011667) was also active in sculpture and architecture. His style moved from the naturalism of his early period, to a more delicate, idealistic approach, revealingVenetianandVan Dyckinfluences.

Velzquez

Diego Velzquez,"Las Meninas,"165657

Diego Velzquez(15991660) was the leading artist in the court of KingPhilip IV. In addition to numerous renditions of scenes of historical and cultural significance, he created scores of portraits of the Spanish royal family, other notable European figures, and commoners. In many portraits, Velzquez gave a dignified quality to less fortunate members of society like beggars and dwarfs. In contrast to these portraits, the gods and goddesses of Velzquez tend to be portrayed as common people, without divine characteristics. Besides the forty portraits of Philip by Velzquez, he painted portraits of other members of the royal family, including princes, infantas (princesses), and queens.

Later Baroque

Bartolom Esteban Murillo,Immaculate Conception of the Virgin (Soult)Later Baroque elements were introduced as a foreign influence, through visits to Spain byRubensandvan Dyck, and the circulation of artists and patrons between Spain and the Spanish possessions ofNaplesand theSpanish Netherlands. Significant Spanish painters taking up the new style wereJuan Carreno de Miranda(16141685),Francisco Rizi(16141685) andFrancisco de Herrera the Younger(16271685), son ofFrancisco de Herrerathe Elder an initiator of the naturalist emphasis of theSeville School. Other notable Baroque painters wereClaudio Coello(16421693),Antonio de Pereda(16111678),Mateo Cerezo(16371666) andJuan de Valdes Leal(16221690).

The pre-eminent painter of the period - and most famous Spanish painter prior to the 19th century appreciation of Velzquez, Zurbarn and El Greco - wasBartolom Esteban Murillo(16171682).Working for most of his career in Seville, his early work reflected the naturalism of Caravaggio, using a subdued, brown palette, simple but not harsh lighting, and religious themes that are portrayed in a natural or domestic setting, as in hisHoly Family with a Little Bird(c. 1650).Later he incorporated elements of theFlemish Baroquefrom Rubens and Van Dyck. In theSoult Immaculate Conception, a brighter and more radiant colour range is used, the swirling cherubs bringing all the focus upon the Virgin, whose heavenward gaze and diffuse and warmly glowing halo make it an effective devotional image, an important component of his output; the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin theme alone was represented about twenty times by Murillo.

Dionisio Aguado y Garca

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lithograph of Dionisio Aguado y Garca by J.A. Lpez

Dionisio Aguado y Garca(8 April 1784 29 December 1849) was aSpanishclassical guitaristandcomposer.

Contents

[hide] 1Biography 2Instruments used by Aguado y Garca 3List of works 4References 5External links 5.1Images of Aguado 5.2Sheet musicBiography[edit]Born inMadrid, he studied withMiguel Garca. In 1826, Aguado visitedParis, where he met and became friends with and for a while lived withFernando Sor.[1]Sor's duoLes Deux Amis("The Two Friends") commemorated the friendship: one part is marked "Sor" and the other "Aguado."

Aguado's major workEscuela de Guitarrawas a guitar tutor published in 1825.[1]As of 2011, it is still in print, with Tecla Editions releasing a reprint in 2005.[2]In theEscuelaAguado describes his use of fingernails on the right hand as well as his invention of a "tripodion": a device that held the guitar and thus minimized the damping effect of the player's body on the guitar's back and sides.[3]Aguado's other works includeTrois Rondos Brillants(Opus 2),Le Menuet Affandangado(Opus 15),Le Fandango Varie(Opus 16), as well as numerous waltzes, minuets, and other light pieces. The more extended works require a virtuoso technique and left-hand stretches that are almost impossible on the longer string lengths of modern guitars. (SeeFrederick Noad, "The Classical Guitar")

Aguado returned home to Madrid in 1837 and died there aged 65.[1]Aguado's surname comes from the Spanish word for "soaked." (This is because an ancient relative of his, who was a knight, returned after a battle caked in mud. The nickname then eventually became the surname.[3]Instruments used by Aguado y Garca[edit]Of the instruments used by Aguado, two which were built by

Pierre Ren Lacte, (Paris 1838) and

Etienne Laprevotte, (Paris 1838)

are held at theMuseo Arqueolgico Nacionalin Madrid. Aguado is known for having used a tripod to support his guitar.[4]

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionisio_Aguado_y_Garc%C3%ADa" \l "cite_note-5" [5]

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionisio_Aguado_y_Garc%C3%ADa" \l "cite_note-6" [6]This list isincomplete; you can help byexpanding it.

List of works[edit] Escuela de Guitarra

1825 Rondo

Op. 1: Douze Valses

Op. 2: Trois Rondo Brillants

Op. 3: Huit Petites Pices

Op. 4: Six Petites Pices

Op. 5: Quatre Andantes et Quatre Valses

Op. 6: Nuevo Mtodo de Guitarra

Op. 7: Valses Faciles

Op. 8: Contredanses et Valses Faciles

Op. 9: Contredanses non difficiles

Op. 10: Exercices Faciles et Trs Utiles

Op. 11: Les Favorites - Huit Contredanses

Op. 12: Six Menuets & Six Valses

Op. 13: Morceaux Agrables non difficiles

Op. 14: Dix Petites Pices non difficiles

Op. 15: Le Menuet Affandangado

Op. 16: Le Fandango Vari

References[edit]1. ^Jump up to:abcJeffery, Brian."Dionisio Aguado: New Guitar Method: The complete introduction".Dionisio Aguado: New Guitar Method. Tecla Editions. Retrieved 13 August 2011.2. Jump up^"Dionisio Aguado: New Guitar Method".Catalog. Tecla Editions. Retrieved 13 August 2011.3. ^Jump up to:abLewis, Alastair."The Biography of Dionisio Aguado 1784-1849".Maestros-of-the-guitar.com. Retrieved 13 August 2011.4. Jump up^Lacote and Aguado: about a TripodisonbySinier de Ridder5. Jump up^El Fixateur (La Trpode) De Dionisio Aguado, "Una Cita Con La Historia"by Pablo de la Cruz6. Jump up^El Trpode De Aguado 175 Aos DespusMiguel de Irzar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Miguel de Irzar y Domenzain(16351684) was a Spanish Baroque composer.

