«El diablo vestido de fraile»: correspondencia entre el padre Antonio Soler y un noble español (1761-1773)

Abstract

On 16 March 1761 Padre Antonio Soler wrote a letter to the Duke of Medina Sidonia asking politely for the return of a gift of a «Book of Harpsichord Music. Thus began a twelve-year correspondence between Soler (22 letters) and the duke. Central to the correspondence was the young Catalan harpsichordist, Pedro Santamant (b. 1752), who was in the service of the duke («I have seen him perform wonders on the harpsichord»). At the duke's request. Soler agreed to teach Santamant composition at El Escorial. The correspondence ended with Soler angrily demanding the return of some sonatas from «a Book of 40 Sonatas.» The correspondence gives us a «glimpse of Soler's personal and musical character.» In addition to providing new data for Soler's biography, it reveals the didactic purpose for some of his sonatas, as well as information on eighteenth-century Spanish harpsichords. Perhaps it will also give us a better understanding of Soler's music.