Spanish Music and its Representations in London (1878-1930): From the Exotic to the Modern. Kenneth James Murray Submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy July 2013 Melbourne Conservatorium of Music University of Melbourne Produced on archival quality paper ABSTRACT This thesis argues that the landscape of Spanish music in London evolved between 1878 and 1930 from Romantic exotic constructions to a recognition and appreciation of Spanish musical nationalism, which reflected some of the concerns of post-war musical modernism in a newly cosmopolitan context. This transformation will be traced through the study of specific protagonists and events that contributed to the English reception of Spanish music during this period. While the development of Spanish nationalist music and its important intersections with French music have been studied in numerous texts, little has been written on the English engagement with Spanish music. A key event in defining musical and theatrical Spain in the latter part of the nineteenth century came from France in the guise of George Bizet's Carmen (1875, London 1878). The opera, and its many parodies and theatrical re-workings in London, provides a foundation for discussions of Spanishness in late nineteenth-century England, and influenced the reception of Pablo Sarasate and Isaac Albéniz. In the Edwardian era, closer ties between England and Spain, increased travel possibilities and specialist writers rekindled enthusiasm for Spanish music. The anti- German currents of the pre-war years and the influence of French writers and musicians set the scene for the further English appreciation of Spanish music in the aftermath of the death of Enrique Granados in 1916. The English success of the Ballets Russes production of The Three-Cornered Hat (1919), with music by Manuel de Falla, marked the broader acceptance of Spanish musical nationalism. With the critical recognition of Falla's neoclassical works of the 1920s Spanish music achieved further acknowledgement in England from cosmopolitan critics. At the same time the Spanish guitar was seen to embody many aspects of post-war Spanish music, and through the concerts of Andrés Segovia established itself in a new guise in London. By 1930, the recognition and popularity of Spanish music indicated the extent to which it had integrated and evolved beyond the Romantic stereotypes prevalent half a century earlier. This is to certify that (i) the thesis comprises only my original work, except where indicated in the preface (ii) due acknowledgment has been made in the text to all other material used, (iii) the thesis is less than 100,000 words in length, exclusive of tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices. Signature: Name in Full: Kenneth James M Date: 28 July 2013 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My sincere thanks to my supervisor Michael Christoforidis who inspired me to undertake research into Spanish music and has been a great support throughout my candidature. I am grateful to library staff who have assisted me at the following archives and libraries during my research: the Archivo Manuel de Falla and Centro de Documentaciôn Musical de Andalucia in Granada, the Percy Grainger Museum in Melbourne, the Biblioteca de Catalunya in Barcelona, the British Library Newspaper Library in Colindale, London, the Theatre Museum in London, and especially the staff at the University of Melbourne Music Library. To my wife Tracy, thank you for your love and understanding and my sincere thanks for your help in putting together the final document. A special thank you to our children Lydia, Lachlan and Ruben for their patience. The love and support of my family has been invaluable and special thanks to Mum, Dad, Jo, Gran and Beth. Thanks to all my colleagues at the Conservatorium of Music, the University of Melbourne, especially Professor Gary McPherson. To Elizabeth Kertesz and Alexandra Williams, many thanks for your valuable feedback, advice and encouragement. Thanks also to Andrys Onsman and Stephen Langley for their generous assistance. CONTENTS Introduction 1 1. Spanish music in London from the Peninsular War to the premiere of 21 Bizet's Carmen: travel writers, the guitar and Spanish dance Travel writers on Spain 22 The Spanish guitar in England in the nineteenth century 29 Spanish dance in nineteenth-century London 34 2. Carmen and Victorian musico-theatrical notions of Spanishness 42 The reception and performance history of Bizet's Carmen in London 42 Carmen burlesques and adaptations 60 Arthur Sullivan and Spanish music 70 3. Pablo Sarasate and Isaac Albéniz: Prominent Spanish performer- 77 composers in late Victorian London Pablo Sarasate in London 77 Isaac Albéniz in London 87 4. Estudiantinas and Spanish dancers as popular entertainment in 116 fin-de-siècle London Estudiantinas and spectacle in