The Rise of Zarzuela: Spanish Musical Identity in the 19th Century
The Rise of Zarzuela: A Spanish Musical Renaissance
1850s: Under the M. Cristina government, an amnesty drive was initiated for exiles. The arrival of publications sparked discussion and the exchange of European thought and knowledge. References include “University science and literature, 35,” “Liceo artistico literario37,” and the pedagogical task group of “Iberia mcal, 48 Masarnau,” and “Spain mcal, 47.” Discussions in Castilian, using popular tunes and picturesque elements like the Alhambra, were common.
1839: Associations were permitted, fostering the development of Romanticism. The mca symphony (evident in EPN and lyrical overtures) and opera ncnal (reaching its peak in zarzuela) were restored. The adoption of a two-act model, characterized by Spanish classicism and traditional ideology, distinguished it from European musical forms influenced by French and Italian composers like Herndo Inzenga and Oudrid.
Burgess (1848) notes that Europe was in a state of revolution, leading to the democratization of culture. This democratization, encompassing pagan and elected elements, shaped style and taste in bourgeois settings like salons, cafes, theaters, and churches. An initiative to create orchestras was undertaken by Romero (flute), SArmienta (clarinets), Gaztambide, Molbergen, and Inzenga. Works like “Fantasia on Spanish modes” and “Goodbye to the Monastery alhambra” gained popularity. Barbieri’s Concierots (1859), modeled after the French, converted public sensitivity to European works by Weber, Haydn, Wagner, and Beethoven. Art-mcal Soc (1858) and Soc Concerts (1866-1903) were established, with outdoor concerts gaining momentum in 1864. A stable orchestra fund supported musicians and the romantic repertoire.
T-Reform, 1849: Eslava and Basili spearheaded an ESPN mcal initiative, establishing regular obligations, rights, and protections for composers, musicians, and entrepreneurs. Institutions like T institutions comedi, Tprincipe-Spanish, t Cross-drama, circus, and zarzuela basili t emerged. The Italian Opera Royal Theater (featuring Arrieta’s Ildegonda and Spanish conquest di Granata) favored the heyday of zarzuela with Artists 6. Zarzuela was restored, with works like “The goblin soldiers colwgialas Hernando,” “Gaztambide messenger,” and “Oudrid’s grullo” being performed in rented theaters and circuses.
Key Musical Characteristics of Zarzuela
A. Music
- Utilizing a first-Romantic orchestra: two woodwinds, two horns, two trumpets, three trombones, a tuba, and string percussion.
- Structuring the work in closed form, using recited passages to initiate action and contemplative passages set to music in arias, duets, trios, romances, and other cantabile forms.
- Employing simple orchestration, influenced by the Italian model, with strings and woodwinds supporting high voices, and metals used for volumetric characterization.
- Maintaining harmony within the romantic elnguaje.
- Featuring two predominant textures: speaker (orquetal), where the orchestra carries the melodic weight while alternating voices in rapid declamation (Arrieta and Barbieri), and vocal domain, where music is written with a melodic mentality, and sentence structure replaces the orchestra (90% of the zarzuela grande).
- Simple, square, and easily memorable melodies. The relationship between music and text improved from 1851, with scripts written with lyrics in regular prosodic accentuation, facilitating musical progression.
B. Ideological
- Reflecting the moral values of sitcoms of the S T Gold era.
- Appealing to a bourgeois audience, unlike the Parisian operetta.
- Featuring undeveloped characters and Manichaeism.
- Using music to enhance dramatic situations rather than provide descriptive elements.
C. Formal
- Utilizing choirs for the opening and closing of the large form.
- Presenting main characters (tenor and soprano) through numbers.
- Creating sets within trios and duos.
- Lacking tonal relationships between acts.