CASTICISMO AND THE MUSIC OF FEDERICO MORENO TORROBA

Author(s): William Craig Krause

Source: Revista de Musicología , 1993, Vol. 16, No. 6, Del XV Congreso de la Sociedad
Internacional de Musicología: Culturas Musicales Del Mediterráneo y sus Ramificaciones:
Vol. 6 (1993), pp. 3235-3241
Published by: Sociedad Española de Musicología (SEDEM)

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20796930

REFERENCES
Linked references are available on JSTOR for this article:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/20796930?seq=1&cid=pdf-
reference#references_tab_contents
You may need to log in to JSTOR to access the linked references.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide
range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and
facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
https://about.jstor.org/terms

Sociedad Española de Musicología (SEDEM) is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and
extend access to Revista de Musicología

This content downloaded from

193.204.40.97 on Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:40:31 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 CASTICISMO AND THE MUSIC
OF FEDERICO MORENO TORROB A

William Craig KRAUSE*

Throughout his career, Federico Moreno Torroba (1891-1982) prided

himself as a composer who was faithful to the musical traditions of his
native country. He studied folk music, honored compatriot masters who
had gone before, and as a composer cultivated primarily genres which
were clearly Hispanic: zarzuela and guitar music.
Torroba represented a provincial branch of twentieth-century Spanish
music. He seldom ventured into Impressionism or polytonality as did de
Falla and never embraced serialism as did Gerhard. Torroba believed the
route to casticismo, the route to self-knowledge and realization as a
Spanish composer, was not aided by forays into foreign compositional
techniques.
Born in Madrid in 1891, Torroba came of age in the wake of the
Generation of 98. Unamuno's essays of 1895, En torno al casticismo, had
articulated the cultural crisis that had befallen Spain.1 The salvation of
Spanish culture would be the process of rediscovering what it meant to
be Spanish. Beneath centuries of foreign influences and the decadence of
successive ineffectual regimes, lay the intra-historia of Spain. True
casticismo was understood as fidelity to what was believed to be
essentially Spanish, and in particular, Castilian. Undoubtedly, Torroba

* Acknowledgements: Program for Cultural Cooperation between United States

Universities and Spain's Ministry of Culture, Washington University in St. Louis and the
Sociedad General de Autores de Espa?a.
1 Donald Shaw, The Generation of 98, New York, Barnes and Noble, 1975, p. 45.

[19]

This content downloaded from

193.204.40.97 on Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:40:31 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 3236 WILLIAM CRAIG KRAUSE

was a product of such thinking. With missionary zeal he devoted his

career to expressing nationalism in his music.
The path he followed set him apart from many of his contemporaries
?even those who were also nationalist in orientation. While de Falla and
Turina assimilated the knowledge of their teachers in Paris and while
Conrado del Campo championed Richard Strauss, Torroba did riot seek
out a foreign education. He visited Paris with his father occasionally and
heard the music of the great foreign masters, but made no overt effort to
adopt their techniques. Given this musical conservatism and the highly
charged political climate of the early 20th century, it is not suprising that
many of his patrons were politically conservative. Among these patrons
were Primo de Rivera, who gave him the directorship of the Teatro de la
Zarzuela in 19252 and the Duque del Infantado, who appointed him
director of the Teatro Calder?n in 1930.3
This guilt by association left Torroba outside of the inner circle of the
Generation of 27 despite the fact that some of his greatest successes as a
composer occurred during the Second Republic. The Generation of 27
looked to de Falla and Adolfo S alazar for their inspiration and were
interested in developments in the rest of Europe. They were not in any
way anti-national but felt that Pedrell's strictures of nationalism through
folklorism were antiquated and incapable of evolution.4 They identified
strongly with the liberal ideology of the Second Republic and were
exiled with Franco's victory. Torroba was among the composers who
filled the vacuum after their departure and went on to become an
adherent of what Tom?s Marco describes as ?nacionalismo casticista,?
conservative or neo-classical nationalism rather than avant-garde.5
It never occurred to Torroba to emigrate after the Civil War. He did
not take part in the fighting, choosing instead to wait out the war in the
isolated town of Sanesteban in the mountains of Nararra. Prevailing
social attitudes after the war were conducive to his chosen path, but
important distinctions between Torroba and the Franco regime must be
taken into account. Torroba counted on Franco more for non-interference
than inspiration or patronage. In Torroba's view, Franco was entirely
insensitive to music.6

