Paul Robert Laird, Ph.D. 1986

Advisor: James W. Pruett

Dissertation Title: The Villancico Repertory at San Lorenzo el Real del Escorial, c. 1630 – c. 1715

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Dissertation Abstract:

The villancico was Spain’s most pervasive vernacular religious genre from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. This study centers on 201 villancicos by 43 composers written between c. 1630 and c. 1715, performed at the royal monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial (founded 1563), and held today in its archive. The historical context for the works is provided through the consideration of the genre’s earlier history in Chapter I. The villancico often reflected foreign influences, but after 1550 a vernacular musical style emerged, characteristically dominated by triple meter, syllabic declamation, and homorhythmic textures.

There survive no villancicos from the monastery from before c. 1630. A brief history is offered of the genre’s use at the Escorial until about 1650. After mid-century, the Escorial villancicos are approached through manuscript study. Although the works were written mostly by non-Escorial composers, manuscripts usually were prepared by scribes at the monastery. Comparison of scribal hands and composers in the collection with works in other Spanish archives sheds light upon the dissemination of villancicos.

Consideration of the works’ texts in Chapter III includes study of textual concordances in villancico text booklets at the Biblioteca Nacional in Madrid; concordances provide information on the exchange of texts and help match musical settings with some texts in the booklets. Textuall—-and musically—villancicos are usually bisectional, with a through-composed estribillo and strophic coplas. Textual content, ranging from religious symbolism to comedy, is summarized.

The music of the collection is considered in terms of principal influences, texture, rhythm, other musical elements, and performance practice. Musical influences include the Spanish vernacular style, Latin polyphonic music, polychoral writing, and Italian opera. Textural contrast in the villancico is of great interest; representative works for polychoral forces, single choirs, and smaller ensembles are examined. Triple meter, frequent syncopation, and hemiola are pervasive. Harmonically and melodically, the collection is homogeneous; musical interest originates in dance-like meter and textural interplay. Performance practice is considered in terms of contemporary treatises and primary sources. Nine representative villancicos are presented in modern edition in Volume II; complete texts with prose translation are included.

Dr. Laird has taught at the University of Kansas since 1994, where he has served as the director of the musicology program. His research interests focus on Spanish and Latin American vallancico and on American musical theater, including in particular the works of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Schwartz. He has published numerous books on the latter subject, including the Historical Dictionary of the Broadway Musical (with William A. Everett).