Opera, Zarzuela, and Musical Theater: History and Composers

History of the Opera

As early as in Western civilizations such as ancient Greece, musical representations appeared linked to the theater. In the Baroque period, with the birth of opera around the year 1600, the final union between music and theater was consolidated.

Composer and his work: Puccini's La Boheme.

What is a Libretto and an Opera Librettist?

The stories told in operas are adapted so they can be sung. This version is called a libretto, and its authors are the librettists.

Zarzuela: Origins and Name

In the seventeenth century, a stage musical genre called zarzuela began in Spain. It was named after the hunting lodge of the Zarzuela Palace, due to the large number of brambles (zarzas in Spanish) that surrounded it.

Notable Zarzuela Composers

Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, Francisco Barbieri, and Tomas Breton.

Opera vs. Zarzuela

• Zarzuela is an exclusively Spanish genre, while opera is an international genre.
• Opera is completely sung, while zarzuela alternates sung passages with spoken scenes.
• Both the arguments and music of zarzuela have a more popular and folk character than opera.

What is Musical Theater?

It is a simple story told through dialogue and catchy songs, with the addition of choreographed dance and striking stage effects.

Famous Musical Theater Composers

Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Musical Theater: Broadway Musicals

The genre of musical theater has also been named Broadway musical, due to the concentration of these shows in this area of New York.

Latin Music: Styles, Instruments, and Musicians

The term Latin music is often used to define the mix of sounds and rhythms so varied that are found in Latin America.

• Styles: Mambo, cha-cha, merengue, Cuban son, jazz fusion.
• Instruments: Percussion (congas, pans, guiro, claves), wind (metals and saxes).
• Relevant Musicians: Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Carlos Santana, Ruben Blades, Willie Colon, and so on.