Literature, Music and Art in Spanish America

Course Description

This course analyzes literary, musical and artistic pieces in Spanish America during the 20^th century. We will present the theoretical and historical background, the relevant moments, the significant figures, the constants and the elements of originality that characterize contemporary Spanish-American literature, music and art.

Course Aims/Objectives

• Knowing and understanding XXth Century Spanish-American literature, music and art.

• Reading, listening, and being able to recognize important XXth Century Spanish-American writers, musicians and painters.

Requirements and Prerequisites

Introductory Course

Learning outcomes

This course aims to allow the student to:

• know and understand the Spanish American Culture, especially its arts, music and literature.

• be able to compare different writers, painters, musicians and musical genres, and speak critically about them

• analyze art pieces in relation to its historical and cultural context

Developmental Outcomes

Students should demonstrate: responsibility and accountability, independence, open and critical mind as well as appreciation of differences.

Contents

Class 1: Introduction to Spanish- American literature and cultures. Is Spanish-America a fact or an intellectual construction? How should we answer this question?

Fundamental texts.

SECTION 1: Literature

Class 2: Modernism. Ruben Darío. A new language. The rediscovery of the new world. The Latin American essay. José Enrique Rodó, Ariel.

Readings:

Darío, Rubén. “Leda” (handout will be provided)

Darío, Rubén “First of all, glory to you, Leda!” (handout will be provided)

Darío, Rubén. Fragment from “Tutecotzimi” (handout will be provided)

Darío, Rubén. “I seek a form” in

http://plato.mercyhurst.edu/english/breed/www/i_seek_a_form.htm

Darío, Rubén. “Songs of life and hope” in http://spanishpoems.blogspot.com/2006/09/rubn-daro-cantos-de-vida-y-esperanza-i.html

Rodó, José E. Adapted excerpts from Ariel in http://www.humanistictexts.org/rodo.htm

Class 3: The novel and the short story. The Plate Region and the Caribbean. Regionalism. The Mexican revolution and literature. Rómulo Gallegos. Horacio Quiroga. Juan Rulfo

Readings:

Rulfo, Juan. Pedro Páramo

Class 4: Realism and the novel. The indianist novel. José María Arguedas.

Readings:

José María Arguedas. Deep Rivers.

Class 5: The avant-garde in poetry. Dada, surrealism, and their impact. Three major figures: César Vallejo. Pablo Neruda. Octavio Paz. Vanguards and Modernisms. Multiple Choice 1

Readings:

Franco, Jean. An introduction to Spanish-American Literature. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1994 (Chapter 9)

Class 6: Modern fiction. Breaking with realism. Fictions and social imaginaries: Roberto Arlt and Jorge Luis Borges. The real is marvelous: Miguel Angel Asturias and Alejo Carpentier.

Readings:

• Borges, Jorge Luis. “Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius” in http://www.coldbacon.com/writing/borges-tlon.html

• Borges, Jorge Luis. “Pierre Menard, autor of the Quixote” in http://www.coldbacon.com/writing/borges-quixote.html

Borges, Jorge Luis. “The Library of Babel” in

http://jubal.westnet.com/hyperdiscordia/library_of_babel.html

• Borges, Jorge Luis. “The Garden of Forking Paths” in

http://www.coldbacon.com/writing/borges-garden.html

• Borges, Jorge Luis. “The Aleph” in

http://www.phinnweb.org/links/literature/borges/aleph.html

Class 7: The new novel: Onetti, Fuentes, García Márquez, Roa Bastos, Vargas Llosa, Cortázar, Lezama Lima, Cabrera Infante

Readings:

García Márquez, Gabriel. One Hundred Years of Solitude

http://www.dillgroup.ucsf.edu/~grocklin/pdfbooks/One%20Hundred%20Years%20of%20Solitude.pdf

SECTION 2: Spanish-American Popular Music

Class 8: Roots of American Sounds. Rythms and dances. Themes in Spanish-American Musical Culture. Milonga, tango.

