OPERETTA

 The zarzuela is a scenic genre that combines declamations, songs and instrumental parts. Its name comes from the Palacio de la Zarzuela , the place where this type of dramatic and musical work was performed for the first time. This palace was built in the 17th century by order of King Felipe IV as a hunting lodge and its name obeys the presence of brambles (also known as blackberries or blackberries).

The work of this genre and the lyrics or music of the same work are also called zarzuela. During colonial times, the zarzuela spread to America (in countries like Cuba and Venezuela ) and the Philippines (where it was combined with local forms and gave rise to the sarswela).

Considered a subgenre of the operetta, the zarzuela differs from it since its action takes place in a Spanish province and, in addition, it always includes a musical fragment inspired by the typical music of Spain.

Lope de Vega and Pedro Calderón de la Barca were some of the great writers who, in the early days of zarzuela, brought their genius to the genre. At that time the zarzuela was divided into a small genre (when they consisted of a single act) and a large genre (with two or more acts).

However, we must not overlook the figure of another series of important authors within the genre of zarzuela who left their deep mark on it during the period between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. This would be the case of the Madrid composer Federico Chueca.

Among his most significant works in this area we should highlight, for example, "Last year for water", "The white vest", "The Gran Vía", "The joy of the garden" or "Water, sugar and brandy".

In the same way, the Basque composer Pablo Sorozábal Mariezcurrena and the Toledo-born Jacinto Guerrero have also become indisputable figures within this artistic genre, who made such important works as “La del manojo de rosas” and “La rosa del azafrán” respectively.

One of the best known works in the field of zarzuela, which has managed to become a great classic, is the one entitled "La verbena de la Paloma". In 1894, taking as the stage the Apolo Theater in Madrid, it was when the one that is also known by the name of "The apothecary and the chulapas and badly repressed jealousy" was presented.

Ricardo de la Vega was the one who was in charge of writing the libretto while Tomás Bretón was the one who composed the music for this story that revolves around one of the best-known festivals in Madrid: the Verbena de la Paloma. In this context, a young man has an attack of jealousy when his girlfriend goes to the celebration in the company of an old apothecary.

The historical development of the zarzuela included the appearance of the zarzuelita, a genre that emerged in the 19th century and linked to the sainete.

It should be noted that zarzuela, in another sense, is a dish that consists of the combination of various kinds of fish and shellfish, seasoned with a sauce.