Korčulanska moreška, ruggiero and spagnoletta
The Moreška of Korčula, Ruggiero and Spagnoletta

Summary/Abstract: After the introductory comments on the historical, social and political aspects of moresca, especially those in Croatia, and the contemplation of the stylistic features and the role of music in mock-battle sword dances, the author discusses the music to which moreška of the town of Korčula (the island of Korčula, Dalmatia) was performed until the end of the 19th century, and whose earliest notations are contained in the so called Bogišić manuscript, which dates back to 1877 at the latest. In two of three melodies of this musical accompaniment the author recognizes the melodies of ruggiero and spagnoletta from the 17th century, which have gained special features through the long period of performing in the context of moreška. She concludes that the terms for the melodies have influenced the terms for dance figures of the moreška of Korčula (rugier/rujer and španjoleta / španjuleta), which have even earlier been the subject of discussion, mostly in the context of searching for its origins. Having established that this is a music of Italian provenance, which came in Korčula during the 17th century or in the first half of the 18th century, and having taken into consideration the centuries-old cultural and political connection of Dalmatia and Venice, the historical data on the moreška of Korčula and its choreological similarities with the Venetian moresca from the 28th century, the author considers that the assumption about the Italian, i.e. Venetian influence is more likely than the assumption about the direct or indirect Spanish influence, which prevails in the papers on the moreška of Korčula so far, and has already been accepted by the public as historic fact.

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