Extract from the book:

"Until today, the study of flamenco has been limited to research on the uncertain origin of this ancient art. In this sense, the study of flamenco has been fraught with polemics and debates that are difficult, if not impossible, to resolve. We will never fully understand where, how, or when flamenco came into existence, nor will we ever comprehend the exact contributions of pre-Roman Andalusians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Jews, gitanos, or Andalusians. This is largely due to the fact that flamenco music has traveled many different roads in comparison with those of philology or history, owing to its immaterial and ephemeral nature, and especially because, unlike the aforementioned fields, it has never existed in a written form. We will never know what the music sounded like in ancient Greece, Egypt, or Sumer (although there are reliefs, writings, and even instruments), nor will we ever know of so many other kinds of music that were inevitably lost throughout time.

Until now, flamenco would have suffered the same sad destiny after several hundred years' time. The elements that define its structure had not yet been put into musical notation; its styles had not been written out, taking into consideration the rules inherent in its improvisation conserving its spontaneity and form of expression. Since the first undeniable manifestations of flamenco-the recordings of 1898-, flamenco has taken on, with the passing of time, the characteristics that we recognize today, and it is of prime importance that these forms be preserved.

Today, flamenco is a perfectly defined art form, as in the cases of Baroque, classicism, Romanticism, or jazz. In comparison with these styles, the great setback flamenco had suffered was the fact that it had never been written out and had depended entirely on cantaores (singers) for its survival. Thus, an exhaustive and analytical study by formally educated musicians had, until now, been impossible. Now that this obstacle has been overcome, flamenco will benefit doubly: First, it may be understood, interpreted, and studied by any musician in any part of the world, finally entering the circles of so-called refined music. Second, traditional styles will be preserved precisely at a time when their existence is threatened by an erroneous conception of their musical evolution, synthesized in the term "fusion." This modern tendency is truly a grave error, since new musical styles could emerge-and this is even desirable for musical evolution-,derived from flamenco with new harmonies, lyrics inspired by contemporary themes, influence from jazz, salsa, etc., but the result would no longer be flamenco. A seguiriya must remain as steadfast as a cathedral. A modern rendition of soleares with rhythms and harmonies taken from the Caribbean or from jazz is comparable to restoring a cathedral by replacing the stone, marble, and wood with modern brick, aluminum, and plastic.

Although it may be argued that the existence of recordings makes it unnecessary to put flamenco music into standard notation, recordings are a commercial product, and, after a period of time, fail to interest the public, eventually ending up in the hands of collectors, to cite one possibility. As an example strictly limited to flamenco, we may consider how many people today know who Paco el de Montilla and Mochuelo were, or how they sang. Within one hundred years perhaps only two or three scholars will know anything about them. Despite the great importance of Chacón, and the numerous recordings available of this singer, he is no more than an obscure and legendary name for many enthusiasts who know absolutely nothing about his style.

There are also opinions that flamenco can not be written out because it is an art created in the moment of inspiration. Terms like duende, esencias, jondura, etc. are often used as a line of argument. Below is a brief response to this line of reasoning.

Flamenco is indeed an art based on inspiration, but it is not correct to say that it is created in the moment, but rather, recreated. For example, the style of seguirilla attributed to Manuel Torre may be interpreted more quickly or more slowly. A version may be more somber, such as the recording by Torre himself, or, to the contrary, it may be adorned with melismas, as in the style of Chacón. Some will pause for breath between lines of verse, and others will sing straight through, depending on the cantaor and the moment. But the seguirilla of Manuel Torre has been definitively created. It is true that flamenco must possess duende, jondura, esencias, and all the poetic names that one may apply to it which, in essence, refer to the emotional factor of the music. However, it also happens that none of these terms may be exclusively applied to flamenco, but rather are inherent in all important musical styles that are not considered to be simple pop music. Can it really be said that there is no duende or jondura in Falla's "El Amor Brujo" or Chopin's "Polonaise"? These terms simply refer to the feeling and expressive force found within the music itself, and will depend on the interpreter's capacity to express the emotion found within the written music.

From Romanticism to modern times, there have been many attempts to capture on paper the manifestations of this style, and all have met with complete failure. These efforts have resulted in modest representations of works along the lines of popular songs and lieder, allowing only a weak and distant echo of certain sounds in flamenco, and completely omitting the difficult rhythmic and melismatic elements that are representative of some of flamenco's more spectacular aspects. In short, the aforementioned attempts have only represented overly simplified structures.

Most "classical" musicians have been more or less interested in flamenco, and have been conscious of the enormous quantity of resources it holds, and that can be used to enrich their own work. We may consider the admirable and revolutionary piece by Domenico Scarlatti for harpsichord, the work of Antonio Soler, the names of Luigi Boccherini, Mijail GlincamRimsy-Korsakov, and, in the 20th century, those of Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Albéniz, Granados, Turina, and, at last... Falla, whose impassioned work took flamenco past frontiers, and awakened interest in intellectual circles throughout the world.

This very interest that the intellectual world expressed in flamenco resulted in frustration and discouragement, following futile efforts to graphically learn the complicated structures present at all levels of expression in flamenco. This failure was perhaps due to a superficial knowledge of flamenco itself, to the inability to deal with more complicated musical notation, or to perspectives adhering to the monolithic system of classical harmonies and, particularly, rhythms. The structures of flamenco that eluded these early researchers are expressed in such a natural way that, upon first impression, they may not even seem to be of interest. A quote from Leopold Stokowsky might offer an idea of how important these innovations were to musicians. The quote appears at the beginning of this study, as a presentation. Referring to the singing of Niño de Marchena, he said, "If his prodigious embellishments could be put into notation, it would astound the world."

This work proposes to inaugurate a new era in the history of flamenco: an era that marks the definitive universalization of the art, and, at the same time, the perpetuation of its traditional forms, which may now receive their full honor and recognition in intellectual circles, as desired by Manuel de Falla, Federico García Lorca, and many other illustrious names. This art may now be understood, studied, and appreciated as one of the most valuable examples of the millenniums of cultural heritage of Andalusia."

Authors:
Antonio Hurtado
David Hurtado