Spanish Students

The Spanish Students was a musical group from Madrid which popularized the tuna form of traditional student bands (Spanish: estudiantina). It gained international recognition after performing at the Carnival of Paris and the Paris Exposition of 1878.[1] Under the name Estudiantina Española Fígaro, members of the original group toured France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Holland and England.[1] After two years touring Europe, some members also toured North and South America in 1880.

This article is about the 19th-century musical group. For students in Spain, see Spanish school students' union and Education in Spain.
The Spanish Students
  • Estudiantina Fígaro
  • Estudiantina Española Fígaro
Poster for a performance of The Spanish Students in Manhattan, New York, 1880.
Background information
OriginMadrid, Spain
GenresSpanish folk, classical
Instrumentsbandurria, guitar, violin, cello

The original group was founded by Dionisio Granados in 1878. The group inspired many imitators, some of whom performed under the name Spanish Students or Española Fígaro. Their performances led to the popularization of the mandolin in Europe and America, and the formation of mandolin orchestras.

Formation and European tour
A Parisian crowd with the Estudiantina Española during Mardi Gras, 5 March 1878, at the Tuileries Gardens. Seven days later they attracted a crowd of 50,000 in the streets of Paris.

The original group was founded by Dionisio Granados in 1878. They danced and played guitars, violins, and the bandurria – a small double-strung instrument that resembles and was often confused with the mandolin.[2][3] Estudiantes Españoles (Spanish Students) were already a popular tuna (student performing group) when they appeared at the Paris Exposition of 1878.[2] Under the name Estudiantina Española Fígaro, smaller numbers of the original group toured Europe for the following two years, performing in France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Holland and England, as celebrated artists.[1][1]

US tour

The Spanish Students were brought to the United States by Henry Eugene Abbey in January 1880, performing with his Humpty Dumpty Combination.[4] They performed first in Boston[1] then at Booth's Theatre in Manhattan.[5] Their US touring group consisted of 20 men (15 musicians and 5 servants).[1] Four or five played guitars, one played the cello, and the leader played the violin. The other nine played bandurrias, which US newspapers referred to as mandolins or Spanish mandolins.

Influence

The Spanish Students created a sensation at the Paris Exposition, and popularized the tuna form of student performing groups.[2] Their success spawned other groups who imitated their musical style and costumes.[4]

Among the imitators were a wave of Italian mandolinists who toured Europe in the 1880s and 1890s, and the United States by the mid-1880s, playing and teaching their instrument.[6] Thousands of young men and women took up the instrument as a pastime, and it became a symbol of society.[7] The popularity of the mandolin reached its height just after the turn of the century.[7] Mandolin orchestras were formed worldwide, incorporating the mandolin family of instruments and also guitars, double basses, and zithers.

The mandolin's popularity in the US was spurred by the success of the Spanish Students.[8] An Italian musician, Carlo Curti, hastily started a musical ensemble after seeing them perform; his group of Italian-born Americans called themselves the "Original Spanish Students", anticipating that the American public could not tell the difference between the Spanish bandurrias and Italian mandolins.[4][9] The imitators' use of mandolins helped to generate enormous public interest in an instrument that had been relatively unknown in the US.[10][4]

Members

It is difficult to ascertain the membership of the original group, as the name of the group has been used by many impostors (such as Carlo Curti), as well as splinter groups in which some of the members performed separately. The lists below are from specific tours or performances.

1880 United States

After touring for almost two years in Europe, this group of the students came to the United States, touring well into 1881. Those arranging the US tour expected 22 musicians, but only these 15 were confirmed to have arrived at the port. News accounts of the performances report a group of consistent size. When reports mention the number of instruments, the number of guitars (either five or six) and mention of the violin or cello (or the base viola) varies.

  • Ygnacio Martin,[1] violin
  • Gavino Lapuente,[1] (president 1882)
  • Valentin Caro,[1] bandurria (1882)
  • José Rodriguez,[1] guitar
  • José Garcia,[1] bandurria (1882)
  • José Fernandez,[1] bandurria (1882)
  • Melquiadez Hernandez[1]
  • Enrique Olibares,[1] bandurria (1882)
  • Antonio Carmona,[1] bandurria (1882)
  • Manuel Gonzalez,[1] bandurria (1882)
  • Miguel Justos,[1] guitar
  • Miguel Loper,[1] guitar (1882)
  • Eugenio Anton,[1] guitar (1882)
  • Juan Ripoll,[1] violin (1882)
  • Laureano Hernandez,[1] guitar (1882)

1883
  • Melquiades Hernandez[11]
  • Juan Arriaga,[11] guitar
  • Jose Garcia[11]
  • Pedro Merquita,[11] bandurria
  • Jose Rodrigues[11]
  • Manuel Argente[11]
  • Manuel Gonzales[11]
  • Lorenzo Hernandes[11]
  • Eugenie Auten[11]
  • Esteven Mastot,[11] bandurria

Footnotes
  1. "Life in the Metropolis, Dashes Here and There by the Sun's Reporters, Spanish Students as Musicians—Their Arrival in America after Successful Performances in Europe—First Appearing in Boston". The Sun. New York, New York. 2 January 1880. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  2. Sparks 2003, p. 20–29
  3. Sparks 2003, p. 24–25
  4. Sparks 2003, p. 26–27
  5. "Death of Henry E. Abbey; The Well-Known Manager's Long Career Closed". The New York Times. October 18, 1896. Retrieved March 25, 2015. Column 3
  6. Sparks 2003, p. 22–135
  7. Sparks 2003, p. 96
  8. Sparks 2003, p. 23–29
  9. Leonard Wyeth (2008). "1880 Estudiantina Figaro and the Mandolin Orchestra". Acoustic Music .org. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008.
  10. Jean Dickson, University at Buffalo (SUNY) (2006). "Mandolin Mania in Buffalo's Italian Community, 1895 to 1918" (PDF). Journal of World Anthropology: Occasional Papers. II (2): 1–15.
  11. "The Wearers of the Ivory Spoon". Sterling Standard. Sterling, Illinois. 31 January 1883. p. 1. Retrieved 3 October 2016.

General references
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