Retornos al XVIII y clavecinismo en las primeras décadas del siglo XX: de Scarlatti a Falla

Abstract

This article analyses the discourses that discussed the revival of the harpsichord repertory in relation to the concepts of new music, the return to the eighteenth century and musical Neoclassicism in Spanish musical thought as part of the cultural movement known as Nouecentisme during the early decades of the twentieth century. Firstly, it examines the attention paid to the eighteenth century as an aesthetic reference of Nouecentisme and the polemics about the musical returns it implied. It then deals with the ideas regarding the harpsichord, placing them in the context of concert programming, with special emphasis on the repercussion of Wanda Landowska and Joaquín Nin. Finally, it assesses Scarlatti’s place in these discourses and his importance as the standard bearer of Spanish Neoclassicism, especially in the works of Manuel de Falla.To this end, writings by critics, composers and intellectuals from the most important French and Spanish publications will be considered.