2 Reportaje, Madrid, 14 November 1981.

3 ABC, Madrid, 14 November 1981.
4 Emilio Casares, La m?sica en la Generaci?n del 27: Homenaje a Lorca, 1915-1939,
Madrid, Mercantil-Asturias, S.A., 1986, p. 20-35.
5 Tom?s Marco, Historia de la m?sica espa?ola. Siglo xx, Madrid, Alianza Editorial,
1983, p. 169-180.
6 El Pa?s, 14 November 1981.

[20]

This content downloaded from

193.204.40.97 on Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:40:31 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 CASTICISMO AND THE MUSIC OF FEDERICO MORENO TORROBA 3237

While Franco was hostile to 19th century French liberalism and

seemingly everything else that wasn't derived from Spain's Siglo de Oro,
Torroba was a great admirer of many foreign composers, particularly
Debussy, Ravel, Franck, Bartok and Wagner. Furthermore, his view of
Spain was inclusive, in contrast to Franco's divisive policy of subjugating
Spain's non-Castilian and culturally diverse regions. Torroba regarded
the folklore of every region of Spain with respect and wrote zarzuelas
about Castilian or And?lucian life with the same conviction as songs in
which he set Navarrese and Basque poetry. He saw Spain's ethnic mosaic
as a unified whole and therefore did not equate cultural regionalism with
anti-nationalism.7
But Torroba's willingness to remain in Spain and work within the
new regime caused a rift between him and some Spanish exiles abroad.
On a tour in Mexico in 1947, he was greeted by hostile exiles who still
believed him to be the composer of the Falange hymn, although this had
been disproved shortly after the accusation was made in 1936.8 They
were also skeptical of the regime's motives in sponsoring a touring
zarzuela company rather than highlighting the music of more progressive
Spanish composers.
By the late 1960's, composers such as Luis de Pablo had abandoned
?nacionalismo casticista? in favor of the international avant-garde. As
society became gradually liberalized, Torroba clearly had the opportunity
to change with the times but instead continued to refine the aesthetic he
had always pursued. Among rare exceptions is his opera, El Poeta
(1980), a score which critics contended was reminiscent of Puccini or
Strauss and an obvious departure from Torroba's customary style.
When we consider the traumatic social and political upheavals that took
place in Spain during Torroba's lifetime, it must be considered remarkable
that he flourished almost without interruption. While he continued to write
what he considered to be national music, the broader political meaning of
nationalism changed from one regime to the next. Torroba's inaugural
address to the Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in 1935 is crucial
to understanding Torroba's interpretation of casticismo and why he was
able to prosper regardless of the surrounding political climate.9
This document is Torroba's manifesto as a composer. He begins by
clarifying the definition of casticismo and the importance of traditon in

7 Santos Mart?n Pancorbo, interview with author, Madrid, 12 July 1990.

8 Ibid.
9 Federico Moreno Torroba, Discurso le?do ante la Academia de Bellas Artes de San
Fernando en la recepci?n p?blica del Se?or Federico Moreno Torroba el d?a 21 de febrero,
1935, Madrid, Impr. de S?ez, 1935.

[21]

This content downloaded from

193.204.40.97 on Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:40:31 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 3238 WILLIAM CRAIG KRAUSE

the health of a nation. Castizo for Torroba is ?tradition purified through

time and generations, representing a vigorous synthesis that endures
despite all of the numerous changes that constitute the many roots from
only one trunk.? He continued to say that tradition connects the past with
the present and provides the foundation on which to build the future.
Without such tradition, a nation is in decadence and for this reason, a
nation must guard its tradition to affirm its national vitality. Without
national identity a nation loses its historical significance and has nothing
to pass to younger generations.
Perhaps Torroba could not visualize how an international approach
to composition could faithfully represent national identity. He believed
modern music, theater and dance were linked to the very origins of a
people and this tradition should not be forsaken. Yet, he went on to
recognize the irony that Unamuno articulated: national identity could
not be understood without acknowledging the heterogeneity of its popu
lace.
Torroba believed neither the original inhabitants of the Peninsula, nor
the successive invasions of Celts, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans or
Visigoths left a musical tradition that can honestly be said to proceed
from them. The only exception is the music and dance of the Basques,
whose origins are even more remote. For Torroba, the only people who
left an indelible, deep impression on Spanish culture were the Arabs:

It is well documented that our music proceeds from theirs. This

point is of capital importance: it is the Arab origins of our music that
make it absolutely distinct from European music. It is the richest
example of our tradition and possesses such a strong personality that no
country, in any epoch, at any time, has possessed comparable art.
It is known that Andalucian folklore is the most prominent. But in
other regions there are lesser known folk traditions that are at least equal
and in some cases more virgin and therefore of exceptional interest.
These remain without foreign adulterations that kill the sincere sponta
neity of the truly popular.

The cultivation of folklore is related to Torroba's devotion to the

zarzuela. Torroba held the zarzuela to be the logical consequence of
Spain's lyrical tradition because it was derived from the tonadilla and
popular song, and was thereby universally recognized as castizo. This
belief, coupled with his life-long study of folk music, was the driving
motivation for composing his ninety-one zarzuelas. As with Serrano
before him, his zarzuelas went well beyond the music and customs of his
native Castile. For example, La Marchenera was set in Andaluc?a,

[22]

This content downloaded from

193.204.40.97 on Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:40:31 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 CASTICISMO AND THE MUSIC OF FEDERICO MORENO TORROBA 3239

Xuan?n in Asturias, Baile en Capitan?a in Navarra and Luisa Fernanda

in Madrid with the leading character from the Extremadura.
But simple folklorism does not adequately describe Torroba's music.
Torroba did benefit from developments abroad and incorporated them
judiciously in his compositions. This is particularly evident in his guitar
music which enjoys a much wider international audience than the
zarzuela. In works such as Di?logos entre guitarra y orquesta (1977), the
interplay between modality and tonality associated with folk music and
the lyricism of the zarzuela engender a rich musical vocabulary which is
distinct from the mere sum of its parts. This approach does not by
necessity produce expressly folkloric sounding music. Instead, it creates
a national music a step removed from commonplace dependence on
folkloric models. This approach to composition was developed by many
composers of various nationalities well before Torroba. Stravinsky,
Bart?k and de Falla come to mind immediately. But over twenty years in
the making, Di?logos is, however, a milestone in Torroba's own develop
ment.
Among Torroba's most consistent stylistic traits is the blurring of the
dominant harmony with the juxtaposition of the flatted VI (major)
harmony while in the same piece sometimes approaching the tonic
through a Phrygian progression. The result is the approach of both the
tonic and dominant with Phrygian cadences. This is especially evident in
his guitar solo, Nocturno (1926). Compounding this ambiguity is his use
of added pitches with triads, creating triadic structures which can easily
change function and root pitch without conventional means of modula
tion. Thus, the flatted VI harmony, which in one case may be the cause
for ambiguity and tension, can quickly become a new tonal center which
in turn can be surrounded by either tonal or a variety of modal elements.
These traits, which are compact and unelaborate in Torroba's solo
guitar music, are worked out over extended passages in Di?logos entre
guitarra y orquesta. Entire key areas may constitute V vs. flat VI while
enharmonic spellings, juxtaposed modalities and added pitches some
times hint at consonant bitonality.
Torroba's devotion to the zarzuela and guitar music was not simply a
matter of commercial convenience. Rather, it was part of his fundamental
beliefs. And beyond specific geme, Torroba believed folklore?or that
which is castizo?to be essential in all contemporary music. Through
casticismo, a Spanish composer will attain self-identity and restore
Spain's proper place in the world. Torroba makes his beliefs clear in his
speech to the Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando:

This speaks of something essential: to find something that is lost,

something that is by definition nothing less than to find ourselves. So

[23]