Listening assignments:

Piazzolla, Astor in http://www.piazzolla.org/ and selected videos

Goyeneche, Roberto in http://www.robertogoyeneche.tango-tour.com.ar/ and selected videos

Gardel, Carlos, selected videos.

Colección Buenos Aires Tango

Class 9: Folklore and candombe

Listening assignments:

Yupanqui, Atahualpa in http://www.squidoo.com/theodorakis and selected videos

Rada, Rubén in http://negrorada.com/index.php and selected videos

Roos, Jaime, selected videos

Sosa, Mercedes, selected videos

Multiple choice 2

Class 10: Bolero and Ranchera. Cha cha chá, merengue, bachata, salsa. Caribbean Troubadors.

Listening assignments:

Cruz, Célia in www.celiacruz.com and other selected videos

Lara, Agustín, selected videos

Blades, Rubén in www.rubenblades.com and other selected videos

Guerra, Juan Luis, in juanluisguerra.com and other selected videos

SECTION 3: LATIN AMERICAN ART

Class 11: Episodes in Spanish-American art 1910-1992.

Looking assignments:

Diego Rivera, Portrait of Don Ramón Gómez de la Serna, 1915

Alejandro Xul Solar, Hypnotism, 1923

Alejandro Xul Solar, Couple, 1923

Emilio Pettoruti, The People’s Song, 1927

David Alfaro Siqueiros, Accident in the Mine, 1931

Antonio Berni, The Open Door, 1932

Antonio Berni, Public Demonstration, 1934

Antonio Berni, The Great Temptation, 1962

Antonio Berni, Chelsea Hotel, 1977

Class 12: Episodes in Spanish-american art 1910-1992.

Looking assignments:

Cándido Portinari, Saint John’s Festivity, 1936

Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Monkey and Parrot, 1942

Fernando Botero, The Widowers, 1968

Guillermo Kuitca, Seven Last Songs, 1986

Final examination

Class format

All members of the class are encouraged to participate actively in discussions and debates. Such participation is an important part of your performance. Please come to class with written notes, your questions and thoughts about the possible meanings of the texts, songs and artistic works you have read, looked or listened to. What strikes you? What paragraphs, elements, or points seem to you to be the most significant or enigmatic? Why? Students will be asked to read these notes and make very short (5 minutes) presentations on the spot and these will count as an important part of their participation mark.

We also plan to visit to the MALBA (Buenos Aires Latin American Art Museum). There will be a final examination. The student should be able to recognize different writers, composers, singers, writers and artists and their importance in Latin American popular music.

Assessment

Multiple choice I 15%

Multiple choice II 15%

Oral Presentations 15%

Class Participation 10%

Final paper (8 pages) 30%

Final Examination 15%

Reference Books (They will complement the professor’s classes in case you miss one).

Bethell, Leslie (ed.). A cultural history of Latin America. Literature, music and the Visual

Arts in the XIXand XXth centuries. Cambridge: University of Cambridge, 1998.

Béhague, G. Music in Latin America: An introduction. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1979.

Franco, Jean. An introduction to Spanish-American Literature. Cambridge University

Press, Cambridge, 1994.

Arte Latinoamericano Siglo XX. 20^th Century Latin American Art. Obras /Works Malba – Coleccción Costantini. Buenos Aires, 2003.

Class Format

Each meeting will begin with a lecture. The instructor of the class will introduce students to the day’s subject. After this, the dynamic of the class will change from a lecture to a workshop in which students will present and discuss, under the instructor coordination, the readings assigned for that day.

Assessment and Examination

Students will be evaluated on the basis of three criteria:

1) Short weekly assignments

2) Class participation and presentations: including contribution to class and group discussions, as well as thoroughness of preparation of presentations. During the semester students will be required to give oral presentations. These presentations will be coordinated with the instructor of the course and will follow a specific guideline.