Spain’s location caused it to come under a number of influences. It was Christianized in the early Middle Ages, but came under Muslim influence not long after. It also had a large Jewish population. Adding to these cultures, the Gypsies migrated into Spain during the fifteenth century.
Today, Spain has a flamenco tradition that extends back to Andalusian cante jondo (deep song). This tradition shows strong Muslim and Gypsy influences. Flamenco is characterized by singing and dancing to an aggressive, percussive guitar style. Melodies are based on a limited scale range, and are highly ornamented. Hand claps, castanets, and foot stomps provide percussion.
In spite of the heavy Muslim and Gypsy influence, most people living in Andalusia are Roman Catholic. The beliefs and traditions of this religious faith also permeate flamenco music. The passionate flamenco singing style lends itself to singing religiously inspired songs. The rhythmic qualities of flamenco also lend themselves to processional music for religious festivals.
The American composer George Crumb, who has studied the music of several world cultures, developed a particular interest in Spain and its music and literature. He has composed several pieces using texts by Federico García Lorca, the Spanish poet and playwright who was killed by fascists during the Spanish Civil War.
Like most of his contemporaries, Crumb hasn’t absorbed only one cultural influence. Elements of numerous cultures are present in all of his works. One of Crumb’s best-known works, Ancient Voices of Children, also uses texts by García Lorca, but includes Tibetan prayer stones hit together, a harp with paper threaded between the strings (prepared harp), pitch bending by vocalists and instrumentalists, and popular instruments such as the mandolin and the electric piano.
QUESTIONS AND TOPICS
1. Just as in the United States, numerous influences affect popular music as well as classical music in other cultures. Flamenco traditions in Spain are being mixed with contemporary trends. Many young Spanish guitarists are combining elements of flamenco with jazz, blues, Latin dances, and other pop idioms.
2. Flamenco developed gradually. The earliest mention of it in literature dates to the late eighteenth century. This early style appears to have been a vocal style accompanied by the clapping of hands, toque de palmas. The dance and guitar styles evolved later. This music was cultivated in cafés in Seville, Cadíz and throughout the south of Spain.
3. Although Crumb has an association with Spain’s music, and although he has taken definite cultural elements from numerous sources, he remains a very individualistic and independent composer. One approach he takes is to create a sense of the suspension of passing time. Listeners can sense a focus on eternal things in Ancient Voices of Children and many of his other works.
4. As has been mentioned previously, Crumb, like his contemporaries, works in a variety of media. He has produced works for theater and for chamber groups, uses electronic and electronically amplified sounds, and so on.
FURTHER TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Is Crumb’s music entertainment? Can the listener understand music’s purpose as other than entertainment?
2. Crumb and other contemporary composers have broadened the definition of music. How does the listener deal with concepts of value--identifying good music vs. bad music--when so much of this music stretches the listener’s concept of music?