"FOR LOVE OF LOST CAUSES": THE QUIXOTIC GIFTS OF CERVANTES AND GESSINGER TO WALTER BENJAMIN'S MESSIANISM IN THE THESES "ON THE CONCEPT OF HISTORY"

The lyrics of the song "Don Quixote", by Humberto Gessinger, were inspired by the work of the same name by Miguel de Cervantes. In it, the well-known story of the "Knight of the Sad Figure" is set to music according to the composer's interpretation, recording the (apparently) senseless fights against windmills and other adventures full of allegories for the glory and fame of chivalry. Similarly (but not fancifully), Benjamin, in Theses on the Concept of History, reflects on the struggles against fascism, the need to fight an enemy in practice, but which demanded new concepts for the struggle. This article will therefore seek to establish a dialogue between music, literature, and historical theory as proposals for social and cultural transformations.