History of Spanish Music: From Zarzuela to Modernism
History of Spanish Music
Early Influences
Mario Cristiano influenced by Italian and traditional Spanish music. The reaction against foreign influences led to the decline of Spanish opera and the rise of the zarzuela, a uniquely Spanish genre.
The Zarzuela’s Emergence
The failure of Spanish opera allowed the zarzuela to flourish. Initially a light, theatrical genre, it evolved, incorporating elements of Italian opera by 1850. By 1880, shorter, sketch-like zarzuelas became popular, featuring alternating spoken and sung parts.
Key Composers
Hilarión Eslava
Professor and director of the Madrid Conservatory. Composed religious music (Miserere) and influential textbooks. Pioneered serious research into Spain’s musical past.
Emilio Arrieta
Director of the Madrid Conservatory. Composed zarzuelas, including the popular Marina.
Francisco Asenjo Barbieri
Scholar of Spanish musical history. His writings are preserved in major institutions like the National Library and the Academy of Fine Arts.
Tomás Bretón
Composer known for his exploration of Spanish opera, including Los Amantes de Teruel.
Ruperto Chapí
Composer known for his theatrical ingenuity and orchestral brilliance, exemplified in works like El Rey que Rabió.
Instrumental Music
Notable instrumental musicians included Pablo Sarasate (violin) and Francisco Tárrega (guitar).
The Nationalist Movement
Felipe Pedrell
A key figure in Spanish musical nationalism. Studied folk songs and historical music. Edited works by Victoria and Cabezón. Composed the opera La Última Abencerraje.
Isaac Albéniz
Pianist and composer. Attempted national opera with Pepita Jiménez and explored symphonic forms in Cataluña. Known for his piano masterpiece Iberia.
Enrique Granados
Disciple of Pedrell. Achieved success with his opera in Paris and New York. Known for piano works like Goyescas and operettas like María del Carmen.
Manuel de Falla
A major figure in Spanish music. Known for works like La Vida Breve, El Amor Brujo, Noches en los Jardines de España, and the unfinished Atlántida.
Stages of Falla’s Work
- Stage 1: La Vida Breve, his first major work, premiered in France. It blended Spanish folk elements with modern French influences.
- Stage 2: Works like El Amor Brujo and El Sombrero de Tres Picos explored Andalusian themes.
- Stage 3: Works like Retablo de Maese Pedro and the Concerto for Harpsichord reflected a shift towards a more austere, Castilian style.
20th-Century Spanish Nationalism
Following Falla, the Andalusian theme declined, giving way to exploration of other regions like the Basque Country and the Mediterranean.
Joaquín Turina
Contemporary of Falla, known for his Andalusian-inspired works.
Oscar Esplá
Composer known for large-scale works like La Nochebuena del Diablo.
Federico Mompou
Known for his intimate piano pieces, often described as “silent music.”
Ernesto Halffter
Continued Falla’s work, completing Atlántida. Known for works like Sinfonietta and Rapsodia Portuguesa.
Rodolfo Halffter
Ernesto ermano seeks a more independent path in his Mexican exile k yega him to drive the atonalismo.sus horn sonatas de El Escorial.
Joakin Rodrigo from the termination of war is the author’s favorite author Aranjuez.es posguerra.Concierto of concerts for various instruments.
Generation The generation Republica.otro yaman him these names an 27-post since been exas ubo not generally aware of such composers were separated generacion.ciertos gradually from mere nationalism to Pedrell lenguaje.la advocated a modernization of the civil war muxos exile Falla’s death in doubt extranjero.significo rupture in the evolution of music española.junto to Halffter.mencionemos only the names of John the Baptist, Bacarrisse, Gerhard.Su work is gradually being known kedo detached from their homeland and new genraciones kedaron orphan.
Slow and slight jingle composition to be sung.
Zarzuela large before 1850 comes the girl, imitating Italian 3actos totally Spanish, sung parts predominate over the presence of vocals in dialogue form, characteristic of the instruments epoca.autores Breton, Slavic and Arrieta.
1880 Girl Zarzuela duration of a prayer, an act, pekeños musicalesromanzas numbers, characters 3-4 choirs not present, but k cantado.autores text Chueca, Breton and Chapi.