MUSICAL ICONOGRAPHY IN RELAO DOS MAGNFICOS CARROS OF THE PARADE IN COMMEMORATION OF THE MARRIAGE OF PORTUGALS INFANTES IN RIO DE JANEIRO

IN THE 18TH CENTURY Mayra Pereira Key-words: Musical iconography, Rio de Janeiro, musical instruments, organology, terminology

In 1786, the Viceroy Luis de Vasconcelos e Sousa organized in Rio de Janeiro the celebration of the marriage of infantes D. Joo and D. Carlota Joaquina. It was considered the most impressive festivals already held in the city during the eighteenth century. The capitals population of the Colonial Brazil was faced with a breathtaking public event that reflected the royal power from the February 2nd to 4h, and extending sparingly until the May 28th of that year. The festivities were composed of basic traditional elements of the official celebrations of that period as the Triduum of Masses at So Bentos Church, operas, musical soirees, bullfights, cavalhadas and an ostentatious parade of baroque allegories on wheels. Six sumptuous floats inspired by Greco-Roman mythology paraded through the city centre. All floats were described in detail and drawn in monochrome ink by its creator, the military Antonio Francisco Soares. The original manuscript reporting these celebrations, entitled Relao dos magnficos carros que se fizeram de arquitetura e fogos, os quaes se executaram por ordem de Ilmo. e Exmo. Senhor Luiz de Vasconcelos e Sousa, Capito General de Mar e Terra & Vice Rei dos Estados do Brasil nas Festividades dos despozorios dos Serenssimos Srs. Infantes de Portugal Nesta Cidade do Rio de Janeiro is at the Brazilian Geography and History Institute (IHGB) and reveals, among other topics, interesting representations of musical instruments. The document has a total of eight illustrations, two in the frontispieces and six about the floats, and four of that contains musical instruments images. There are drawings of trumpets, flutes, horns, bassoons, kettledrums and an organ. This is the only musical iconography found up to now that refers to a public festival in Rio de Janeiro in the eighteenth century. Its importance should also be credited to the quality of images that portray distinctly the musical instruments mentioned, even if they do not show high level of detail, and the fact that there is a record written by the author, that describes the content of the drawings and the event itself. Thus, this work proposes to analyze the musical iconographic representations contained in the manuscript of Relao dos magnficos carros... in the context of Colonial Brazil in the late eighteenth century, also approaching the main musicological evidences that can be raised from their interpretation. Considering that the document is a musical witness of the royal celebration mentioned, it is understood that it indicates, first of all, the links between music, culture and society of the colony and its metropolis. It also emphasizes the use of certain specific instrumental ensemble to outdoor in this case aerophones and percussion instruments and their functions and meanings. Finally, it lets address organological and terminological issues raised through these drawings and its descriptive texts.