| Manuel Cardoso has been identified by modern musicologists as a leading composer of the Portuguese Renaissance. Cardoso's music exemplifies the mannerist style typical of early seventeenth-century Portuguese composition. The majority of his works were published between 1613 and 1636, during which time Portugal was subjected to Spanish rule. It has been suggested that some of Cardoso's compositions expressed his desire for a restoration of the throne to Portuguese royalty.;This thesis offers a detailed argument for viewing Cardoso's music as an ideological statement embodying a collective Portuguese desire for the return of independence. It briefly summarizes the history of Portugal's first five hundred years to provide political context. The thesis includes a concise biographical profile, followed by an examination of the musical style, text, and compositional devices found in Cardoso's works. It then addresses the music and prefatory writings in his published collections in a political context, emphasizing his relationships with the royal families of both Portugal and Spain. Finally, the thesis presents evidence of previously unknown Cardoso compositions, including transcriptions of two pieces from a newly discovered motet collection in Bergamo, Italy. |
