Music for a Dead King

Abstract

The minutes of the Diocesan Synod held in Toledo in 1682 contain an explanation of the customs relating to funeral ceremonies in the Catholic kingdoms: ‘It is an ancient and holy custom that the bodies of the faithful are taken to be buried publicly with the cross, […] ecclesiastical accompaniment before the coffin, singing of psalms and prayers, sounding of bells […] being so mysterious, this act benefits the souls of the dead and constitutes a warning and an example for the living’. The role of music was fundamental in these ceremonies, even more so in royal funerals. Music was expected to represent the gravity and solemnity of the moment – the past – but also the majesty of the deceased. Music was thus a relevant element in the creation and transmission of the king’s image in every period of his life, from birth to death. Fortunately, and in spite of the destruction of the Real Alcázar and the archive of the Spanish Royal Chapel in 1734, we have some important examples of the funeral repertoire – liturgical (Officium Defunctorum, Requiem mass) and paraliturgical (motets, Spanish tones) – intended for the Spanish royalty in the seventeenth century. The study of these sources reveals some interesting changes in the composition of funeral music between the time of Philip IV (d. 1665) and his son Charles II (d. 1700). These musical changes suggest new nuances in the image of death and the image of the Monarchy. This article proposes an overview of the above aspects of royal funerals, through some specific examples.