Parte de tiple de primer coro de la Misa de Lamentatione. Fuente: Catedral de Segovia

Irzar was born inArtajonaand trained as a choirboy inLenandToledo. In August 1657 he becamemaestro de capillainVitoria, then in August 1671 appointed toSegovia Cathedralwhere he remained for his remaining thirteen years.[1]He died atSegovia.

The correspondence of Irzar preserved in the cathedral of Segovia archives contains a total of 362 letters received during the period 1663 to 1684. There are numerous requests to Irzar to compose music for the chapels of other cathedrals, or to exchange for works by composers such asCristbal GalnandCarlos Patio. Some of these compositions were part of the repertoire taken to the New World. The correspondence also includes extensive detail on performance practice.[2]The letters indicate in particular the wide and rapid circulation ofvillancicosbetween different cathedrals.[3]

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Ir%C3%ADzar" \l "cite_note-4" [4]

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Ir%C3%ADzar" \l "cite_note-5" [5]Works[edit] Masses[6]

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Ir%C3%ADzar" \l "cite_note-7" [7] Motets[8] Lamentations

Villancicos[9]

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Ir%C3%ADzar" \l "cite_note-10" [10]

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Ir%C3%ADzar" \l "cite_note-11" [11] Tonosa la Navidad.Discography[edit] Miguel de Irzar. Mass for 6 voices. 10 Christmas pieces.Ecos y afectos. Capilla Jeronimo de Carrion, dir. Alicia Lazaro. Verso VRS2024, Spain 2004.[12]References[edit]1. Jump up^Matilde Olarte Martnez. Miguel de Irzar y Domenzain (1635-1684?): biografa, epistolario y estudio de sus lamentaciones Secretariado de Publicaciones, Universidad de Valladolid, 1996ISBN 84-7762-610-32. Jump up^Matilde Olarte Martnez Aportaciones de la correspondencia epistolar de Miguel de Irzar sobre msica y msicos espaoles durante el siglo XVII Cuadernos de arte de la Universidad de Granada, ISSN 0210-962X, N 26, 1995 , pags. 83-963. Jump up^TheNew Grovedictionary of music and musicians, Volume 12 2001 p5744. Jump up^James Haar European music, 1520-1640 - 2006 p4705. Jump up^Louise K. Stein Songs of mortals, dialogues of the gods: music and theatre in seventeenth Century 1993 p3006. Jump up^Jos Lpez-CaloLas Misas policorales de Miguel de Irzar. Prncipe de Viana, ISSN 0032-8472, Ao n 46, N 174, 1985 , pags. 297-3167. Jump up^Alicia Lzaro. "Ecos y Afectos".Fundacin Don Juan de BorbnColeccin Maestros de Capilla de la Catedral de Segovia. Segovia, 2005,ISBN 978-84-923988-3-68. Jump up^Jos Lpez-CaloLos Motetes de Miguel de Irzar. Encomium musicae: essays in memory of Robert J. Snow / coord. por David Crawford, 2002,ISBN 0-945193-83-1, pags. 471-4929. Jump up^Jos Lpez-Calo Los villancicos policorales de Miguel de Irzar (1635-1684) 198910. Jump up^Paul R. Laird Towards a history of the Spanish villancico: 1997 p17911. Jump up^Alicia Lzaro. "Ecos y Afectos".Fundacin Don Juan de BorbnColeccin Maestros de Capilla de la Catedral de Segovia. Segovia, 2005,ISBN 978-84-923988-3-612. Jump up^review by M.DesmetJernimo de Carrin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jernimo de Carrin(16601721) was a Spanish baroque composer.

Firma de Jeronimo de Carrin. Fuente: Catedral de Segovia

Carrin was born in Segovia and was a choirboy atSegovia Cathedral. From 1687 to 1690 he wasmaestro de capillainMondoedoand then, after a year atOurense, at Segovia Cathedral, taking up the position formerly filled byMiguel de Irzarwho had died in 1684; he remained in this post from 1692 to his death in 1721.[1]Works[edit] 4 masses[2] 28 psalms

7 offices for the dead

6 magnificats

12 lamentations[3] 16 motets

more than 500villancicos.[4]

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jer%C3%B3nimo_de_Carri%C3%B3n" \l "cite_note-5" [5]

Tiple villancico Jeronimo de Carrin. Fuente: Catedral de Segovia

Discography[edit] Carrin "Calendas, El Tiempo En Las Catedrales" Tonos al Nacimiento, a La Pasin y al Santsimo. Lamentaciones Del Viernes. Capilla Jernimo de Carrin dir. Alicia Lzaro. Verso. 2006.[6] Carrin "Ah de los elementos" -Misa de batalla. 7 villancicos on Capilla Jernimo de Carrin dir. Alicia Lzaro. Verso. 2007.[7]