Victorian London 117 Spanish dance in late Victorian and Edwardian London 127 The Carmen ballet 135 The Spanish guitar in London from Francisco Tarrega to Angel Barrios 138 5. English fin-de-siècle literary and musical evocations of Spanish music 143 Three Edwardian travel writers on Spain 143 Edward Elgar and Spanish Music 148 Percy Grainger and Spanish Music 154 6. Changing Political Alliances and Spanish Music: From the Entente 160 Cordiale (1904) to the death of Granados (1916) The Entente Cordiale and Spanish music in Edwardian London 162 Spanish music and French music in London 165 The Death of Enrique Granados, Anglo-Spanish relations and Spanish music 172 in London 7. Falla, The Three-Cornered Hat and Flamenco 182 The English critical reception of The Three-Cornered Hat 185 The Ballets Suédois and Cuadro Flamenco 189 Falla and images of flamenco 194 Critics writing on Spain: Georges Jean-Aubry and J.B. Trend 198 Lord Berners and the Fantaisie Espagnole 206 8. Spanish Musical Nationalism, Neoclassicism and the guitar 217 Falla and Spanish Neoclassicism in 1920s England 219 Spain and English musical cosmopolitanism and the writings of Morales and 228 Trend Andrés Segovia and the new classical guitar 234 Conclusion 245 Bibliography 250 MUSICAL EXAMPLES Example la. Meyer Lutz, "Ask Me to Marry, I Laugh Ha! Ha!" Carmen Up to 66 Data, act 1, no. 5, ms.1-8. Example lb. Lutz, "Ask Me to Marry, I Laugh Ha! Ha!" Carmen Up to Data, 67 act 1, no. 5, ms.24-31. Example 2. Arthur Sullivan, "Hullo! What's That?," La Contrabandista, act 73 1, no. 6, ms.234-249. Example 3. Sullivan, Dance, La Contrabandista, act 1, no. 7, ms.1-14. 74 Example 4. Francisco Barbieri, "Jota de los Estudiantes," El Barberillo de 119 Lavapiés, act 1, no. 6, ms.23-29. Example 5. Edward Elgar, Sérénade Mauresque, op. 10, no. 2, ms.5-6. 150 Example 6. Elgar, Movement 1, Moderato-Allegro, Piano Quintet in Amin., 152 op. 84, ms.78-92. Example 7a. Lord Berners, "Prélude," Fantaisie Espagnole, ms.1-6. 210 Example 7b. Berners, bassoon melody, "Prélude," Fantaisie Espagnole, 211 ms.20-21. Example 8a. Berners, "Fandango," Fantaisie Espagnole, ms.1-5. 212 Example 8b. Berners, "Fandango," Fantaisie Espagnole, ms.62-64. 213 Example 9. Berners, "Pasodoble," Fantaisie Espagnole, ms.140-148. 215 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. An advertisement for Donato the one-legged Spanish dancer in 40 matador's costume and with castanets. Figure 2. Minnie Hauk as Carmen. 45 Figure 3. Advertisement for the sheet music for musical items from Carmen 63 up to Data, featuring Letty Lind as Mercedes. Figure 4. Arthur Sullivan and F.C. Burnand, La Contrabandista, dialogue 72 from the end of Act 1. Figure 5. Program for Albéniz's first London concert of Spanish Music, 96 (St. James's Hall, 7 Nov. 1890). Figure 6. Program for Albéniz's second London concert of Spanish Music, 103 (St. James's Hall, 21 Nov. 1890). Figure 7. Spanish Estudiantina in Paris, 1878. 118 Figure 8. Repertoire from the Estudiantina Figaro's Viennese tour October- 122 December 1878. Figure 9. A list of countries visited by Estudiantina Figaro between 1878 124 and 1884. Figure 10. Poem from the Clarion in praise of Otero. 128 Figure 11. Carmen as played by a real Spaniard. Signorina Guerrero at the 136 Alhambra. July 1903. Figure 13. Program for Andres Segovia's concert at the Wigmore Hall, 240 29 January 1927. Introduction From a musical point of view Spain has for generations been a sort of Ruritania, an imaginary country which existed only as a department of the theatrical costumier's warehouse. Thanks to Albéniz, Granados and others, we are at last beginning to realize that Spain has a musical life of its own...De Falla arrives at an opportune moment. He finds here in London an audience ready prepared with a knowledge of his Spanish predecessors, and with a knowledge, too, of Stravinsky and other non- Spanish composers whom he has evidently studied to some purpose.' So wrote Edward Dent in response to the 1919 London premiere of The Three- Cornered Hat presented by the Ballets Russes with music by Manuel de Falla. As Dent observed, London audiences had an extensive and significant history of engagement with Spanish music and dance, and Falla's music for The Three- Cornered Hat marked a new critical appreciation of Spanish works in London. In this thesis I will draw on selected examples of the English experience of Spanish music (and to a lesser extent dance) over the previous four decades in order to illustrate changes that led to the acceptance of Spain as a nation with its own musical nationalism. The main period under consideration in this thesis is from the London premiere of Carmen in 1878 to 1930. For much of the nineteenth century Spain was considered part of the exotic Orient, a place where traditions remained unchanged, while powerful Western nations were creating empires.