La guitarra clásica en el mercado discográfico español (1926-1939)

Abstract

The second half of the 1920s saw an increase in the publication of guitar recordings aided by new electrical recording technology and the expansion of cultural industries. The Spanish record labels Odeon, Parlophon, La Voz de su Amo, Regal and Columbia led the international publication of electric albums recorded by classical guitarists such as Miguel Llobet, María Luisa Anido, Andrés Segovia, Emilio Pujol, Daniel Fortea, Juan Parras del Moral or Regino Sainz de la Maza, among others. This process coincides with a transformative moment in the history of the instrument through which the guitar manages to penetrate the international classical music market. In this framework, the thesis studies the functioning of the industry and the record market in Spain; the labels and their A&R policy; classical guitar recordings and their production and publication process; the recording activity of the performers and the recorded repertoire, as well as its impact, dissemination and reception through the media. The thesis shows how an interested action took place between record labels and performers that, supported by the media, contributed to modifying the position of the guitar within classical music as a concert instrument, to disseminate and establish repertoire and to introduce the performers in the classical market. The guitarists established an artistic and economic strategy supported by records, radio and the press, becoming media artist. We check how the Spanish recording industry develops to its full potential in parallel to the international companies through autonomous companies but integrated into multinationals and we reveal new data on the functioning of record companies and their relationship with their parent companies. Our work shows how, before 1940, the guitar record market was varied in performers and repertoire. Furthermore, we demonstrate the leadership of the performers in the selection of the repertoire to be recorded, combining their criteria and artistic interest with economic interests. Finally, the thesis offers a discography model for cataloguing, documentation, bibliographic and analytical control of recordings and phonograms.