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jer%C3%B3nimo_de_Carri%C3%B3n" \l "cite_note-8" [8]References[edit]1. Jump up^Jos Lpez-Calo Documentario musical de la Catedral de Segovia: Actas capitulares 1990 Page 2002. Jump up^Alicia Lzaro. Misa de Batalla.Fundacin Don Juan de Borbn. Coleccin Maestros de Capilla de la Catedral de Segovia. Segovia, 2008.ISBN 978-84-923988-4-33. Jump up^Alicia Lzaro.Calendas, el tiempo en las Catedrales.Fundacin Don Juan de Borbn. Coleccin Maestros de Capilla de la Catedral de Segovia. Segovia, 2004.ISBN 978-84-923988-2-94. Jump up^Alicia Lzaro.Calendas, el tiempo en las Catedrales.Fundacin Don Juan de Borbn. Coleccin Maestros de Capilla de la Catedral de Segovia. Segovia, 2004.ISBN 978-84-923988-2-95. Jump up^Alicia Lzaro. Msica con ministriles.Fundacin Don Juan de Borbn. Coleccin Maestros de Capilla de la Catedral de Segovia. Segovia, 2008.ISBN 978-84-923988-4-36. Jump up^review by various 20097. Jump up^review by Johan van Veen 20098. Jump up^review by A.Ruiz TarazonaFrancisco Salzillo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This articlemay be expanded with text translated from thecorresponding articlein the Spanish Wikipedia.(March 2009)Click [show] on the right to read important instructions before translating.[show]

Francisco Salzillo

Portrait of Francisco Salzillo, John Albacete (18231883) (Royal Economic Society of Friends of the Countryof Murcia).

Birth nameFrancisco Salzillo y Alcaraz

BornMay 11, 1707Murcia, (Spain)

DiedMarch 2, 1783.Murcia, (Spain)Murcia, (Spain)

NationalitySpanish

Fieldsculpture

Movementbaroque

Francisco Salzillo y Alcaraz(21 May 1707 2 March 1783) was aSpanishsculptor. He is the most representative Spanish image-maker of the 18th century and one of greatest of theBaroque.[citation needed]Francisco Salzillo worked exclusively on religious themes, and almost always in polychromed wood. He made hundreds of pieces that are distributed throughout theRegion of Murciaand some in bordering provinces. TheSpanish Civil War(19361939) caused the destruction of many of the works of Salzillo. Some of his masterpieces include his nonprocessional religious work, hisprocessionalwork, and his greatNativityscene.

Contents

[hide] 1Biography 2Main works 3Gallery 4External links 5ReferencesBiography[edit]He was born inMurcia. At the age of twenty he completed the statue ofSt Ines of Montepulciano, which had been begun for theDominicansat Murcia by his father. On the death of the latter the care of the family fell upon Francisco, who with the help of his brothers and sisters organized a workshop. In 1765 he also founded a small academy, which, however, was speedily dissolved owing to disunion among the members. In theErmita de Jessin Murcia may be seen Salzillo's scenes from thePassion of Our Lord, a vast work in which all the sculptor's qualities and defects are revealed. In the church of San Miguel are anImmaculate Conceptionand aSt Francis. Mention should also be made of theChrist at the Wellin the church ofSanta Mara de las Graciasin Murcia, and of the sculptures in San Pedro and in theCapuchinmonastery in Murcia. Salzillo mainly worked in wood and carved "in the round", after which was his work was gilded and polychromed using a technique calledestofado. The attribution of the stone sculptures on the facade ofSt Nicolas's Churchin Murcia to him, is purely conjectural. He died in Murcia.

Main works[edit]Unlike the great sculptors of the 18th century, likeJuan Martnez MontasorGregorio Fernndez, Francisco Salzillo did not dwell overly on the dramatic aspects of the scenes he depicted, but explored naturalistic concepts of idealized beauty that heralded the transition from the Baroque style into the Rococ and Neoclasicism. Salzillo founded the so-called Murcian School of Sculpture that extended beyond its time and that has remained effective to the present time, because both his first followers and those who have followed to date have perpetuated the iconographic and stylistic models and types of Salzillo. There is a Museum in Murcia dedicated to Salzillo. His main works are:

La Cena(The LastSupper): it was created in 1763 and it is composed of thirteen figures (Jesus and 12 Apostles) seated around a table.

La Oracin del Huerto(The Agony in theGarden): created in 1754, in it can be seen, on the one hand, an angel showing the chalice to Jesus, and on the other hand, the scene of the three sleeping apostles under the palm.

El PrendimientoorEl Beso de Judas(The Arrest or The Kiss ofJudas): created in 1754, it contrasts the faces of Jesus and Judas, allowing a comparison of beauty and kindness of the former as opposed to the ugliness and evil of the latter.

Jess en la ColumnaorLos Azotes(Jesus at the Column or TheFlagellation: sculpted in 1777, it shows the face of Jesus filled with serenity and resignation enduring the lashes which he receives.

Santa Mujer Vernica(The Holy Woman Veronica): created in 1755, it showsSaint Veronicawith a dolorous expression, taking between her hands the cloth on which is miraculously imprinted the face of Jesus.

La Cada(The Fall): created in 1752.

San Juan(Saint John): created in 1756.

La Dolorosa(The Virgin of Sorrows): created in 1756.

El Beln(The Nativity Scene): created between 1780 and 1800, it was begun by Salzillo and extended by his disciple Roque Lpez. It is a set of 556 mud figures of about 30cm. of height.

Numerous preparatorysketchesmodeled interracotta.

A Spanish Baroque armchair late 17th/early 18th centuryThis stunning piece of17th Century Silverwas made in Spain circa 1680. It is of campana form with a lobed base and elegant baroque scrolls along the chamfered panels. the handles are cast and applied.

This 17th century Spanish silver cup is in excellent condition. It stands 9cm tall.

17th century silver is rare, and in Spanish silver even more so. This elegant little loving cup was probably for ceremonial drinking at a wedding or other important family event.

