Música y fiesta en las iglesias del Madrid barroco: los "Diarios Festivos" de José Romano (1721) y Sebastián Álvarez de Pedrosa (1731 y 1739)

Abstract

The musical activity that went on in the parishes and convents of Madrid during the baroque age is still practically unknown, despite its importance. This situation is a result of the difficulty of dealing with such a broad phenomenon and, especially, the lack of direct sources, meaning other documentation is needed for information about this activity. The present article examines two printed documents termed “Diarios Festivos” (Festive Diaries), which will be very important for any further research into this context, as they describe some of the religious feasts that were celebrated in the churches of the capital throughout the year, including many references to the music that accompanied them. This information has been used to assemble a rough calendar of the religious celebrations involving music that were held annually in some of the main churches in Madrid during the first half of the eighteenth century.