Cantigas of Santa María

ЗДРАВЕЗДРАВЕЙЙ‘Hello’

CANTIGAS OF CANTIGAS OF SANTA MARIASANTA MARIA

Enric Villalonga

Maria Torres

Joan Cànovas

Joana Mercadal

INDEXINDEX

1.A

lphonse X the Wise

2.P

eriod of Three Cultures

3.C

antigas of Santa Maria

4.I

nstruments used in Medieval Spain

ALPHONSE X THE WISEALPHONSE X THE WISE

H

e was 45 years old and had been reigning

for 15 years when he conceived the idea

of composing a collection of one hundred

songs to the Virgin.

A

lphonse’s optimistic frame of mind

inspired the fundamental message of the

Marian collection: all problems can be

solved.

PERIOD OF THREE PERIOD OF THREE CULTURESCULTURES

D

uring 7 centuries the Iberian mainland and Balearic islands were

under Muslim and Christian control

U

ntil the X century Muslim dominance, from the XI century,

Christian control thanks to the Christian recapture

T

his period is called ‘The period of Three Cultures’ because Muslim,

Christian and Jewish cultures lived together

CANTIGAS OF SANTA CANTIGAS OF SANTA MARIAMARIA

M

arian Monody: Maria and her miracles

L

anguage: Galician – Portuguese

M

imicking the style of the troubadours of southern

France

A

nonymous 427 songs, collected by King Alphonse

X the Wise (1252 – 1284), art of the troubadours

CANTIGAS IMPORTANCECANTIGAS IMPORTANCE

These cantigas are important because thanks to

them, now we know the Medium Age’s culture.

They contain musical notation and a lot of

thumbnails (miniatures) where we can see the

instruments, sculptures and works of the period.

Finally, we also can see the works of art of the

three cultures.

TROUBADOURS STYLE

A troubadour was a poet and singer of the Middle Age

that he created literary and musical compositions.

His theme was courtly love, wich declared his love for

a lady idealized but real.

A very important and famous trobaudor was Alphonse

X the Wise, who wrote 427 cantigas dedicated to

Santa María. They told the miracles that she did.

INSTRUMENTS USED IN INSTRUMENTS USED IN MEDIEVAL SPAINMEDIEVAL SPAIN

O

rganistrum: Medieval instrument consisting of three

strings and worked by a wheel dusted with resin. A

small handlebar set in motion the wheel, rubbing, while the

three strings tuned to the fourth and the fifth and eighth. 

R

abel: Instrument consisting of a soundboard, a mast and a headstock, which are

attachedone to four catgut or horsehair which extend along the box until a chordal.

Viola: The viola is provided with frets, widely used in Europe between the late fifteenth century and the last decades of the eighteenth century. The extended model has six strings tuned in fourths (with a major third between the plants).

Chopsticks: are equal to two tablets, placed between the fingers and struck in each other, produce a rattle to accompany any kind of rhythm.

Zanfoña: A shaft, whose end is a handle, through a sounding board. This shaft is insertednear the handle a wheel while slashing the strings (usually five, three for the melodyand two ribs) going on the box. The soundboard is at least 21 keys on running the melody.