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| A TRULY
MAGIC OPAL Madrid revives in oncert one of Albéniz's major stage works, premiered in 1893 London (Español) (English) |
CLEMENTINA: A REAL
ZARZUELA? Boccherini and de la Cruz's refined pseudo-opera at the Teatro Español. Ignacio Jassa Haro has doubts. (Español) (English) |
| COMIC-BOOK
OPERA Luis Olmos's production of La tabernera del Puerto returns stronger than ever (Español)(English) |
REVIEW
ROUND-UP Our Spanish reviewers have been working overtime! Here's an English review digest of important new productions in Oviedo, Barcelona and of course Madrid |
| JUAN
JOSÉ Pablo Sorozábal's opera finally goes public. Christopher Webber finds it a pearl of great price (Español) (English) |
LA GRAN
VÍA… ESQUINA A CHUECA Paco Mir's radical rewrite brings Chueca into the 21st Century. Enrique Mejías García reports... (Español) (English) |
| EL
AMA Jacinto Guerrero's forgotten zarzuela revived in Barcelona. José María Busqué Doménech reports. (Español) (English) |
A CHICKEN
HOME TO ROOST Ópera Cómica de Madrid's latest staging, another Caballero rarity restored (Español) (English) |
| 2008
CONCERT SERIES A diary by Ignacio Jassa Haro (Español) (English) |
NOT JUST THE
DOG WHICH NEEDS DOCTORING? Luis Olmos's "El rey que rabió" revival at Teatro de la Zarzuela has Enrique Mejías García foaming at the mouth (Español) (English) |
| LA
CELESTINA Enrique Mejías García on a long-delayed operatic premiere (Español) (English) |
MÚSICA
CLÁSICA Teatro de la Zarzuela hits the mark with its first Show for Kids. Ignacio Jassa Haro reports (Español) (English) |
| "A
MONSTROUS PARADE OF BAD TASTE AND THEATRICAL STUPIDITY" Enrique Mejías García reviews "La corte de Faraón" at Valenica's Palau de les Arts (Español) (English) |
KATIUSKA Emilio Sagi's radical reframing of Sorozábal's masterpiece puts the composer at the centre of the picture. Christopher Webber reports from Bilbao's Teatro Arriaga (Español) (English) |
| ROLANDO
VILLAZÓN A welcome return to the limelight for Domingo's "heir apparent" - Paolo Cascio was at Teatro de la Zarzuela to welcome him (Español) (English) |
CHUECA
IN PLAZA MAYOR A major happening, rapturously received by thousands - not least our reviewer Enrique Mejías García (Español) (English) |
| AN
AFFAIR OF THE HEART Emilio Sagi's love for LA GENERALA blooms again at Teatro de la Zarzuela. Christopher Webber reviews (Español) (English) |
LA LEYENDA
DEL BESO at Teatro de la Zarzuela. A legend resurfaces in Madrid, reviewed by Ignacio Jassa Haro (Español) (English) |
| BEAUTY AND THE BEAST REVERSED Enrique Mejías García on another Madrid triumph for José Bros, in LA BRUJA at Teatro de la Zarzuela (1/08) (Español) (English) |
LIGHTNING
STRIKES TWICE Christopher Webber on Sheffield University's latest Spanish baroque triumph, Calderón and Hidalgo's CELOS AUN DEL AIRE MATAN (Español) (English) |
| OK AT THE CORRAL Ignacio Jassa Haro hears zarzuela and operetta in the famous theatre, beautifully restored, at Alcalá de Henares (1/08) (Español) (English) |
TWO
REVIVALS, TWO WAYS Two very different rare zarzuelas (by Penella and Oudrid) in related revivals. Enrique Mejías García laments a lack of quality control (1/08) (Español) (English) |
| ADIÓS JULIÁN Experimental Berlin import, meaningless in Madrid. Ignacio Jassa Haro reports from Teatro Albéniz (Español) (English) |
LAS NUEVAS
ARMAS DE AMOR Ignacio Jassa Haro enjoys a rare chance to hear zarzuela by Sebastián Durón (10/07) (Español) (English) |
| BARBIERI
AND OUDRID IN THE PARK ... finishing the Sabatini summer season. Enrique Mejías García and Christopher Webber were there (Español) (English) |
CONCERT
PARTIES Ana María Sánchez was amongst the star turns at Teatro de la Zarzuela's cycle of 4 concerts... Ignacio Jassa Haro reports (Español) (English) |
| LAS BRIBONAS "...you wouldn't be able to stage this show in London or New York today without getting your theatre closed down, or torched" Infamous pleasures in Madrid (Español) (English) |
ZARZUELA
BALADA Hangman, Hangman! and its sequel, cartoon ballad-operas by Catalan-American Leonardo Balada, reviewed on stage in Madrid, and on Naxos CD (Español) (English) |
| IL
TUTORE BURLATO Martín y Soler's zarzuela at the Teatro ReaI - in Italian. Ignacio Jassa Haro is mystified (Español) (English) |
