Classical Principle Weekly
November 14, 2022
Classical and Folk Music in Ibero-America
Part 1: The 16th-17th centuries
Ibero-America (countries or territories in the Americas where Spanish or Portuguese are predominant languages) has an astounding repertoire of classical music, much of which derives partly from its beautiful folk music. We have covered some of this in the case of Brazil, and the amazing Jose Mauricio Nunes Garcia, in the August 9th posting. We recommend combining that article with this 4-part series for a fuller picture of this rich history of the region and its great music.
The best known music from south of the Rio Grande comes from the twentieth century, and we find a very important role there for the guitar, as well as a love of Bach, which tells us that both the music and the guitar were there from the beginning. Before addressing what came before though, a few words are necessary.
Only a few decades ago, Columbus' mission to found a New World was accepted as one of the greatest advances in history. Now, a cynical cancel-culture tells us that it should never have happened. Though our purpose here, is not to take sides, but to identify the role of the establishment of great music in the New World; the truth, however, is that it was a battleground, and a few things have to be understood, in order to understand the role of this music.
THE NEW WORLD: SLAVERY OR EVANGELIZATION?
Great minds like Nicholas of Cusa, Erasmus, Rabelais, Thomas More, Shakespeare, and Cervantes—all saw the New World as a way to outflank the entrenched European oligarchy, and finally establish a society where all mankind could become as brothers. That oligarchy saw the spread of mass slavery as their best shot to subvert this brotherhood.
From 1501-1518, a raging battle took place over the mass shipment of black African slaves to the New World. The great artist, Albrecht Durer drew these heads of an African Man and Woman in 1508 (see picture 1). Unlike the caricatures of Africans at the time, which were meant to desensitize people to slavery, Durer's works show the inner beauty of their souls. He depicts them as loving and fully human. Durer should be regarded as part of the Christian opposition to slavery. The same goes for Sir Thomas Moore. In his 1516 book, “Utopia”, Moore could not oppose slavery outright, but insisted that it should not be hereditary, or racial, and that the only people who should be slaves should be criminals, who had been sentenced to death, and thus find a reprieve in enslavement.
Previously all "races" had been subject to slavery if they were conquered in war. The identification of skin color as grounds to enslave an entire people was new and barbaric, and meant to undermine the New World, which still had very few slaves at that early point. From 1501-1518, black African slaves could not be sent directly to the New World. They had to pass through Madrid or Lisbon first, and did so only in small numbers. But in 1518, Emperor Charles V granted a charter allowing the direct shipment of 4,000 slaves from Africa to the colonies. That was a severe blow against the New World idea.
Many of the Conquistadors and planters were desperate to enslave the native population, but were hampered by the fact that Queen Isabella had forbidden it. So had the Pope, saying that they should be converted to Christianity, and not enslaved, although he left a loophole by saying that they could be enslaved if they rejected Christianity. The Conquistadors and theirs contemporaries then made their attempt at converting the "natives" as perfunctory as they could, merely going through the motions. Because they did not want Christians! They wanted the natives as slaves!
Sometime in the 1520's, those who were dedicated to the New World idea got serious about evangelization. For them, "Christianizing the natives" was not just a matter of the religion they so fervently believed in, but integrating them into an advanced civilization, and thus rescuing them from slavery. This required all the beauty that this advanced civilization had created, and music was a key part of it. The wealth of composers and great music in Ibero-America over the next three centuries is astounding. Some of the best composers from Spain, Portugal, and Italy came over.
There is room for argument that the reason for this was also control. The French Empire had a policy of: "instruire les masses et désengager les élites" (Educate the masses and disengage the elites), meaning "educate them all, find the smart ones, and recruit them as colonial administrators."
Even if the motivation was mixed, you cannot judge the situation by the events of the time. Wait until you get to part 3, the revolutions against colonial rule, and assess then, what role classical education, especially in music, played. It may not have been what the colonial powers intended.
MEXICO
One of the early centers was Puebla Mexico. Juan Guttierez Padilla (1595- 1664) from Malaga Spain, moved to Puebla in 1620, and was appointed maestro de capilla (chapel master) in 1628, succeeding Gaspar Fernandes.
1. Here is his “Stabat Mater”, which depicts Mary standing over the corpse of her son, Jesus. It is very beautiful for the time.
The "Indians" in the area had some of the richest folk music, and the composers were quick to integrate it with their own polyphonic style. Imagine yourself a composer, and find the potential in it.
2. Zuni Sunrise
Before Padilla, Gaspar Fernandes (1566-1629) was a Portuguese composer who moved first to Guatemala, then to Puebla, and became chapel master in 1606. His XICOCHI CONENTZINTLE adapts "Indian" metrical traditions, and is in the Nahuatl language.
