«Lo Inmediato y lo Palpable»: Music and Eroticism in Alejo Carpentier’s "Concierto Barroco"

Abstract

Eroticism seems to play an important role in the analysis of Alejo Carpertier’s novel Concierto Barroco (1974), although it has been frequently shelved in favour of other more dominant aspects. In addition, the existence of a continuous fusion of attributes assigned to music and eroticism should be highlighted. The interrelation of these two elements is particularly present in the «jam session» in chapter V, as well as in the symbolic status conferred to the trumpet, establishing the core parts of the eroticmusic interdependence. The aim of the present analysis is to provide evidence that eroticism is an important and fully integrated element we should have in mind in order to approach to the heterogeneous kaleidoscope that conforms this novel.