Serenades - history of the most romantic music genre
Updated: Mar 3
In general, a serenade is identified with the concept of music in the street and at night to celebrate a person; it is a poetic and musical composition with the function of a 'sound homage', either in the evening or at night.
It is difficult to establish the precise period and historical place of the birth of the serenade; compositions of this type can be found as early as 1400. But it was around the 18th century that the genre became very popular.
Played by string, wind, mixed and percussion instruments, the serenade attracted the attention of great composers such as Mozart, whose Serenade No. 13 for strings in SOL major, is known as 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' meaning 'a little serenade' or 'a little night melody'; he composed some instrumental ones such as Deh vieni alla finestra in Don Giovanni). But other important figures such as Beethoven, Čajkovskij and Brahms were added.
Musical performances were performed outdoors, provided the sky was serene. Rousseau in 1768 stated that the word, of Italian origin, undoubtedly comes from sereno, or from the Latin serum, that means evening. He added that the silence of the night, which banishes all distractions, enhances music and makes it more pleasing.
The serenata had an international diffusion: in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Bohemia. But above all, it became more and more of a popular tradition, after all, any movement of a composition that had a plucked string accompaniment (imitating the lute, guitar or mandolin) and a nocturnal setting could be characterised as a serenade.
Musical performances were performed outdoors, provided the sky was serene, Rousseau in 1768 stated that the word, of Italian origin, undoubtedly comes from sereno, or from the Latin serum, evening. He added that the silence of the night, which banishes all distractions, enhances music and makes it more pleasing.
The serenata had an international diffusion: in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Bohemia. But above all, it became more and more of a popular tradition, after all, any movement of a composition that had a plucked string accompaniment (imitating the lute, guitar or mandolin) and a nocturnal setting could be characterised as a serenade.
The serenade has also entered the tradition of Latin American countries such as: Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, Paraguay and Peru. It is identified with Mariachis or Tuna, which consists of a duo, trio or several singers, with their respective typical instruments, singing songs expressing love, thanksgiving, good wishes, forgiveness, reconciliation, and so on.
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