出版物

The unfinished Diccionario biográfico y bibliográfico was conceived just after the successful Diccionario técnico de la música of 1894. Like the latter, it continued earlier attempts at dictionaries of musical subjects in Spanish that trace back to the mid-19th century (most notably the 1853 Diccionario de música que contiene las voces más by Juan Cid, the 1859 Diccionario de música by Antonio Fargas and Carlos José Soler Melcior, and the 1868 Diccionario técnio: Histórico y biográfico de la música by José Parada y Barreto). With the Diccionario biográfico y bibliográfico, Pedrell sought to make a new and important contribution to Spanish music with a type of publication only previously attempted by Saldoni (1860) and by Parada y Barreto (1868), works that Pedrell held in low regard. As with the Diccionario técnico, the torso reflects musical knowledge at the turn of the century, along with an interest in musical nationalism. Over two dozen articles are substantial in scope and include the results of in-depth source studies and lengthy quotes from contemporaneous and historical sources; one such article is “Alfonso X”, which captures the accomplishments of King Alfonso X of Castile (r. 1252–84) whose commissions of music to poems authored by him, Cantigas de Santa Maria, are one of the largest medieval vernacular collections of lyric and narrative verse in praise of Mary. The entry contains substantial quotes from contemporaneous and historical sources.

This early music dictionary, conceived between 1892 and 1894, is a treasure trove for music historiographers focusing on the Spanish perspective. Conceived by critic and music historian Felipe Pedrell, considered one of the fathers of contemporary Spanish music and musicology, it contains nearly 10,000 entries, many of which provide definitions of genres, terms, and instruments specific to the Spanish and Hispanic realm, such as romance, copla, yarabí, triste, and vihuela. Pedrell had consulted existing dictionaries as a foundation for his endeavor. At the time one of the key reference works for music researchers, the dictionary saw three further editions, attesting to the wide use and popularity of the work. Indeed, the dictionary has been highly popular due to its accessible language. Pedrell outfitted it with 117 engravings and 52 music examples. A supplement provides additional key terms. In his preface, Pedrell offered the first critical account of international music lexicography since its origins, beginning with the work of Tinctoris, and of Spanish dictionaries up to his time, noting poor quantity and quality. His deep knowledge of lexicographic techniques also surfaces in the delimitations of content and form that a specialized music dictionary should present according to him: the Diccionario técnico de la música was meant to record purely musical meanings, and offer a consistent linguistic style with clarity, accuracy, and conciseness in the definitions. Pedrell saw it as legitimate to copy the definitions of what he regarded as the “most authoritative predecessors”.