The Traditional Folk Music and Dances of Spain: A Bibliographical Guide to Research, Vol. 1 byIsrael J. KatzReview by: Jordi ReigFontes Artis Musicae, Vol. 58, No. 2 (April-June 2011), pp. 192-194Published by: International Association of Music Libraries, Archives, and Documentation Centres(IAML)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23512919 .

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192 FONTES ARTIS MUSICAE 58/2

Treitler's Adorno to Scott Burnham's analysis of Rosen's seminal 1971 title The classical style, all drawing on the honoree's writings for their foundations.

For those who may have missed it, Rosen's

own educational background includes early pi ano study and a Ph.D. in French literature (not music) from Princeton; thus his own contribu tion about Montaigne solidifies his qualifica tions as a latter-day Renaissance man.

It is perhaps churlish to expect the editors to have made connections between the various es

says when the authors themselves often cite

each others' work, but that would have unified

the title further, binding together the concepts addressed.

The bountiful musical examples, color fac

simile plates, copious bibliographical citations, and a list of recordings as well as print works by Rosen are invaluable. The index appears com

prehensive, highlighting music where it oc

curs, and even including names referenced in

the notes ending each essay.

Few errors could be detected and these

were rather minimal, e.g.: a misspelling of Vincenzo Righini as Vicenzo (p. 100) and an odd grammatical construction "even though it

he" (p. 292). The white paper contrasts nicely with the darkly-printed music and clear text

font and the binding is sturdy.

In summation, these essays show once

again the importance of Charles Rosen's contri

butions to music scholarship and are an excep

tionally apt "birthday present."

Barry J. Zaslow

Miami University Oxford, Ohio

The Traditional Folk Music and Dances of Spain: A Bibliographical Guide to Research, Vol. 1. By Israel J. Katz. New York: The Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies, 2009. [xliv, 337 p. ISBN 9781569541326. $45]

In this work, Katz presents an exhaustive list of

written publications that present a wide scope

of Spanish traditional and folkloric music from all possible points of view. In total, more than

7.000 references are included.

The author Israel J. Katz, a reputed

Hispanist with a thorough knowledge of tradi tional music and a regular visitor of the Iberian

Peninsula, is one of the world's major authori ties in Judeo-Spanish music. He has compiled this guide in over forty years spanning a long

and prolific professional career. Doctor Katz is also a key figure in the ethnomusicological world. Since 1961 he was member of the American Society for Ethnomusicology when it

adopted the term etnomusicologia (in 1957), definitely replacing the term of musicologia comparada.

This era coincided with the redefinition of the discipline's field of study and the adoption of new methodological proposals that, after the

Second World War, prompted a drastic change

in paradigms (documented by Rolf Bäcker in AEDOM's bulletin, year 10, 2003-2006, p. 23

24). This caused the polarization of two tenden cies or schools of thought, reflecting both an

anthropological and a musicological approach

that, to this day, dominate the 21st century eth

nomusicological discourse.

Israel Katz experienced this foundational catharsis first hand. The way in which he pre sents the materials in the Guide seems to indi cate that he followed the anthropological ap proach. This statement is valid as long as we

agree with the incisive aphorism of Steven

Feld: "if musicologists ignore people, anthro

pologists ignore sound".

Although, effectively, this is a work of biblio

graphic indexing, in my opinion, the unique objection that could be made to this magnifi cent work (thorough and broad ranging as it is) is the low number of references to recorded

collections within the section on phonotecs and

sound archives (6. Phonograph and Sound

Archives, p. 10). While Joaquin Diaz, in his ele

gant prologue, insists on the evolution of tech nical recording resources, he only includes

written publications on phonotecs and there are

no references from these sound resources

themselves.

Neither this detail, nor the transcription

mistakes he made when he transcribed texts

for the English edition, overshadow the magni tude of this not only rigorous but also exuber

ant work as far as the presentation of materials

and the large amount of references are con

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REVIEWS 193

cerned. Some books are no more than score The third section, regional and provincial

collections, others, simple abstracts; others are studies on folkloric music, is the largest of the

frivolous ethnomusicological studies (they ig- guide. Publications are grouped by au nore the change of paradigms or the paradigms tonomous communities and studies from Al

preceding these); others have a wider scope. Andalus, Pirineos, and Cerdena are included.

Kate doesn't judge the publications he men- The next two sections are dedicated to

tions. This is not the Guide's objective. But he dance. The first of them, numbered fourth in does make an effort to include as many re- the general index, is entitled Regional and

sources as possible. And so many of them. provincial dances. This section includes studies

However, sometimes the amount of resources of a general nature treated from an historical

speaks by itself, allowing us to make qualitative point of view. The fifth section, Dances from judgements. For example, it is interesting to specific regions, includes publications that deal see that works on Basque zortziko (p. 211), with the topic with two perspectives: dances of

within the section of national and regional historical importance and various regional dances (V. Revered National and Regional dances. Dances), deal extensively with the rhythm with Organology occupies the sixth section. The which music needs to be measured and obviate author confesses that this is the most problem

questions such as the use, function, social rele- atic of all. For this reason, the material included

vance and role of the actors in the communica- in it needs be organised according to system

tive act of dancing. atic organologie international classification, In his introduction, Kate describes his initial by historic and literature resources, by au

attempts to study East Mediterranean music, tonomous communities and by the different

specially the Sephardic Romancero. He made instruments used (aerophones, cordophones,

field recordings in the Jerusalem area and also instruments of the lute's family, and percus

recorded, transcribed, and analysed material sion). The Spanish iconographie wealth, em in Morocco. He also talks about his experience bodied in archaeological objects, miniatures, in Spain and how he re-examined Kurt paintings and sculptures from all periods of his Schindler's musicological missions in the tory, makes the inclusion of section seven, ded

province of Soria. icated to iconography / iconology, essential.

