Francesco Esposito | Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas - Universidade Nova de Lisboa (original) (raw)
Uploads
Papers by Francesco Esposito
The article describes some of the peculiar features of Lisbon’s musical life from 1834 to 1853. I... more The article describes some of the peculiar features of Lisbon’s musical life from 1834 to 1853. Its special amateurish ‘hypertrophy’ and the extreme
corporativism of professional musicians, in the context of a complex coexistence of nationalist and xenophiles tendencies, are read in light of the changes resulting from the turbulent but definitive victory of liberalism and
considering, as well, the central role in Lisbon’s musical and theatrical activity
played by the greatest capitalist and patron of the arts in the 19th century, the
Count of Farrobo.
Keywords: Count of Farrobo, Liberalism, musical amateurish associations,
musical corporativism, national opera.
L'articolo descrive alcune delle caratteristiche peculiari della vita musicale
lisboeta dal 1834 al 1853. La sua speciale ipertrofia dilettantistica e l’estremo
corporativismo dei musicisti professionisti, nel contesto di una complessa
coesistenza di tendenze nazionaliste e xenofile, sono letti alla luce dei
cambiamenti derivanti dalla turbolenta ma definitiva vittoria del liberalismo e
considerando, inoltre, il ruolo centrale nelle attività musicali e teatrali di
Lisbona svolto dal più grande capitalista e mecenate nel XIX secolo, il conte di
Farrobo.
Parole Chiave: Conte di Farrobo, Liberalismo, associazioni musicali dilettantistiche, corporativismo musicale, opera nazionale.
"Liszt in reverse": the difficult relationship of mid-nineteenth century Portuguese pianism with ... more "Liszt in reverse": the difficult relationship of mid-nineteenth century Portuguese pianism with foreign models.
The study of the presence of foreign musicians in nineteenth century Lisbon can reveal new data on their activities as well as provide a vantage point for understanding the musical life of the Portuguese capital. Such is the case of the controversy generated by Liszt’s passage in Portugal, which throws into relief some peculiar aspects of the musical system in Lisbon – namely the huge role played by its amateurs and, above all, the radicalized corporatism of its professional musicians. The self-referential system set up by the class of local musicians sought to play down the value and erase the traces of Liszt's pianism, thereby preventing not only a comparison with the then-prevailing pianism of the city, but also an updating of the local pianistic school.
If elsewhere the presence of the Hungarian musician left behind ‘legions of pupils’ or at least pianists who were inspired by his model, none of this took place in Lisbon, where his sojourn in the city continued to be cited as a prestigious mundane event, but where, for many years, his pianism continued to be pratically ignored.
The attitude of insecurity shown by the prevailing pianism of the capital also seems to be the source of isolation of those few Portuguese musicians who possessed modern concert skills and a modern mentality. It may also explain the controversies that resulted when some of the other most reknowned pianists of Europe, both before and after Liszt’s visit, likewise spent time in Lisbon.
The article describes some of the peculiar features of Lisbon’s musical life from 1834 to 1853. I... more The article describes some of the peculiar features of Lisbon’s musical life from 1834 to 1853. Its special amateurish ‘hypertrophy’ and the extreme
corporativism of professional musicians, in the context of a complex coexistence of nationalist and xenophiles tendencies, are read in light of the changes resulting from the turbulent but definitive victory of liberalism and
considering, as well, the central role in Lisbon’s musical and theatrical activity
played by the greatest capitalist and patron of the arts in the 19th century, the
Count of Farrobo.
Keywords: Count of Farrobo, Liberalism, musical amateurish associations,
musical corporativism, national opera.
L'articolo descrive alcune delle caratteristiche peculiari della vita musicale
lisboeta dal 1834 al 1853. La sua speciale ipertrofia dilettantistica e l’estremo
corporativismo dei musicisti professionisti, nel contesto di una complessa
coesistenza di tendenze nazionaliste e xenofile, sono letti alla luce dei
cambiamenti derivanti dalla turbolenta ma definitiva vittoria del liberalismo e
considerando, inoltre, il ruolo centrale nelle attività musicali e teatrali di
Lisbona svolto dal più grande capitalista e mecenate nel XIX secolo, il conte di
Farrobo.
Parole Chiave: Conte di Farrobo, Liberalismo, associazioni musicali dilettantistiche, corporativismo musicale, opera nazionale.
"Liszt in reverse": the difficult relationship of mid-nineteenth century Portuguese pianism with ... more "Liszt in reverse": the difficult relationship of mid-nineteenth century Portuguese pianism with foreign models.
The study of the presence of foreign musicians in nineteenth century Lisbon can reveal new data on their activities as well as provide a vantage point for understanding the musical life of the Portuguese capital. Such is the case of the controversy generated by Liszt’s passage in Portugal, which throws into relief some peculiar aspects of the musical system in Lisbon – namely the huge role played by its amateurs and, above all, the radicalized corporatism of its professional musicians. The self-referential system set up by the class of local musicians sought to play down the value and erase the traces of Liszt's pianism, thereby preventing not only a comparison with the then-prevailing pianism of the city, but also an updating of the local pianistic school.
If elsewhere the presence of the Hungarian musician left behind ‘legions of pupils’ or at least pianists who were inspired by his model, none of this took place in Lisbon, where his sojourn in the city continued to be cited as a prestigious mundane event, but where, for many years, his pianism continued to be pratically ignored.
The attitude of insecurity shown by the prevailing pianism of the capital also seems to be the source of isolation of those few Portuguese musicians who possessed modern concert skills and a modern mentality. It may also explain the controversies that resulted when some of the other most reknowned pianists of Europe, both before and after Liszt’s visit, likewise spent time in Lisbon.