The relationship between classical and traditional music through the violin repertoire of the Galician Muiñeira in the 19th and 20th centuries.

From Scarlatti, (Clark, 1976), to Bartók, (Suchoff, 1971), classical composers have turned to traditional music for creative stimulus. However, there has been little evaluation of the interrelatedness of these genres with current performative approaches privileging composer and score over folk origin (Onderdonk, 2007). This study interrogates the extent to which 'art music' and 'folk music' are made meaningful only in relation to one another (Gelbart, 2007), through the lens of the Galician dance of the muiñeira, posing the question: What are the performative and compositional interrelationships between classical and folk traditions? Using the muiñeiras of violinist-composers Manuel Quiroga, Pablo Sarasate and Andres Gaos as case studies, alongside orally transmitted equivalents, this practice-led PhD will offer the first extensive investigation of the classical muiñeira and re-evaluate the links between classical and traditional music.

The muiñeira, a specifically Galician rhythm, (Bal y Gay, 1973), is understudied, especially outside its conventional setting. There is more to be done in terms of exploring mutual borrowings within the realms of performance and composition. Cancionero Musical de Galicia, (Folgar, 1848-1937), encompasses traditional muiñeiras, but there is currently no scholarly literature on its representation within classical interpretations. The reverse influence, of classical interpretations on traditional practices, is also understudied. I am optimally positioned to evaluate these mutual transferals.

Building on the framework set out by Alvarez (1998), I will search for commonalities between these traditionally influenced classical compositions and the repertoire of the traditional blind fiddlers of Galicia (copleros). Following on from Fernandez (2002), Capellan (2019), and Ferrer (2014), I will focus on the largely unexplored muiñeiras, conducting an ethnographic study including archival research, qualitative interviews, and a recording of the aforementioned muiñeiras in both their original classical form and a traditional setting. I will analyze their origin, structure, and function, and the implications any changes have on its perception within contemporary society.

My proposed research engages with several current issues:
- Diversity, by exploring how two musical genres and their respective audiences were related.
- Equality, by assigning coequal importance to both genres and their respective social groups.
- Identity, by questioning how cultural identity is adopted and understood, highlighting the social need for belonging, (Lidskog, 2016).
- Origin, by ascertaining and engaging with the origins of the melodies.

There are many similarities between the music from Galicia and that of other Celtic-identifying regions. Consequently, this project has a much wider application. The approach adopted can be applied to music from other traditions, creating a basis for research on an international level. This will serve as a template for approaching the study and comparison of traditional and classical music in a new way. I propose to develop transferable working practices which will lead to a greater comprehension of international connectivity and have an impact on wider bodies of knowledge. The findings will be applicable to scholarly and performance cultures today, impacting how traditionally influenced classical pieces are interpreted in future, helping to establish a reciprocal relationship with their traditional counterparts, creating new conditions for cultural knowledge, understanding, and appreciation.