This content downloaded from

193.204.40.97 on Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:40:31 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 3240 WILLIAM CRAIG KRAUSE

convinced am I of this, so disposed to sustain it, that I do not care if it is

considered exaggerated or antiquated. It is born of the heat of my
devotion to all that is truly castizo.
By raising our music to the highest levels of nationalism, we will
find more legitimately the goal that every artist attempts in his creation:
universality. This is done precisely this way, and by no other: by
enclosing the work of art in the narrow circle of nationalism.
We must attain our own universality with that which is purely
castizo if we want to call ourselves Spaniards. When what we are
looking for abounds before us, it is unpardonable to look elsewhere out
of an eagerness for the exotic.

This statement is not a paradox if we do not confuse universality with

internationality. For Torroba, a universal work of art transcends time and
locale, and communicates fundamental human emotions to a broad range
of listeners. This can be accomplished in any number of styles and media
and may impart emotions both abstract and concrete. Torroba's concern
was that composers would dilute their message by superficially trying to
be all things to all people, and in attempting to be cosmopolitan would
neglect their own identity. A composer is able to convey his emotions to
a listener only when he speaks honestly, personally, directly. Torroba
believed that by abandoning his musical heritage, a composer loses part
of himself and thereby risks losing his ability to express himself. Thus, a
work may be composed in an international style and yet be void of
universal content.
Torroba's conservative temperament and the times in which he lived
could easily explain his adherence to neo-classicism and nationalism. He
was not a revolutionary in any aspect of his life?personal, civic or
creative. But there is a further explanation for his style which seemed
anachronistic even to many of his post-war countrymen: Torroba did not
pursue avant-garde idioms because he believed they were incapable of
transmitting national character. His belief that music must have harmony,
melody and rhythm was tied to his convictions about national expression.
The logic of his arguments and the evidence of his own music indicate
that these three elements of music must not contradict one another. For
Torroba, a twelve-tone canarios would be absurd. Although he dismissed
the avant-garde as anonymous?without identity?he was not entirely
out of step when we compare him to composers such as Aaron Copland,
who also found a strong dose of tonality, neo-classicism and folklorism
helpful in creating clearly national music.
Torroba's lifelong pursuit of national music was a double-edged
sword. By adopting non-hispanic techniques only sparingly, his music

[24]

This content downloaded from

193.204.40.97 on Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:40:31 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 CASTICISMO AND THE MUSIC OF FEDERICO MORENO TORROBA 3241

may seem drawn from a narrow palette of aesthetic choices. The

zarzuela, by its very nature, could not be a vehicle of modern innovation.
It was too closely tied to traditional Spain, a world that was rapidly
vanishing during Torroba's lifetime. While he continued to write
successful guitar works until the end of his life, his attempts to
modernize the zarzuela fell on indifferent ears and caused him to realize
by the 1960's that the zarzuela had become an historical rather than
contemporary genre. By doggedly pursuing nationalism in his music,
Torroba forfeited the opportunity to participate in the dramatic musical
developments of his time. But by doing so, he created a large body of
work that is rich in its fidelity, inspiration, and craftsmanship.
It has now been over one hundred years since Torroba's birth but only
fifteen since his death in 1982. The world changed many times during his
lifetime and with each change, he looked more like a venerated maestro
than a composer on the leading edge. Luis de Pablo said at the time of
Torroba's death, ?the music of Moreno Torroba is the opposite of what I
have done and want to do. It is the incarnation of a musical Spain that
feels totally distant to me.?10
But the notion of casticismo remains. What gives a nation's music its
identity? Do the traditional themes that inspired Torroba?the folk
dances, castles, majos and gypsies?still evoke the soul of the nation,
mythical or real? or have the mass media and the sameness of interna
tional commercial culture begun to overwhelm national symbols and
drain them of their power?
Torroba had no students, no followers that carried forward his cause.
Yet, his music continues to represent a musical world that has not yet
passed. As long as its listeners recognize the traits of Spanish folklore
and art music, Torroba's music will continue to be castizo.

10 ABC, Madrid, 12 September 1982.

[25]

This content downloaded from

193.204.40.97 on Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:40:31 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms