Book Review: La música en las catedrales españoles

• Published in: Plainsong & Medieval Music Vol. 24; no. 1; p. 109
• Main Author: LA SPINA, RICCARDO
• Format: Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Cambridge University Press 01.04.2015
• Subjects: Archives & records; Composers; Instrumental music; Middle Ages; Religion; Religious music; Europe; Spain
• DOI: 10.1017/S096113711500008X
• ISSN: 0961-1371

[...]while there has been an increase in work focused on the musical life of specific cathedrals, these are often limited to specific periods, or take the form of catalogues of archives which have generally been neglected by scholarship. 1The most prolific, dedicated and consistent contributor to this field is José López-Calo, whose extensive publications include catalogues and studies of the cathedral archives of Granada (1963, 1991-2), Santiago de Compostela (1972, 1992), Avila (1978), Palencia (1980), Zamora (1985), Santo Domingo de la Calzada (1988), Segovia (1988-9, 1990) and Burgos (1995). The only obstruction to the reader's ability to till this fertile field is the lack of an index, still an unfortunate practice in many Spanish scholarly publications. Because a book dealing with such a broad subject may serve a variety of interests, an overview of each of its five chronologically divided parts follows. López-Calo asserts the raison d'être of his study as being 'outlined in the three basic principles guiding the authorities of our cathedrals in creating the music they created: above all, the essential aim being the solemn worship of God; alongside that, and as a second object, the spiritual welfare of souls; and finally, the indispensable means of achieving these ends, the formation of artists of sound and adequate interpreters that make reality of these sublime goals of sacred music'. [...]great is this change, López-Calo tells us, that he confirms that the concept of a new musical style can be more appropriately called a language, and delves into its ensuing study with crisply organised comparative analysis, showing the musical differences between the composers at various cathedrals (Buono Chiodi at Santiago and Melchor López at Albarracín). [...]a chapter situating the nineteenth century in its historical context is followed by one each on vocal and instrumental music of this period.