A Closer Look at Eduardo M. Torner's Bibliographic Survey of Spain's Traditional Music and Dance

Abstract

Eduardo M. Torner (1881-1955) was among the most notable pioneers who contributed to the nascent field of ethnomusicology in Spain. His early field researches in Asturias and Galicia yielded exemplary publications and his associates included such outstanding figures as Ramón Menéndez Pidal, Manuel Manrique de Lara, Jesús Bal y Gay, and Kurt Schindler. The two bibliographies contained in this article, which Torner included among the essays in his classic Temas folklóricos: Música y Poesía (Madrid, 1935), represent but a mere sampling of the 4,000 entries he is purported to have gathered concering Spain's tradidonal music and dance. Fleeing first to Valencia and then to Barcelona at the outbreak of the Civil War, he utlimately sought refuge in London, where he continued his researches until his death. During the transitional period from Valencia to England, he lost his precious collection of photographs, historical documents, and personal manuscripts, together with his massive bibliographical compilation. Here I have reordered the bibliographies from Temas folklóricos, insuring that all his entries are accurate and complete, adding personal comments to Tomer's observations, and providing four indices: 1) Abbreviations and publications surveyed; 2) Authors; 3) Geographic locales, and 4) Subject matter.