Events

The orchestra of the Spanish Royal Chamber was created by Charles IV (1759-1788), who was passionate about instrumental music of various formats, himself a violinist and a regular participant in music academies. The progressive increase of the staff for the chamber's musical activity led to the creation of a new post, that of director of music of the Royal Chamber. The position was created in 1796 for Gaetano Brunetti, violin master to the king from 1770, and composer and violinist of the Royal Chamber from 1788. From 1814 to 1833 the musical activity of the Royal Chamber continued remarkably well and the repertoire became dominated by vocal music (mainly single numbers from operas). This shift in the repertoire implied important changes in the musical direction of the Royal Chamber, which was successively occupied by musicians of different profiles: singers, instrumentalists or composers. The internal disputes to occupy this position —the highest ranking within the royal court —has generated extensive administrative documentation. Its analysis allows us to determine the musical and managerial attributions associated with this post, as well as the circumstances in which the directos of music carried out their work. Taking into account the complex dynamics of the court and the musical activity of the Royal Chamber, in this seminar I will try to explain the post of director of music of the Royal Chamber, as well as other complementary posts such as composer or accompanying pianist, in a period of big changes and strong clashes for power. I will focus mainly on the following aspects: how the post was acquired, who the incumbents were and what tasks they performed, as well as the professional conditions under which they carried out their work.