Un siglo de música en el convento de Santa Clara de Carmona a través de un fondo musical inédito (ca. 1825–1925)

Abstract

Cloistered convents are spaces with very special conditions. Their hermeticism throughout history and their difficult access have contributed to the preservation of many works of art and literature. Music forms part of this rich heritage, and the musical collection preserved in the Convent of Santa Clara in Carmona tells us of a long history of the use of music in the convent, which is why it has become !he main object of our research. We have carried out an exhaustive archival and catalographic work, which, although it is a substantial part of the work, has served us to approach the music played and heard in the Convent of Santa Clara in Carmona from quantitative, descriptive and qualitative perspectives. Through this last perspective, we combine the line of research focused on religious institutions and the social history of convents, with a specific approach to the history of women. With all this, we have demonstrated the use and functionality that we consider this repertoire must have had in the Clarían community of this Sevillian town during a good part of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. To this musical activity in the convent, we add aspects as important as the possible channels of communication through which the musical material arrived, the training and musical practices carried out within the convent, the use of repertoires of a markedly profane nature, the adaptation of the works of present-day composers to the musical reality of the convent, as well as the contribution of this documentary collection to the musical heritage and the role of women musicians. We consider it essential to continue documenting and filling in gaps, as well as to continue rebuilding the musical activity in these production centres, which are considered, a priori, to be minor because they are convents, and above all, because they are run by women who are enclosed within walls. These women, however, knew how to keep up lo date, knowing how to preserve, interpret and transmit this repertoire, despite having fewer resources than the large cathedrals or musical chapels.