A stunning and rare piece of 17th century Spanish silver.Type:cupFunction:drinkingCountry:SpainDate:1680Style:BaroqueComposition:Solid Silver1600-1830: BaroqueArchitecture of Exuberance

ByJackie CravenEarly in the 1600s, an elaborate new style calledBaroquelavished buildings with complex shapes, extravagant ornaments, opulent paintings, and bold contrasts.

The wordbaroquemeansimperfect pearl, from the Portuguese wordbarroco. Thebaroque pearlbecame a favorite centerpiece for the ornate necklaces and ostentatious brooches popular in the 1600s. The trend toward flowery elaboration transcended jewelry into other artforms, including painting, music, and architecture. Centuries later, when critics put a name to this extravagant time, the word Baroque was used mockingly.

Baroque Characteristics:

Buildings in the Baroque style have many of these features:

Complicated shapes

Large curved forms

Twisted columns

Grand stairways

High domes

Trompe l'oeilpaintings

Elements of the elaborate Baroque style are found throughout Europe and also traveled to Latin America and European settlements around the world. While Baroque architecture was always highly decorated, it found expression in many ways.Italian Baroque:Catholic Popes in Italy wanted architecture to express holy splendor. They commissioned churches with enormous domes, swirling forms, huge spiraled columns, multicolored marble, and lavish murals. The same exuberance was expressed in non-religious buildings. Example:The Trevi Fountain in RomeFrench Baroque:The Baroque style became more restrained in France. While lavish details were used, French buildings were usually symmetrical and orderly. ThePalace of Versaillesshown above is a landmark example. The Palace's grandHall of Mirrorsis more unrestrained in its extravagant design.

English Baroque:Baroque architecture emerged in England after the Great Fire of London in 1666. Architect Christopher Wren used restrained Baroque styling when he helped rebuild the city. Example:St. Paul's CathedralSpain and Latin America:Builders in Spain, Mexico, and South America combined Baroque ideas with exuberant sculptures, Moorish details, and extreme contrasts between light and dark. CalledChurrigueresqueafter a Spanish family of sculptors and architects, Spanish Baroque architecture was used through the mid-1700s, and continued to be imitated much later. Example:Casa del Pradoin California is a lavish re-invention of Spanish Baroque, or Churrigueresque, architecture.

Rococo:In Germany, Austria, Eastern Europe, and Russia, Baroque ideas were often applied with a lighter touch. Pale colors and curving shell shapes gave buildings the delicate appearance of a frosted cake. The term Rococo was used to describe these softer versions of the Baroque style.Learn about Rococo ArchitectureThe Baroque Period in History Music.Famous names include Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi.

Art.Famous names include Caravaggio, Bernini, Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Velzquez.

Science and Inventions.Famous names include Blaise Pascal and Isaac Newton.

Baroque Architecture1600 to 1830 ADIn Italy, the Baroque style is reflected in opulent and dramatic churches with irregular shapes and extravagant ornamentation. In France, the highly ornamented Baroque style combines with Classical restraint. Russian aristocrats were impressed by Versailles in France, and incorporated Baroque ideas in the building of St. Petersburg. Elements of the elaborate Baroque style are found throughout Europe.

Casa del Prado in Balboa Park is a lavish re-invention of Spanish Baroque, or Churrigueresque, architecture

Photo Medioimages/Photodisc/Getty ImagesGoodhue (along with fellow architects Carleton M. Winslow, Clarence Stein and Frank P. Allen, Jr.) created extravagant, capriciousChurrigueresquetowers based on the 17th and 18th century Spanish Baroque architecture. They filled Balboa Park in San Diego with arcades, arches, colonnades, domes, fountains, pergolas, reflecting pools, man-sized Muslim urns and an array of Disneyesque details.

America was dazzled, and Iberian fever spread as trendy architects adapted Spanish ideas to upscale homes and public buildings.

Baroque: Diego Velzquez

Diego Velzquez was one of the most famousSpanish paintersof the Golden Age, whose repertoire consisted in paintings of theSpanish Royal familyand religious scenes. His paintings from the contemporaryBaroqueperiod, exhibit both theImpressionistandRealistgenres of art. Some of his greatest paintings include 'Cristo Crucifado' (1632), the portrait of Pope Innocent X (1650) and 'Las Meninas' (1656).

Diego Velzquez (1599-1660)

Diego Velzquezwas born and studied in Seville, Spain, where he learnt languages and philosophy. Velazquez displayed talent for art at a young age and therefore he began to study with Francisco de Herrera. He then studied in Seville for a further five years under the influence of Francisco Pacheco, another Spanish artist. Later, Velzquez married his former teacher's daughter, Juana Pacheco, with whom he had two daughters. Only one survived into adulthood.

At the end of 1622, the current Royal painter, Rodrigo de Villandro, passed away which left the way clear for Velzquez. A portrait of the King was ordered in 1623. The portrait Velzquez painted sufficiently impressed the King and so he requested that Velzquez move to Madrid in order to become the Royal Court painter.

Although Velzquez painted many Royal paintings, many of them were lost. The Museo del Prado in Madrid does however have two of the portraits of King Philip IV thatDiego Velquezpainted in its collection.

Apart from the King, Velzquez also painted other members of the Spanish Royal family including the Kings wife, Elisabeth of Bourbon and her son, Don Baltasar Carlos. He also painted many portraits of people from the upper Spanish classes in Spain such as soldiers, clergymen and poets.

In 1649,Diego Velquezand his manservant took a trip to Italy, which was sponsored by King Philip IV. Velzquez travelled through Italy buying paintings along the way. He eventually ended up in Rome where he was met by the Pope, who greeted him by presenting him with a gold chain and medal. He then painted his famous portrait of the Pope, which was considered to be one of the finest portraits in Italy at the time. It was so good that even Velzquez wanted a copy of it, and so he took a copy with him back to Spain. Today there are many different copies and replicas of this portrait in galleries across the world.