His episode on the metric difficulties he en- Finally, section eight on traditional genres of countered when analysing sections of the song, presents a study about songs from the

Romancero is endearing. Second-hand books Iberian peninsula according to their popularity about flamenco and Spanish folkloric music and in relation to their use cycles in profane life

that he found in old libraries, together with his or on the religious calendar. This magnificent

bibliographic research at the Menendez Pidal compilation, the first volume of The Traditional Archive and the National Library, became the Folk Music and Dances of Spain: A Biblio foundations of this Guide. He completed it with graphical Guide to Research, concludes with an visits to other libraries and institutions from addendum containing conference proceedings,

Barcelona, Madrid, Renteria, San Sebastian, collective works, and two indexes arranged by

Sevilla, Urena, and Valencia, as well as with sev- author and subject respectively. This Guide is

eral subsequent stays in Madrid. an extremely useful tool for researchers, teach

The contents of the book are clearly and ac- ers, students, journalists, musicologists, ethno

curately presented, with plenty of cross refer- musicologists, teachers and technicians of mu

ences. The book is divided in nine sections. The sical education, archivists, and librarians first is a compendium of institutional resources, specialized in music.

bibliographic aids and reference materials. The second volume, which is announced This section contains two subsections: a) Re- in the first one only in passing and without a search institutions, and b) Research materials. definite release date, will cover topics as di The second section offers a wide catalogue of verse as the historical sources that have some

surveys, studies and song anthologies, and it is kind of relationship with traditional music, fes

organized in thirteen sections. tivals, flamenco, regionalism and nationalism,

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194 FONTES ARTIS MUSICAE 58/2

the work of Eximeno and Pedrell, the Civil War, the work of composers inspired by folk music or the stories of foreign travellers.

Jordi Reig Institut Valencià de la Müsica

Johannes Brahms und der Leipziger Musikverlag Breitkopf & Härtel. By Peter Schmitz. (Abhandlungen zur Musik

geschichte, Band 20.) Göttingen: V&R

unipress, 2009. [393 p. ill. ISBN 978-3-89971 728-0 61.90 €]

Biographies of Brahms describe two important moments in the young composer's career: the

first publication of his compositions and the in

tensely negative reception of his long-awaited

first major orchestral work, the Piano Concerto

No. 1, Op. 15. Both of these events involved the

publisher Breitkopf & Härtel. In his new book

(which is based on his dissertation), Peter Schmitz views these pivotal events in the con text of Brahms's life-long relationship with this venerable firm. He draws on a vast array of

sources, including the published correspon

dence of Brahms, his publishers, and his circle of friends and colleagues; secondary sources

spanning the entire twentieth century; and —

most significantly—unpublished letters, many of which are now housed in the Sächsisches

Staatsarchiv, Staatsarchiv Leipzig, Bestand

Breitkopf & Härtel. Indeed this is the first com

prehensive study of this institution's docu ments concerning Brahms.

Schmitz begins with informative overviews

of the music publishing business in Leipzig; he establishes the importance of Breitkopf & Härtel in the publishing industry and the com

pany's relationship to the other musical activi ties in Leipzig. This survey encompasses a brief

history of the firm and its interest in publishing works of historical significance, such as the col lected works of major composers. The firm's

own documents attest to the tensions between

these types of artistic projects and more com

mercial ventures, such as publishing popular works for amateur performers. As Schmitz ac

knowledges, this background information

draws on Oskar von Hase's pioneering study

Breitkopf & Härtel: Gedenkschrift und Arbeits bericht (Bd. 2), 5. Auflage (Wiesbaden 1968).

In 1853, Robert Schumann's article in the Neue Zeitschrift ßr Musik introduced Brahms to the world and proclaimed him as the leader of the next generation of composers. Subse

quently he persuaded Breitkopf & Härtel, the

publisher of many of his own compositions, to

publish a number of Brahms's early works and

to pay the young man a handsome honorarium.

During 1853-54 the company released Brahms's first two piano sonatas (Opp. 1 and 2), a collection of she lieder (Op. 3) and a Scherzo for solo piano (Op. 4). Following Schumann's

death, his widow Clara became one of Brahms's

strongest advisors and advocates, and on a

number of occasions she wrote to Hermann

Härtel in support of specific compositions. In

part due to her efforts, Breitkopf & Härtel pub lished Brahms's Op. 8 Piano Trio and the Variations on a Theme by Schumann (Op. 9).

Nevertheless, after these initial releases,

Brahms's negotiations with the publisher were not always easy, and he had to accept market

rate honorariums, rather than the high fee

Robert Schumann had helped him acquire for his first works. Already in February 1855 the

publisher rejected his four-hand arrangement of Schumann's Op. 44 Piano Quintet on the

grounds that it was far too difficult. This cri tique, which was based on comments made by

Albert Dietrich and another unnamed musi

cian, established the pattern for subsequent de

bacles. Despite the sting of this rebuff and that he had already forged relationships with other

publishers, Brahms continued to submit new

works to the prestigious Leipzig firm, and in the ensuing years Breitkopf & Härtel published the Op. 10 Ballades. However, they rejected all but one (the Op. 11 Serenade) of the seven

opuses the composer submitted in 1860. The most significant aspect of this episode was that the firm rejected Brahms's monumental First Piano Concerto, even though they had initially expressed interest in it. In his essay, Schumann

had predicted that Brahms would master large scale orchestral genres, but in the immediately

following years none appeared. The Concerto

was only completed after undergoing numer

ous revisions, including being caste as a four

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