A Brief History Of Spanish Music
In the first centuries of the Christian era, the music of ancient Greece came to Spain. The Visigoths, the Jews and the Moors contributed to this blend. In the sixth century, Isidore of Seville declared that it was impossible to notate music. He was proved wrong when it was used in the eighth century to notate Christian music and chant. This music is known as Mozarabic Chant and developed apart from the Gregorian chant of Rome. When Rome established control of the Iberian peninsula, the locally developed music was banned. Thus, popular Spanish music at that time was related to the Moorish style of music.
During the early part of the Renaissance, Arabic music was still very much of an influence. The polyphonic vocal style developed during the 16th century, was closely related to the style of Franco-Flemish composers. In the time of the Holy Roman Empire, all these styles began to meld together. Vihuela music came into vogue during this era. Gaspar Sanz authored the first learning method for guitar. Other famous Spanish composers during this time include Francisco Guerrero and Cristobal de Morales.
In the 19th century, Italian composers were appointed to the royal court in Madrid. Composers for guitar and fine violin music also gained a lot of popularity. Zarzuela, a form of opera, was further refined during this period. Musical creativity was mainly focused on folk and popular music. This continued into the present day and the result is a rich and varied musical tradition for Spain.
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