'Las Meninas' (The Maids of Honour) is without doubt one of thisSpanish painter's most famous works. It is celebrated for being an intriguing picture with many mysteries. The focus of the picture is unclear as there is a lot going on in both the foreground and the background.

The subject of 'Las Meninas' is most likely to be the eldest daughter of the King and Queen, yet Velzquez has included himself to the left hand side of the painting which draws attention away from the girl. Also, the King and Queen are depicted looking at the easel from a reflection in the mirror, as though they are the audience of the painting, looking at 'Las Meninas' like one would in a gallery.

All of these different aspects which play with the mind of the audience of the painting mean that 'Las Meninas' by Diego Velzquez is considered to be one of the greatest examples ofEuropean Baroque Art.

This painting was so influential that it led Picasso to recreate it 58 times with his cubist style in the 1950s. It is said also that Salvador Dali took the inspiration for his famous moustache from that ofDiego Velzquez.

Diego Velzquez died in 1660 after having suffered a fever. Velzquez was buried in the Fuensalida Vault of the church of San Juan Bautista. However, the church was destroyed by the French in 1811. This means that the final resting place ofDiego Velzquezremains a mystery.

Baroque: Francisco de Zurbarn

Francisco de Zurbarn was a BaroqueSpanishpainter who is most famous for his paintings of clergy members such as nuns and monks. Zurbarn was such a great painter that he has been nicknamed the Spanish Caravaggio. He was also a friend and contemporary of the famousBaroqueSpanish painter, Diego de Velzquez.

Francisco de Zurbarn (1598-1664)

Francisco de Zurbarnwas born and baptized in the town of Fuente de Cantos in the region of Extremadura. Zurbarn began drawing as a child, sketching objects using charcoal. In 1614, Zurbarns father managed to get him an apprenticeship with an artist named Pedro Daz de Villanueva in Seville for three years. It was here that Francisco de Zurbarn met some of the other greatSpanish painters-to-be, such as Alonso Cano. During his apprenticeship, Francisco painted one of his first paintings of his artistic career, a painting of the Inmaculada (Immaculate Conception) in 1616.

At the end of his apprenticeship in 1617,Francisco de Zurbarnmarried Mara Pez in Seville, with whom he had three children. Tragically however, Mara would die only a few years later. Francisco then remarried in 1625 to Beatriz de Morales, who was herself a widow at the time.

By 1622, Francisco de Zurbarns fame had grown which led him to be contracted to paint a portrait for the church in his hometown of Fuente de Cantos. In 1626, Zurbarn signed a contract to paint for the Dominican Order in San Pablo el Real in Seville. For this Order, Zurbarn would paint twenty-one paintings in the space of just eight months.

In 1627, Francisco de Zurbarn painted one of his most famous paintings, which was celebrated by many of his contemporaries, the Cristo en la Cruz (Christ on the Cross). We can clearly see theBaroquestyle of Zurbarn in this painting. The piece of white linen that Christ is wearing which is so fluid, contrasts strongly with the taught muscles of His body.

Francisco de Zurbarn signed another contract in 1628 with the Convent of Our Lady of Mercy and settled down with his family in Seville, where he set up his own workshop. Here he painted the portrait of San Serapio, a man who had died after being tortured. Zurbarn managed to show the horrors of this ordeal in his painting without resorting to a gory depiction of the scene. Zurbarn completed the piece without painting even one drop of blood.

Zurbarn travelled to Madrid in 1634. In the Spanish capital, Zurbarns style evolved significantly thanks to the input of Diego de Velzquez. Francisco moved towards a moreCaravaggio-esque style of painting after studying many of the Italian painters works. While in Madrid,Francisco de Zurbarnwas also named the official painter for the Spanish King.

Zurbarn then went to live by the coast, where he encountered the ships heading for the Americas and other parts of the world. It was here thatFrancisco de Zurbarnbegan producing religious paintings for the American market including some for the capital of Peru, Lima. Some of the greatest paintings from this period of his life can be found in Auckland Castle in the town ofBishop Aucklandin County Durham, England. Here you can find a series of twelve paintings entitled Las tribus de Israel (The Tribes of Israel), which were probably stolen from a Spanish ship during a pirate attack. His painting production increased significantly thanks to his popularity in South America. In 1647, a convent in Peru ordered thirty-eight paintings, of which twenty-four were of the Virgin Mary.

In 1650,Francisco de Zurbarnrelocated to Madrid where he painted many of his most famous paintings, including the portrait of the Virgin Mary in the painting La Anunciacin (The Annunciation) which can now be found in theMuseum of Grenoble, and Cristo llevando la Cruz (Christ Carrying the Cross) in the Cathedral of Orleans. The year of 1658 saw all four of the great Spanish painters, Zurbarn, Velzquez, Cano and Murillo, in the city of Madrid. However this phenomenon did not last long as only a few years later Zurbarn died.

Francisco de Zurbarnwas a painter whose style changed a lot during the course of his life. However he was excellent at painting fabrics, for which he must have studied extensively. Furthermore, the foregrounds of his paintings were highly detailed, particularly in relation to the depiction of light.Baroque: Bartolom Murillo

Bartolom Esteban Murillo was one of the most famousBaroqueSpanish painters, alongside Velzquez and Zurbarn. Murillo is most famous for his religious paintings, however, he also painted many scenes involving women and children from his time.

Bartolom Esteban Murillo (1617-1682)

Bartolom Esteban Murillowas born in 1617 in Seville as the youngest of fourteen siblings. Tragically, by the age of ten, both of Murillos parents had died and so he went to live with one of his older siblings, Ana and her husband.

