Música conventualla capilla de música, instrumentos,componentes, funcionamiento y vicisitudes

Abstract

This study begins with an historical outline dealing with the liturgy and the practiceof religious music in monasteries and cathedrals, evolving from unity to diversity, according tothe centre and to the philosophy of each order, depending on its resources, and from monodyto polyphony with instrumental participation. There is neglect of convents on the part ofmusicology, based in the cathedrals, in spite of the attempt to draw attention to this point bysome musicologists (Barbieri ...); only in the last quarter century has the study begun ofthese centres with their chapel choir organized around the choirmaster or leader of the chantand especially that of the female convents with their particular characteristics. Among theFranciscan convents special prominence is achieved by San Francisco in Bilbao and that ofNuestra Señora de Aránzazu, in Guipúzcoa, not to exclude other important convents such asSan Francisco el Grande, and, in Andalucía, Granada, Córdoba and other centres, for both menand women. Finally there will be mention of the work of the theoreticians of plainchant and ofthe organ builders who brought prestige to the Order.