Remapping the Classics

This publication is the first to explore the collective reception of works by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven in Spain. It addresses two main questions that shed light on the roles these composers played in a southern European context, viewed from Europe's periphery. Firstly, the study examines how different contexts and performance practices influenced the presentation of these composers' music. It delves into the transmission of musical texts and their adaptation to various demands through arrangements and transcriptions. Secondly, it explores how the physical and symbolic nature of performance spaces shaped listening habits. In nineteenth-century Spain, the salon, the church, and the concert hall were the primary venues for this music, similar to the rest of the Western world. However, some works ventured beyond these traditional spaces, finding new homes and creating fresh cultural meanings. These shifts not only altered the functions of the music but also transformed musical sociability, as detailed in the book. By examining the remapping of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven's music to a southern European context, this book provides novel insights into the significant roles these composers played in Western culture.