Music, antifascism, and authoritarianism: the work of Silvestre Revueltas in the context of the Spanish Civil War ; Musique, antifascisme et autoritarisme : l'œuvre de Silvestre Revueltas dans le contexte de la Guerre civile espagnole

Abstract

Cotutelle avec l'Université Nationale Autonome du Mexique (UNAM)Mention: Très honorable avec félicitations du jury à l'unanimité (summa cum laude) ; Violinist and composer Silvestre Revueltas (1899-1940) was one of the major players in post revolutionary Mexico musical development during the thirties. Close to avant-gardes Mexican artists, the reception of his music is defined by, both modernist and nationalist. Some of his works embody the national music model, and are at the heart of the symbolic politics of the post revolutionary authoritarian regime. Towards the end of 1935 Revueltas engaged himself in communist antifascism by being a member of the Liga de Escritores y Artistas Revolucionarios (LEAR), fighting against the rise of fascism in the world – especially during the Spanish Civil War – and supporting social progress championed by the Mexican Popular Front (FPM). The consequences of Revueltas' antifascist engagement are considerable especially on the themes explored in his works, on his professional life and on the symbolic use of his music to legitimize the Mexican post revolutionary system. This research analyses, on the one hand, the impact of Revueltas' antifascist militancy on his work, and on the other, the role of his work on the symbolic politics of the Mexican authoritarian regime during the Spanish Civil War. Results show that Revueltas' political engagement alters the theme of most of his works after 1936, as well as the composer's role in a social contest. It therefore appears to be essential to put into perspective the exclusively nationalist reception of his music reconsidering it from a political and militant point of view. ; Le violoniste et compositeur mexicain Silvestre Revueltas (1899-1940) est un des principaux acteurs du développement musical du Mexique postrévolutionnaire durant les années 1930. Proche des avant-gardes artistiques mexicaines, la réception de sa musique est marquée par une double appartenance moderniste et nationaliste, au point que certaines de ses œuvres ...