BARBIERI IN THE
PARK Ópera Cómica de Madrid + summer night in the Jardines de Sabatini = bliss for Ignacio Jassa Haro (Español) (English) |
| IL CALIFFO DI BAGDAD Second-rate Italian opera from a Spanish composer, and at the Teatro de la Zarzuela. Enrique Mejías García wonders why (Español) (English) |
QUARRYING GÉNERO CHICO Rare Chueca revival gets Enrique Mejías García taking off his shirt (Español) (English) |
| EL BARBERO DE SEVILLA /
BOHEMIOS A neatly devised "operatic" bill at Madrid's Teatro de la Zarzuela. Christopher Webber reports (Español) (English) |
MARTÍNEZ TORNER ZARZUELAS The Republican's leading educationalist provides an inspirational surprise nearly 80 years on (Español) (English) |
| LA BRUJA - VALENCIA Ignacio Jassa Haro chronicles a stunning new theatre and equally stunning production (Español) (English) |
EL REY QUE RABIÓ Teatro de la Zarzuela's new production of Chapí's satirical romance gets a vote from Ignacio Jassa Haro (Español) (English) |
| S.O.S FOR CATALAN
SARSUELA "Cançó d’amor i de guerra" at Sabadell prompts some strong reflections from Ignacio Jassa Haro (Español) (English) |
A
CARNIVAL OF VICE Enrique Mejías García, notorious addict to the vice of zarzuela, reports from Leganés on a most unusual double-bill (Español) (English) |
| CALIPSO Francisco Arderius' fabled género bufo romp gets a eye and ear-opening Mérida revival. Review by Ignacio Jassa Haro (Español) (English) |
LOS SOBRINOS DEL CAPITÁN
GRANT Still going strong, 139 years on! Seasons' Greetings from Enrique Mejías García (Español) (English) |
| LUISA FERNANDA Luisa comes home to Madrid with Domingo, Montiel and Bros in a stellar vocal evening. Review by Christopher Webber |
ADIÓS A LA BOHEMIA / BLACK, EL
PAYASO Roll up to the Big Top for the Teatro Español's thrillingly imaginative Sorozábal double bill. Review by Ignacio Jassa Haro (Español) (English) |
| SUNDAY IN THE PARK... with Enrique García Asensio and the Banda Sinfónica, a Madrid tradition maintained. Christopher Webber takes the air |
NOCHE DE VERANO EN LA VERBENA DE LA
PALOMA New space, new look for an old classic... Enrique Mejías García at the opening of El Escorial's stunning new theatre (Español) (English) |
| El
BARBERILLO DE LAVAPIÉS Christopher Webber on Calixto Bieito's latest tangle with the traditionalists (Español) (English) |
LUIS
ALONSO The last new production of the year at Teatro de la Zarzuela, reviewed by Enrique Mejías García (Español) (English) |
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| CD, DVD reviews |
| CD MAGAZINE New and reissued recordings from Spain, Europe and America - Zarzuela, Spanish and Hispanic American Opera and composers |
IL BURBERO DI BUON
CUORE A brilliant libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, with music to match by ... well, not Soler's. DVD review of a Teatro Real rarity. |
| JUAN JOSÉ ON
CD Pablo Sorozábal's late opera in Musikene's new box set. Christopher Webber reviews this splendidly gritty "Wozzeck Madrileño" (Español) (English) |
KATIUSKA ON
DVD Sorozábal's earliest zarzuela given the Sagi treatment ... a sumptuous musical and visual feast from Bilbao's Teatro Arriaga (Español) (English) |
| BALADA'S COLUMBUS
OPERAS Dignified diptych from a celebrated Catalan-American, with Caballe and Carreras at the helm. Christopher Webber reviews... |
CHUECA ON
NOVOSON Ian Brown is only damply enthusiastic about this reissue from the Alhambra classic zarzuela series, from Novoson |
| CLASSIC
CHAPÍ Delightful picture book / cd souvenir of Teatro de la Zarzuela's "Música clásica" from Fundación Caja Madrid (Español) (English) |
PARTY
POOPER Marina Bollaín's salsa street party Verbena may be a hit, but for Christopher Webber the sangria turns sour (Español) (English) |
| ARGENTA RISES
AGAIN Ian Brown reports on an important reissue from Argenta's classic zarzuela series, by small independent Novoson (Español) (English) |
A JOB FOR THE
BOYS After their CD triumph with Torregrosa, the virtuoso trebles of El Escorial tackle Chueca, with fantastic aplomb (Español) (English) |
| IN THE MUSTY MUSIC
ROOM Christopher Webber reports on the search for fool's gold ... a batch of Spanish Italian operas (that's right) by Martín, García and Arrieta - and a refreshing zarzueloid novelty by Castel (Español) (English) |
