Workshop and concertFrom Manuscript to Sound

11 June 2024

Photo: Archivo Histórico de San Francisco (Lima)

Violin part of a work by a previously unknown composer.

Historical music manuscripts from Peru reflect the history of a country shaped by centuries of colonial heritage – and they contain poignant pieces that hardly anyone in Europe knows. On 14 June, the CSMC and the HfMT Hamburg present them on stage at ‘Kleiner Michel’.

Peru’s musical manuscripts and the archives and libraries in which they are kept provide fascinating insights into the cultural history of a country that was controlled for centuries by the Spanish colonial power, that gained independence in the early 19th century, and whose national suffered a setback after its defeat in the war against Chile in 1888. The research project ‘Archiving Colonialism: The Collections of Musical Manuscripts from Peru’ at the Cluster of Excellence UWA, which is run by musicologists Matteo Nanni and Daniel Kudo Tovar, focuses on individual experiences reflected in the manuscripts and how archival practices developed on the institutional level during this turbulent period.

On 14 June, Hamburg residents will have the opportunity to listen to selected Peruvian works from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, which are little known in Europe. Together with the Hochschule für Musik und Theater (HfMT), we will bring selected sacred and secular pieces from this period to the stage of the ‘Kleiner Michel’. Among them are works by key Peruvian composers such as Juan Pérez de Bocanegra, Juan de Araujo, and Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco. The music will be performed by students of the HfMT under the direction of Isolde Kittel-Zerer. A comprehensive programme booklet informs visitors about the cultural and historical background of the individual pieces and provides translations of the lyrics.

Admission to the concert is free and prior registration is not necessary.

The concert is the festive conclusion to a day dedicated entirely to Peruvian music manuscript culture. Earlier, an international academic workshop on the subject will take place at the CSMC from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. Registration for the workshop is possible here.