“To travel the entire extension of my homeland”: Itineraries, concerts and reception of flutist Ruperto Santa Cruz on his travels through Chile, 1866-1878

Abstract

This article details the itineraries, performances, social reception and highlights of Ruperto Santa Cruz’s career as a concert flute player, piano teacher and protagonist of the musical scene in Chile between 1866 and 1878. This study reports since his departure from the capital – including his performances in Talca, Valdivia, Los Angeles, Concepción and Valparaíso, among the main cities he has visited – until his return to Santiago and his performances with the Cuban virtuoso Joseph White Laffita. It is observed that these activities – especially those concerning his flute concerts, were framed in the typical model of a European traveling virtuoso of the 19th century, but in this case a Chilean one and through Chile – which constitute a novel and modernizing experience for a Chilean musician from this time, and unique, in any case, for a wind instrumentalist in the country during that century. In this way, this text aims to recover and give meaning to these contributions as it is an unprecedented musical career and which contemplates elements little addressed in the historical account of music in Chile in the 19th century.