"¡Ande la música ... cantemos canciones!": Textual Resonances of the Chanted Voice in Celestina

Abstract

This article proposes an analysis of the relevance of the chanted voice in Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea, both at the level of what is narrated (the function of the songs for the configuration of characters and situations) and at the level of the narration (ways of textual enunciation, resources for enhancing the public's commotion and empathy). After reviewing the nine songs of the text, we make a cultural, historical, and literary consideration of the issue of the chanted voice, with examples from the romancero and the sentimental romance, Cárcel de Amor and its Continuation by Nicolás Núñez in particular. Finally, we consider the implication that the text is not only read but also chanted.