Murillo then went to study with Juan del Castillo, anotherSpanish painter, for five years, and soon became one of his best disciples. At the age of fourteen, Bartolom Esteban Murillo began painting and selling his works in order to bring some money home to support his family.

At the age of twenty-two,Bartolom Esteban Murillodecided to open a small workshop that specialised in cheap paintings which he would sell during the many public holidays. However, Murillo continued to study other artwork, particularly Flemish art, in order to improve his own style. Although it is not known whether he travelled abroad, he may have discovered and studied Flemish artwork in Seville, which at the time was a centre for trading art from all over Europe.

In 1642, Bartolom Esteban Murillo travelled to Madrid which is where he most likely encountered the works of Zurbarn and Velzquez, whose influences, particularly the earlyRealist style, can be seen in some of Murillos early works.

Murilloreturned to Seville in 1645 where he painted thirteen paintings for the claustro de San Francisco el Grande de Sevilla (Monastery of San Francisco the Great of Seville) which helped to increase Murillos fame. Following this, Bartolom Esteban Murillo began to specialise in painting the subjects of the Virgin and child and the Immaculate Conception. During this time, Bartolom Esteban Murillo married his wife Beatriz Cabrera, with whom he had nine children. Unfortunately, four of these children died during the plague in Seville in 1649.

From 1658 to 1660, Bartolom Esteban Murillo stayed in Madrid, where he helped found the Academia de Pintura (Academy of Painting). He also helped direct the Academy with theSpanish painter, Hererra el Mozo. This period was also one of Murillos busiest periods as he received many commissions including the altarpiece for the Monastery of Saint Augustine, and the paintings for the main altarpiece of the Iglesia del Convento de Capuchinos (Church of the Convent of the Capuchins) in Seville.

Apart from his many religious paintings,Bartolom Esteban Murilloalso painted several pieces depicting women and children. For example, his painting La muchacha con flores (The girl with flowers) was a fantastically realistic painting whose subject was taken from the girls Murillo often saw playing in the street. He also painted 'El joven mendigo' (The Young Beggar) in a similar style.

Murillo died in 1682 inCdizand was buried, according to the wishes of Murillo himself, in the Church of Santa Cruz. However, this church disappeared during the following French invasion of Spain. Fortunately, the church was rebuilt many years later over the top of the old site and so Murillos remains still lie there.

Even after his death, Bartolom Esteban Murillos works continued to be famous throughout Spain and Europe thanks to his many disciples and followers. The numerous copies and recreations of his works meant that his style and influence lasted long after his death.

Today, Murillos works are on display all over Spain as well as the world. His works can be found in his hometown of Seville in theMuseum of Fine Artsas well as in the Murillo room in theMuseum of Cdiz. The Prado Museum in Madrid has a collection of over forty of Murillos works.

Furthermore, there have been many places in Spain named afterMurilloin his honour. The Plaza de Murillo (Murillo Square) which you can find between thePrado Museumand the Botanical Gardens in Madrid. There is even a sculpture ofMurilloat the San Telmo Palace in Seville, which is part of the Illustrious Sevillans series, sculpted by Antonio Susillo.

Spanish Narrative of the Baroque

If it is true, as some critics have proposed, that the history of Western art can be traced back to the tension between the more restrained, balanced characteristics of a given period, contrasted to the effusive expression of its contrary, then it could easily be argued that the temperament of Spanish artists has usually flourished during the latter epochs.

For no comprehensive artistic movement is less restrained in emotional expression, and no other period of time would be more fruitful in the history of Spanish art -literature included- than theBaroque. A time of crisis throughout Europe, largely sparked by the religious stir that resulted from the Protestant Reformations and the subsequent Catholic Counter-Reform, the Baroque aesthetic was particularly well received across Spain, where religion, and soon enough crisis, too, were deeply rooted.

Mysticism

In literary terms, the emergence of an ascetic vein among religious orders, extensively developed in the writings of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Saint John of the Cross and Fray Luis de Len, comes as a consequence, no doubt, of the questioning that came from the debate sparked byLuther's Ninety-Five Theses.

But parallel to the mystical tendency prevalent in the monastic life in the peninsula, a different phenomenon was on the rise. This corresponds to the emergence of the novel as the favoured narrative form of the time. In this aspect,Miguel de Cervanteswas neither an inventor nor a particularly experimental author, but he would become the most remarkable one.

Pastoral Novel

As a matter of fact, the pastoral novel made its first appearance in the literary map towards the beginning of the XVI century, when Italian writers practically hijacked the theme of traditional poetry and developed the pastoral romance or novel.La Galatea,Miguel de Cervantes' first novel, dated as early as 1585, falls squarely on this genre.

While todayLa Galateais interesting primarily as a device to study the early style of possibly the most accomplished writer in Spanish language, other incursions byMiguel de Cervantesinto the novelistic style are well worth a read. Among them stand outThe Works of Persiles and Segismunda, a Byzantine, or adventure, novel, andThe Exemplary Novels, which are shorter tales with a moralistic tone.

Landmarks

Needless to say, the crowning achievement of Miguel de Cervantes was hisDon Quixote, published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, respectively. Also an adventure novel,Don Quixotesets out to parody the style of the chivalric novel, but in the process the author successfully manages to adopt the most diverse of voices, ranging from the pastoral to the picaresque, in a comprehensive critique that encompasses both the literary establishment and society at large.

However, whileDon Quixoteis the most important exponent of Spanish narrative of the XVII century, other important writers emerged at the same time and left their mark in the literary landscape of the time. One of them wasFrancisco de Quevedo. Although primarily a poet, Francisco de Quevedo is most known today for the one novel he wrote,The Swindler, a picaresque tale with a satirical tone published in Saragossa in 1626 and narrated in the first person.

