Entre santos e mosquetões: arremates de música em Vila Rica

Abstract

The role of lay religious organizations at constituting professional and associative relations among musicians in 18th century Minas Gerais Captaincy presents a solid and expressive bibliographical corpus in musicology. However, despite punctual observations, the coordinative aspect of secular power resides partially inquired. The present dissertation thesis has the objective of mapping the activities promoted by Vila Rica’s Senado da Câmara concerning public festivities, between 1775 and 1812, in regards of its impacts, or not, at the labor field for officermusicians. Firstly, a literature review was conducted in publications related to musical subvention and promotion in Portuguese America and, likewise, in publications concerned with the Lusitanian administration at overseas colonies. Secondly, a documental survey was accomplished, at Arquivo Público Mineiro’s Câmara Municipal de Ouro Preto and Coleção Casa dos Contos funds, with the intent of locating and analyzing documents referring to municipal council power governing actions towards the public festivities coordination. Therefore, among Senado da Câmara’s activities it can be highlighted four economic fields (candle wax acquisition for public lighting, the church decoration, the secular subvention for church’s Vigário for organizing the ceremonies, and the music auction) at two spheres of legal procedures (the centrality of municipal power decision and the music auction field outlined by grupal negotiations and disputes). Additionally, it can be inferred from the documents a relation between musician’s social distinctions by military or civil titles and their recurrent auction winnings, as well, their relative power at labor associative nets.