13 ago 2011

Flamenco Course

This would be what the content of a course on Flamenco might look like, based on my limited expertise. I don't know what the organization would be, but these are the elements, in no particular order.

(A) Literary

(1) I know something about the literary traditions of the lyrics themselves. I could start with Machado y Alvarez's 19th century anthologies. I could talk about the context in which the literary elites read and understood these lyrics. [2 weeks]

(2) I can talk about works of poetry inspired by this tradition, from Manuel Machado (the son of MyA) to Lorca and more contemporary poets. [2 weeks]

(3) There is quite a bit of Spanish poetry that has served as Flamenco lyrics, even if it was not written in that context. Every singer nowadays sings Lorca, Hernández, Alberti... [1 week]

(B) Musical

(4) Styles of musical performance. Major performers [1 week]

(C) Sociological and metacritical

(5) The discourse surrounding gypsies in Spain. Traditions in "flamencology" itself. Cultural Studies approaches to contmporary Spanish music. [2 weeks]

(D) Dance and Film

(6) We would approach dancing through the medium of film. Saura, etc... [3 weeks]

In another year or so, I will be competent to teach this course (maybe) without it being almost exclusively literary (not that there's anything wrong with that.

4 comentarios:

Jonathan dijo...

I guess I could do a unit on copla and sevillanas as well, more pop genres on the margins of Flamenco.

Thomas dijo...

And the field trip to Jerez de la Frontera?

Jonathan dijo...

Of course. We'll stop by Heidegger's forest on the way.

Thomas dijo...

Did you see this. The parallels are almost too neat. (I haven't had time to listen to it yet, though.)