The Menéndez Pidal Collection of Judeo-Spanish Romances
Samuel G. Armistead
The vast archive of unedited Hispanic traditional ballads formed by the late Don Ramon Menendez Pidal contains what is without doubt richest and most abundant collection Sephardic Spanish poetry in existence. During summers 1970, '71, '72, '73, December-January 1975-76, with support grants from American Philosophical Society, I worked at Archivo Madrid classifying this unique Judeo-Spanish romances. result endeavour a three-volume, 1,150 page catalog, index, anthology to be published 1976 Catedra-Seminario Pidal: El Romancero judeo-espanol en el (Catalogo-Indice de romances y condones), Samuel G. Armistead, collaboration Selma Margaretten, Paloma Montero Ana Valenciano musicological transcriptions edited Israel J. Katz. Volumes II comprise catalog various text-types represented collection. English narrative summaries bibliography Judeo-Spanish, Pan-Hispanic, European analogs each ballad are provided. Introduction, printed both Vol. I, traces history stresses importance new text-types—a total 35—which Archive's holdings add known repertory Romancero. III an Anthology Rare Ballads (with where available) series indices facilitate study materials presented Vols. II, following included: Index interviews; repertories geographic subtraditions; origins texts; informants; collectors; musical transcriptions; titles songs; other traditions; first verses sixteenth-century source motifs; proper names. A glossary dialect forms Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish words also included. comprises 2,150 texts poems, plus 217 songs types. represent 298 different were collected (or least sent Archive) between 1896 1957 such distinguished scholars collectors as Jose Benoliel, Manuel Manrique Lara, Saul Mezan, Diego Catalan, Michael Molho, Moshe Attias, many others. By far largest contribution came who 1911 1916 added 1,972 Eastern Mediterranean Moroccan traditions collection, well 354 precious transcriptions. Together numerous already well-known epic origin, Carolingian subject matter (Las quejas Jimena, rey Fernando Francia, Sancho Urraca,, Bucar sobre Valencia, Roncesvalles, La muerte don Beltran, sueno dona Alda, Amerique Nar-
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