Spanish Music

Extract

In a little brochure by Albert Soubies, eńtitled “Musique Russe et Musique Espagnole,” there occur these words : “One cannot but realise what an important rôle the Arabs during their domination of Spain played in the civilization of that fair country. The verve and colour which distinguished this conquering race have left a deep impression on all the Spanish arts, and have most certainly had great weight in determining to a large extent the really bizarre and at the same time elegant style of some of the native songs, which have since assumed a character of so wide an importance. Amongst the Arabs of Spain who, in a theoretical or practical manner, have cultivated the art of music, we shall content ourselves by simply pointing, so far as regards the period previous to the tenth century, to the predecessors—a somewhat misty memory—of Alfarabi.”