The other outstanding prose narrator among literary figures in Spain at the time was Baltasar Gracin, a Jesuit priest whoseEl Criticnwas highly regarded as an incisive social critique cloaked in the structure of a Byzantine story told by a cynical and misanthropic narrator. Together withFrancisco de Quevedo, Gracin developed a clear and direct narrative style that came to be known asculteranismo.

Within roughly fifty years, the progression of Spanish narrative fromMiguel de Cervantes'Don Quixote, toFrancisco de Quevedo'sThe Swindler, to Baltasar Gracin'sEl Criticnwas remarkable, producing world classics that to this day are taught in Spanish courses.

Spanish Verse of the Baroque

From the unmistakable language developed in his poetry byLuis de Gngora, to the meditative masterpiece that is Caldern de la Barca'sLife Is a Dream, the development of Spanish verse during the XVII century competes with the most accomplished output in any language at any time. Proof of this remarkable feat is that most people interested in Spanish language schools are still attracted to works written some 400 years ago.

Luis de Gngora and Francisco de Quevedo

The Baroque poet par excellence,Luis de Gngorawas born in Cordoba in 1561. Formally educated at the University of Salamanca, he entered the clergy as a young man, developing simultaneously a passion for poetry and an addiction to card games. His purposely complicated style sought to carve beauty out of words, regardless of the theme or the subject.

His most ambitious project, in this sense, might have been theSoledades, an unfinished collection of lyrical compositions that revolve around the pangs of solitude in different circumstances without ever embarking on any narrative exercise. As a matter of fact,Luis de Gngora's style was so distinctive and caused such controversy that, despite the fact that it was common at the time, its name changed fromculteranismotogongorismo.

Gngora'sculteranismocorresponds to theeuphemismdeveloped in Elizabethan times by contemporary playwrights, such asJohn Lyly. Within the intellectual establishment of Spain at the time, this style found a number of backers and a substantial amount of detractors.

Be that as it may,Luis de Gngora's most accomplished work,The Fable of Polyphemus and Galateahas passed down the generations as one of the great masterpieces of Baroque literature. The theme of the cyclops' unrequited love for Galatea serves as background for the poet to develop a detailed and thoughtful treatise dealing with the jealousy, the flattery and the general condition of courtly life in the XVII century.

It was precisely this fiercely competitive environment, added to the antagonism caused byLuis de Gngora's refined, if somewhat pompous, style which lead to the bitter feud he held with his near contemporary,Francisco de Quevedo. While Quevedo was best known as a poet at the time, it is his picaresque novel,The Swindler, which has passed down the ages as his most accomplished work.

Be it in his prose or his verse, however, Quevedo's style, known asconceptismo, contrasted sharply withLuis de Gngora'sculteranismoand established itself as the opposite pole, the alternative, as it were, in the dichotomy that would dominate the intellectual argument of the time.

Dramatic Verse

Parallel to the development of mature and highly specific poetic styles, the favoured form of expression in theatre was also verse. And Spanish Baroque drama, from Lope de Vega toCaldern de la Barca, is as good as it gets: starting with the redefined canon of the 'new comedy', Spanish Baroque drama would lose any semblance of unity of style, blending a great number of structures in the creation of a complex and entertaining world.

If anything, Lope de Vega's preferred style corresponded toconceptismo, even though he would use different tones to represent different characters. As, too, would do another remarkable playwright of the time, Guilln de Castro, perhaps the most accomplished writer from the school of Valencia, whoseLas mocedades del Cidwas widely acclaimed both home and abroad, to the point where it served as inspiration to Corneilles'sLe Cid.

And yet, the style of Spanish Baroque drama is anything but uniform. While Lope de Vega made explicit the rules that would govern Spanish theatre for the following generation, there is a palpable difference between his work and Tirso de Molina's, or, even more evidently,Caldern de la Barca's. Indeed, it would be the latter who would continue the development of drama in Spain after the death of Lope de Vega, the great master, in 1635.

Which is precisely the year whenCaldern de la Barca's most famous play,Life Is a Dreamwas premiered in Madrid. The writer's progression from Lope de Vega's 'new comedy' to his own philosophical drama reaches its climax withLife Is a Dream. Meditative in its tone and highly concerned with lofty concepts, the play advances at the slow pace of the language it uses - a compromise, perhaps, betweenculteranismoandconceptismo.

Spanish Drama of the Baroque

If you happen to spend some time in Madrid, on holidays, at work, or perhaps attending one of the Spanish language schools in the city, you will walk the very streets and lanes that gave rise to theSpanish Golden Age. It is difficult to set a definite starting date to this period. Nevertheless, in terms of theSpanish theatrethere is little doubt that the most significant development of the time came withLope de Vega's invention of thenueva comedia.

Consciously and intrepidly going against the Aristotelian precepts of classical drama,Lope de Vegaadapted his productions to the tastes of his time and the specific needs of his audience, incorporating much action into his plots and a wide use of technological resources in his structures to allow for plenty of special effects on the stage.

Unlike the unitary structure of the ancient Greek tradition,Lope de Vegaadvocated for a dramatic period that spanned up to three days and that continuously wove comic and tragic elements into the scenes. As a matter of fact,Lope de Vega's comedies provide a perfect illustration of the realities of theSpanish Golden Age, in that they offer an emotional roller coaster filled with the twists and turns, both metaphorical and literal, to which his audience could most comfortably relate.

Golden Age

Known in Spain as thesiglo de oro, the Golden Century orSpanish Golden Ageactually lasted quite a lot longer that one hundred years. Just how much longer is up to debate, but it was certainly long enough to span the work ofTirso de Molina, the pseudonym under which Fray Guillermo Tllez wrote, becoming one of the most prolific, respected and successful playwrights of his time.

