Spanish or Latin American music for 2 melodic instruments/voices and continuo

[annemiek postma]

I am looking for Spanish or Latin American music for 2 melodic instruments/voices and continuo. Any suggestions, I'd be really greatful! Annemiek Postma

[Jelma van Amersfoort]

Hi Annemiek

Please have a look at Saul Groen's website (here), then 'vocal music', then 'Two voices with(out) bc'. I find for instance: "Canciones a solo y duos del siglo XVII" from Musica Barocca Espanola. Now that I think of it, I'm quite interested in this book myself :-D

Best wishes, Jelma

[annemiek postma]

Hi Jelma,

Dank voor je antwoord, tot ziens Annemiek

[Rocky Mjos]

You might find something of interest in the Trujillo del Perú manuscript:
http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/FichaObra.html?Ref=300005

Also see Juan Pira's page for an edition of Clarines suaves:
http://earlyguitar.ning.com/profile/JuanPabloPira

-- R

[Juan Pablo Pira]

Thank you for the link to the Trujillo del Perú Manuscript. The writing looks fairly modern (late 18th century?) and can be read directly.

Regarding Clarines and similar music. Let me check if I have some more pieces to add to this site.

By the way, there is a lot of music of this kind waiting to be re-discovered. While it is baroque music, with continuo and everything you are used to, one should not expect Latin American baroque to be similar to German, Italian or French baroque. So far, there are very few instrumental works and almost none of the usual Alemandes, Courantes, Sarabandes, Minuets and so on. Continuo lines lend themselves to a very relaxed and easy chords-only realization. However, don't get me wrong... this is not second-rate music. There are excellent works.

There is an excellent site devoted the music I believe you have in mind. There are solos, duos, instrumental works, etc.

http://www.arshispana.com/

[Juan Pablo Pira]

By the way... if you like your food a bit rare, this site has scans of over 10,000 pages of musical manuscripts from the Guatemala Cathedral. About 30% of these works are more or less what you are looking for. You need to transcribe, though.

Colonial Music from Guatemala

WARNING: Iberian baroque notation is a bit confusing at first. If you know white mensural notation, the rules for tempus perfectum prolatio minor are useful here. Be careful... coloration has a very different meaning.

[Gabriel Schebor]

Dear Annemiek, there are lots of sopran duets with thorough bass in Latin America, specially on Andean archives (Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador). And there are lots of sonatas a 3 (late italian baroque style) in Bolivia (Archivo de Chiquitos). Take a look at www.amusindias.free.fr

[Juan Pablo Pira]

Gabriel,

Muy interesante el sitio. ¿El Archivo Musical de Indias tiene links al material original en los archivos andinos? Sería fascinante ver similitudes y diferencias con los archivos en Guatemala.