Music Theater and Popular Nationalism in Spain, 1880-1930

Nonfiction, History, Western Europe, Spain & Portugal, Entertainment, Music
Cover of the book Music Theater and Popular Nationalism in Spain, 1880-1930 by Clinton D. Young, LSU Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Clinton D. Young ISBN: 9780807161050
Publisher: LSU Press Publication: January 11, 2016
Imprint: LSU Press Language: English
Author: Clinton D. Young
ISBN: 9780807161050
Publisher: LSU Press
Publication: January 11, 2016
Imprint: LSU Press
Language: English

From its earliest appearance in the mid-1600s, the lyric theater form of zarzuela captivated Spanish audiences with its witty writing and lively musical scores. Clinton D. Young’s Music Theater and Popular Nationalism in Spain, 1880–1930 persuasively links zarzuela’s celebration of Spanish history and culture to the development of concepts of nationalism and national identity at the dawn of the twentieth century.

As a weak Spanish government focused its energy on preventing a recurrence of mid-nineteenth-century political upheavals, the project of articulating a national identity occurred at the popular level, particularly in cultural venues such as the theater. Zarzuela suited this aim well, depicting the lives of everyday citizens amid the rapidly changing norms brought about by industrialization and urbanization. It also integrated regional differences into a unified vision of Spanish national identity: a zarzuela performance set in Madrid could incorporate forms of music and folk dancing native to areas of the country as far distant as Andalucía and Catalonia. A true “music of the people” (música popular), zarzuela offered its audiences an image of what a more modern Spain might look like.

Zarzuela alone could not create a unified concept of Spanish identity, particularly with competition from new forms of mass culture and the rise of the Primo de Rivera dictatorship in the 1920s. Yet, as this riveting study shows, it made an indelible contribution to popular culture and nationalism. Young’s history brings to life the stories, songs, and evolving contexts of a uniquely Spanish art form.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

From its earliest appearance in the mid-1600s, the lyric theater form of zarzuela captivated Spanish audiences with its witty writing and lively musical scores. Clinton D. Young’s Music Theater and Popular Nationalism in Spain, 1880–1930 persuasively links zarzuela’s celebration of Spanish history and culture to the development of concepts of nationalism and national identity at the dawn of the twentieth century.

As a weak Spanish government focused its energy on preventing a recurrence of mid-nineteenth-century political upheavals, the project of articulating a national identity occurred at the popular level, particularly in cultural venues such as the theater. Zarzuela suited this aim well, depicting the lives of everyday citizens amid the rapidly changing norms brought about by industrialization and urbanization. It also integrated regional differences into a unified vision of Spanish national identity: a zarzuela performance set in Madrid could incorporate forms of music and folk dancing native to areas of the country as far distant as Andalucía and Catalonia. A true “music of the people” (música popular), zarzuela offered its audiences an image of what a more modern Spain might look like.

Zarzuela alone could not create a unified concept of Spanish identity, particularly with competition from new forms of mass culture and the rise of the Primo de Rivera dictatorship in the 1920s. Yet, as this riveting study shows, it made an indelible contribution to popular culture and nationalism. Young’s history brings to life the stories, songs, and evolving contexts of a uniquely Spanish art form.

More books from LSU Press

Cover of the book Kate Chopin Reconsidered by Clinton D. Young
Cover of the book Black Rage in New Orleans by Clinton D. Young
Cover of the book The Great Big Doorstep by Clinton D. Young
Cover of the book New Approaches to Gone With the Wind by Clinton D. Young
Cover of the book The Caddos and Their Ancestors by Clinton D. Young
Cover of the book Walker Percy's The Moviegoer at Fifty by Clinton D. Young
Cover of the book The Ideology of Slavery by Clinton D. Young
Cover of the book The Allstons of Chicora Wood by Clinton D. Young
Cover of the book The Plague Files by Clinton D. Young
Cover of the book Ministers and Masters by Clinton D. Young
Cover of the book Rites of August First by Clinton D. Young
Cover of the book Blood Work by Clinton D. Young
Cover of the book Slave against Slave by Clinton D. Young
Cover of the book The Forgotten People by Clinton D. Young
Cover of the book Ed Kennedy's War by Clinton D. Young
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy