2 replies to this topic

[cubanmiamiboy]

Back in the 30's and 40's Cuba was a very reach soil for the development of the lyric genre "zarzuela". Some of its most famous composers were Gonzalo Roig, Ernesto Lecuona and Rodrigo Prats. The Cuban zarzuelas usually had in its center a racially mixed female heroine usually in the middle of big turmoils regarding the complex situation of racially mixed, forbidden love affairs during the slavery ridden XIX Century Cuban society. One of the most beautiful of this works is Gonzalo Roig's 1932 Cecilia Valdes. This is a two acts zarzuela with libretto by Agustin Rodríguez and José Sánchez-Arcilla, based on the 1839 novel "Cecilia Valdés o la Loma del Angel" by Cirilo Villaverde. The storyline is, as usual, about forbidden love, racial issues, revenge and murder in the colonial Cuban society of the early XIX century.
After a long hiatus Cecilia Valdes proudly comes back to the Cubans in Miami in a major revival by Sociedad Pro Arte Gratelli, a group of hard working opera singers who since the very early exile days of the 60's have been tirelessly working to preserve the best of our lyric traditions.
I, of course, will be there and will report back. BRAVO!

Cecilia Valdes by Gonzalo Roig-(by Alina Sanchez)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqsYbAd-eus

Amalia Batista by Rodrigo Prats-(Maite Milian)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPvv1M6FHgU&feature=related

Rosa La China by Ernesto Lecuona-( Hortensia Coalla)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty5AfF-k6mY&playnext=1&list=PL8EEE5D7994DE282F

Maria Belen Chacon by Rodrigo Prats-(Anzeina Lopez)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vep4hoz2O8Q

[Helene]

I love Lecuona's music. I didn't know that zarzuela was created anywhere but Spain. Many thanks for this, Cristian!

(Argh, I want to live everywhere at once...)

[cubanmiamiboy]

I love Lecuona's music. I didn't know that zarzuela was created anywhere but Spain. Many thanks for this, Cristian!

(Argh, I want to live everywhere at once...)

Oh, Lecuona is DIVINE, Helene! He created some of the most beautiful Cuban music ever. He's such a venerated name within the island that even having been among the first ones to go into exile and even stating in his testament that under no circumstances would it be permited for his remains to be taken back to the island while the country continued to be ruled under Communism, it was completely impossible for the government to silence his ouvre. He's a real national treasure.

Lecuona's "Cuban Rapsody"


Lecuona's "Tengo un nuevo amor" with Maria de los Angeles Santana


Lecuona's Romanza from his Zarzuela "Maria la O" with Eglise Gutierrez