LA TEMPRANICA
(DG) A triumph for María Bayo, and a new benchmark recording. DG's failure to distribute it worldwide, then, is "sad, mad and bad". (Español) (English) |
| ALONSO'S CURRO EL DE
LORA "the most important zarzuela recording of the last twenty years". Ignacio Jassa Haro reviews... (Español) (English) |
ENSAMBLE DE MADRID -
ZARZUELA EN FORMATO DE CÁMARA VOLS 2 + 3 Two further volumes in a delightful series of sextet arrangements (Español) (English) |
| MONCKTON
- SONGS FROM THE SHOWS Highly influential worldwide (not least on the opereta-zarzuela) Monckton's Edwardian show songs come up fresh as paint in a desirable compilation from Hyperion (Español) (English) |
ZARZUELA FOR
KIDS? A new disc of Spanish songs from the boys of Escolania del Escorial has a fascinating filler - a children's zarzuela from 1903! (Español) (English) |
| SHORT
REVIEW ROUNDUP 2007 CDs which slipped through the zarzuela.net, including a recital by Manuel Sirera, tonadillas by Manuel García, and a José Bros / María Gallego gala (Español) (English) |
BRETÓN: WORKS
FOR PIANO TRIO A sunny new version of Bretón's little-known chamber repertoire from Naxos |
| ZARZUELA
BALADA Hangman, Hangman! and its sequel, cartoon ballad-operas by Catalan-American Leonardo Balada, reviewed on stage in Madrid, and on Naxos CD (Español) (English) |
TOLDRÀ - EL
GIRAVOLT DE MAIG One of the hidden treasures of Catalan stage music in a beautiful new recording from Harmonia Mundi France (Español) (English) |
| GOTTSCHALK
ORCHESTRAL WORKS (NAXOS) Featuring the composer's only surviving stage work, the tonadilla Escenas Campestras Cubanas |
ZARZUELAS Four complete "classic" recordings from Naïve, bargain-boxed in one slimline package. How do they stack up? (Español) (English) |
| ROLANDO
VILLAZÓN - GITANO Andrew Lamb welcomes a winning recital CD/DVD from Virgin Classics, involving two great tenors for the price of one! (Español) (English) |
LA
ZARZUELA + POP Fab concept, but do contents match the smart packaging? Christopher Webber finds it about as sexy as a bathful of dead newts |
| [ all reviews in CD MAGAZINE ] |
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| ZARZUELA IN
SECOND LIFE Metaverse TV present the first, live global lecture on zarzuela - Sunday 28 February at 3pm Pacific Time! |
THE FONT MARCO
FAMILY - ILLUMINATING ZARZUELA The famous family of Compañía Lírica Dolores Marco - Montserrat, María Dolores, Amelia, Lorenzo y Eva - talking with Pedro Gómez Manzanares (Español) (English) |
| CLASSIC
CHAPÍ Delightful picture book / cd souvenir of Teatro de la Zarzuela's "Música clásica" from Fundación Caja Madrid(English) (Español) |
LUIS VARELA Key actor in Spanish contemporary theatre, in conversation with Pedro Gómez Manzanares (English) (Español) |
| CARMEN
GONZÁLEZ "The Good Fairy of The Zarzuela", Madrid's beloved soprano talks freely to Pedro Gómez Manzanares (Español) (English) |
THE DESERT
BLOOMS Mary Montaño on the fascinating history of zarzuela in New Mexico (Español) (English) |
| CUBAN
ZARZUELA Christopher Webber's full review of Susan Thomas's new study - an "enlightening and indispensable book" (Español) (English) |
ANTONIO
GARCÍA GUTIÉRREZ The wild young tiger who wrote the play behind Verdi's "Il Trovatore" and grew into the respected literary lion of La Zarzuela |
| FEDERICO
CHUECA ONE HUNDRED YEARS ON On June 20th 1908, Federico Chueca, El alma de Madrid, died in his beloved city. CHRISTOPHER WEBBER examines the work and reputation of "the great original of zarzuela composers" one hundred years on (Español) (English) |
CAFÉ
CON CHUECA Our Madrid team, IGNACIO JASSA HARO and ENRIQUE MEJÍAS GARCÍA, meet to discuss "Chueca Year" with a generous helping of reviews, production photos, opinions... (Español) (English) |
| LUIS
ÁLVAREZ the "aristocrat of the zarzuela" - a beloved Spanish baritone in interview with Pedro Gómez Manzanares (Español) (English) |
LOS CHICOS
DE LA ESCUELA Complete texts and translations of Torregrosa and "Quinito" Valverde's one-act zarzuela, written in 1903 for performance by a children's company. |
| SGAE
ARCHIVE Pedro Gómez Manzanares analyses archives, to discover the state and progress of zarzuela today (Español) (English) |
LA
GENERALA: WHEN VIENNA COMES TO MADRID ANDREW LAMB's comprehensive article was written for the programme of Emilio Sagi's new Teatro de la Zarzuela production, where it appears in Spanish translation. Here is the English original... |
| LEDORIA GUIDES
REVIEWED José Prieto Marugán provides excellent companion books for La parranda and El huésped del Sevillano (Español) (English) |
ROBERT
POURVOYEUR The passing of the great international zarzuela aficionado is marked by Andrew Lamb's personal appreciation |
| CRISTÓBAL OUDRID A short biographical article on one of the founding fathers of the romantic zarzuela.Also new, a synopsis and introduction to his zarzuela BUENAS NOCHES SEÑOR DON SIMÓN |
EL
PUDÍN NEGRO DE STORNOWAY An intriguing mix of genres, Torregrosa's neglected comedy classic deserves swift revival - full notes and synopsis (December 28th 2007) |
| STILL GOING
STRONG 150 YEARS ON? "Dr" Ignacio Jassa Haro administers an in-depth examination of the state of zarzuela today (Español) (English) |
ANTOINE LE DUC "La Zarzuela - Voyage autour du théâtre lyrique national espagnol" expands on the author's excellent earlier writing. Christopher Webber reviews the new book |
| A VISIT TO
OVIEDO Andrew Lamb finds plenty to relish in and out of the theatre, at Asturia's 14th Zarzuela Festival |
AN ARCHIVE
FOR EVERYONE With 10,000 priceless zarzuela scores, there's much more to CEDOA's work than mere conservation.We meet Director, María Luz González Peña (Español) (English) |
| ENRIQUE
DEL PORTAL The singer's recent award of the Premio Romero gave Pedro Gómez Manzanares the chance to meet a much-loved stalwart of zarzuela (Español) (English) |
BRINGING
DIGNITY TO ZARZUELA Ignacio Jassa Haro meets Professor Emilio Casares Rodicio, the powerful director of ICCMU (Español) (English) |
| ¡
MILAGROS ! The current "Muse of Zarzuela", soprano Milagros Martín, in conversation with Pedro Gómez Manzanares (Español) (English) |
JOSÉ JULIÁN FRONTAL One of the brightest stars in the baritonal firmament relaxes with Enrique Mejías García (Español) (English) |
| MIGUEL
ROA "I feel anguish when I have to make decisions about other people's bread." The celebrated conductor talks with Pedro Gómez Manzanares (Español) (English) |
INÉS RIVADENEIRA The famous Spanish mezzo-soprano in conversation with Enrique Mejías García and Raúl Asenjo (Español) (English) |
| JESÚS CASTEJÓN. The leading
actor, singer - and director of the new production of EL ASOMBRO DE DAMASCO at
Teatro de la Zarzuela, in conversation with Ignacio Jassa Haro (Español) (English) |
JOSÉ PERERA The legendary founder of Coro Cantores de Madrid grants a rare interview to Pedro Gómez Manzanares (Español) (English) |
| THE
ZARZUELA COMPANION "The value of this work for English speakers is incalculable." Christopher Webber's book reviewed by Pablo Zinger |
|
| [ more features in ARCHIVE ] | ZARZUELA
CENSORED! "Spanish Troubles Old and New" a report from EÑAUT OTAZO ALZA |
| News |
| JUAN
JOSÉ The long-delayed premiere of Pablo Sorozábal's "popular lyric drama" announced for Donostia/San Sebastián and Madrid (Español) (English) |
CHAPÍ CENTENARY EVENTS Good news for opera fans - less for zarzueleros |
| CHAPÍ
YEAR Ópera Cómica de Madrid has announced a bumper bundle of important revivals of Ruperto Chapí's zarzuelas, during his centennial year... |
PASIÓN! When Calixto Bieito directs a zarzuela gala, expect more than the customary costume gallery of teeth and smiles. At Theater Basel from next month... |
| TEATRO DE
.... LA ZARZUELA?? Enrique Mejías García wonders, as Luis Olmos and Juan Carlos Marset present details of the theatre's 2008/9 season (Español) (English) |
LUIS
G.IBERNI The death in Madrid has been announced of an inspiring teacher, writer and man (December 3, 2007) (Español) (English) |
| PABLO SOROZÁBAL
SERRANO The death has been announced in Madrid of Pablo Sorozábal's only son, Pablo. A brief obituary... |
MANUEL AUSENSI The great Spanish opera and zarzuela baritone, whose death in Barcelona has been announced. Brief obituaries (Español) (English) (2/9/05) |
| [ more news in ARCHIVE] |
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| Older features, news articles and stage
reviews can be found in the ARCHIVE section |