Divergence and convergence in Spanish classical and flamenco guitar traditions (1850-2016): a dissertation comprising 2 cd recital recordings and exegesis

Abstract

This performance-based project explores the emergence of what we now call classical and flamenco guitar traditions out of a complex matrix of guitar styles in nineteenth-century Spain, and their convergence into a body of works that fall under the rubric of the Spanish guitar repertoire. The recital performances are informed by a combination of historical, text-based research, score analyses, and the critical evaluation and transcription of aural resources. The recitals demonstrate, through a combination of relevant classical and flamenco repertoire, the extent to which each informs the other in an ongoing and evolving way. Taken as a whole the study redresses bifurcated and biased accounts of the history of the guitar in Spain that reflect and champion the personal agendas of historians.