The words are:
Xicochi, xicochi, Sleep, sleep
Xicochi, xicochi sleep sleep
Xicochi conetzintle sleep my child
Xicochi conetzintle sleep my child
Caomiz hui hui xoco in angelos me While the angels sing with you.
Caomiz hui hui xoco in angelos me While the angels sing with you.
Caomiz hui hui xoco in angelos me While the angels sing with you.
Allelujah allelujah. Allelujah, allelujah.
3. Xicochi Conetzintle
Some of the opponents of Indian slavery also thought that if blacks came from Africa, they should be "free labor", not slaves. A type of song developed called the “Guineo”, or “Negrilla”. They were humorous, playful accounts of African "immigrants" that mimicked African dances, song, and language. The same Fernando Fernandes wrote "Eso rigor e repente" for 5 voices. It's a mixture of Spanish and pseudo-African patois, about Africans (The Magi?) visiting baby Jesus at the manger, and sometimes interpreted as "We don't need to worry that Jesus was white." Here is an attempt at a hopefully more subtle translation of this very funny piece (Who did he sing this with)?
Then I said, suddenly:
"I swear that little boy,
although he is born a bit white,
is our brother."
We are not afraid of the great white one.
-Come on cousin, let's dance.
Husié, husiá, paracia.
Negrito plays the little drum.
Sing, brother:
"Zarabanda, the dance that dances,
Zumba casú cucumbé."
Tonight we will be white,
Oh, Jesus, what a laugh we have.
Oh, what a laugh St. Thomas.
Let's go blacks from Guinea
to the manger alone;
don't go blacks from Angola,
who are all ugly blacks.
We want the child to see
polished and beautiful blacks;
that he is our brother,
we have a great desire.
Touch the vihuela, and
We will dance with joy.
A choker made of Garnets,
(the gifts of the Magi?)
we bring the little boy,
mantilla and rebocillo,
and curuba candies.
And a girdle we bring him,
an elegant shirt,
A Capita of Frisa
and a tobacco pipe.
Play fast, but skillfully
the guitars, happily.
Sing, brother:
"Zarabanda, the dance that dances.
Zumba casú cucumbé."
Tonight we will be white.
Oh, Jesus, what a laugh we have.
Oh, what a laugh St. Thomas.
4. Eso rigor e repente
Before Gaspar Fernandes came Pedro Bermudez from Granada Spain (1558-1605.) Bermudez spent a while in Peru, then Guatemala, after which he moved to Puebla, and became maestro de capilla in 1603.
5. This is his Deus Adjuvadium:
Therefore, at the Cathedral in Puebla, there were Pedro Bermudez (1603-1606). Gaspar Fernandes (1606-1627). Juan Padilla (1628- ). Even earlier, we have Hernando Franco (1532-1585.) He became maestro de capilla at the Cathedral of Santiago in Guatemala by no later than 1571, and later, he served in Mexico City.
6. Here is Hernando Franco’s “Sancta Maria”:
These men had composition students as well as choristers. Here is a beautiful Hymn to the Virgin of Guadeloupe, or "Dios Itlazohnantziné", sung in Ilhuicac (classic Nahuatl, meaning sky or heaven), from about 1599, by "Don" Hernando Francisco. Some scholars believe that it is actually by one of Franco's "Indian" students, using his teacher's name, only making it Francisco, instead of Franco. If so, it may be the first piece of classical music composed by a native person.
7. Dios Itlazohnantziné
PERU
At approximately the same period in history, the Viceroyalty in Peru organized the former Inca Empire. Here is “Hanacpachap cussicuinin”, in the Quechua language, from 1631 attributed to Juan Pérez de Bocanegra, a Catholic priest and member of the Third Order of St. Francis, who was a musician, and specialist in the indigenous languages of colonial Peru (1598–1645).
8. Hanacpachap cussicuinin
https://youtu.be/WGNCCSJBPIY?list=TLPQMTUxMTIwMjL7EhUar2CyfQ
9. Ay Andar by Juan de Araujo (1648-1712) : Come walk, touch and dance.
https://youtu.be/Mc59nmAxFr8?list=RDEM5Tip4zBAwSnYPFwmFKkOLg
Juan de Fuentes composed a piece combining an Incan hymn with European strains.
In part 2 we will explore the 18th and 19th centuries. We will leave you with a taste—a gorgeous work from an Italian contemporary of Bach, Domenico Zipoli, which was probably composed in Paraguay.
10. Air Domenico Zipoli