Half a generation younger thanLope de Vega, the lessons of his mentor's art were well digested by the timeTirso de Molinabroke into the scene. But his was not merely an imitative craft. On the contrary, while his most recognised creations are, in fact, comedies, he is attributed with developing a number of traits that set him apart fromLope de Vegaand that tookSpanish theatreto the next stage.

One such trait is the intricacy of his comic plots, where increasingly confusing circumstances combine to create unlikely situations that tend to fall on the hilarious side of plausibility. Indeed, in a good number of his playsTirso de Molinaunwinds extravagant plot which are often hard to follow. Because, if Lope de Vega appealed to action and technology, Tirso de Molina is more interested in doubling up, in the art of deception, in transgender interactions and queer solutions, often set in his hometown, Madrid.

Tirso de Molinais famous for the strength and craftiness of his female characters, as well as for his irresistible humour. He is credited with popularising the resource of cross-dressing as a means of feminine disguise inSpanish theatre, an effect often exploited by Shakespeare in England. But most of all, Tirso de Molina will always be remembered for fashioning the Spanish characterpar excellence: Don Juan.

Ironically, after the emergence of the third great writer of theSpanish Golden Age,Caldern de la Barca,Tirso de Molinawas almost forgotten by the literary establishment. It would not be until the middle of the XIX century that he would re-claim his place among the greatest playwrights in Spanish theatre, and indeed, in western theatre at large.

Which takes us to the final representative of theSpanish Golden Age:Calderon de la Barca. Now, if it is true that thesiglo de orois long enough to embraceLope de VegaandTirso de Molina, it is also true that by the time ofCalderon de la Barca's death, in 1681, the apogee of the Spanish Empire and its dominance over world affairs was well gone.

It is only bearing this in mind that we can fully understand the dramatic shift in tone and even on the thematic approach thatCalderon de la Barcagives to his oeuvre, in comparison toLope de Vega's orTirso de Molina's. Pensive, meditative and often lugubrious, there is a sense of fatality inCalderon de la Barcathat cannot be detected in the other two. A sense that makes him turn away from the banality of simple humour (Tirso de Molina) or even more refined wit (Lope de Vega) to favour philosophical meditation instead.

And yet,Calderon de la Barca's theatre can only belong to his time. It is clearly representative of his society, a society that is more aware of the fragility of its position but that remains obsessed with the nature of power, with the limitations of mankind and deeply pious in its forms - a society, after all, that has lost its taste for the trivial but that remains embedded in the aesthetic, the sensibility, of the Baroque: theSpanish Golden Age.

Spanish Music of the Baroque

Most schools will tell you that the remarkable development of Renaissance music in Spain from the end of the XV and through the XVI centuries was such that, while the Baroque aesthetic gained primacy over the rest of the artistic tendencies, Spanish Baroque music never reached the heights of the generation that preceded it.

Among the composers that contributed to the transition from the classical influences of theFranco-Flemish schoolto the more autochthonous ornamentation found in SpanishBaroque musiccan be found Alonso Mudarra and Vicente Espinel. The former wrote an important treatise on the art of thevihuela,Tres libros de msica en cifra para vihuela, which contributed to the notation and structure of musical pieces.

Vicente Espinel, on the other hand, is credited with the development of the four-course guitar into a five-string instrument. While Espinal was an accomplished musician and a journeyman professor, it was in poetry that he fancied himself as an expert, inventing thedecima, a previously unused verse in Spanish. Indeed, he seems to have taughtLope de Vega, to have known Luis de Gngora personally and to have been highly regarded by Cervantes.

However, the first composer of the time to move decidedly away from the received tradition of the Renaissance and in the direction of Baroque music was probably Francisco Correa de Arauxo. Born in Seville in 1584, hisLibro de tientosremains one of the most singular treatises on the practice of music of the XVII century, particularly in relation to the temperament of the Spanish organ, which featured unique characteristics.

Spanish Guitar

Meanwhile, the evolution of the guitar continued and towards the beginning of the XVII century it had established itself as the Spanish instrument par excellence. Thus, while a great number of musicians at the time mastered everything from the clavichord to the organ, it was string instruments (thevihuela, above all) that made the greatest impact in the music scene. In this respect, perhaps the first theorist to write about the artistry of the guitar and the technique to best perform at it was Gaspar Sanz.

Educated at the University of Salamanca, Sanz travelled extensively in the kingdom of Naples, at the time in Aragonese hands, before returning to his homeland of Saragossa, where he would publish hisInstruccin de msica sobre la guitarra espaola(Musical Instruction Regarding the Spanish Guitar, which would craftily combine lessons learned in Italian lands with tendencies brewed in the Spanish tradition.

Additionally, the XVII and XVIII century saw a surge in the interest on theoretical postulates onBaroque music. An important contributor in this respect is Pablo Nassarre (1650-1730). Blind from his birth, Nassarre established a renowned music school and became one of the most important musical theorists with the publication of hisEscuela msica segn la prctica moderna(Music School of Modern Style, which compiled the received knowledge of the time, going all the way back to Boethius.

Nassarre himself instructed another of the important performers of the time,Jos de Torres, whose Italian influence would lead to changes in the general characteristics of SpanishBaroque musictowards the beginning of the XVIII century. Jos de Torres also established an specialised publishing house, which focused solely on music sheets and theory.

The path was laid for Spanish music to undergo important changes in its style, as the Italian influence carved its way into the established tradition. The following century would see the emergence of the seguidilla and the domination of aClassicismof sorts that would also permeate the canon of the guitar. But this would all be temporary, because common folklore would be the main criterion to rule the art of the guitar in the future.