What is Zarzuela?
By Dr. Emilio Casares Rodicio - Professor Emeritus from the Complutense University of Madrid
Zarzuela is a beautiful art form of Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that switches between spoken and sung scenes encompassing rhythm and traditions blended with comical and musical styles, incorporating operatic and popular songs as well as dance. Zarzuela originated in Spain in the 17th century
17th century
Its name comes from the Palacio de la Zarzuela, where the royal family resides. It was there that the first works of the great literary figure Calderon de la Barca were performed (El Golfo de las Sirenas and El Laurel de Apolo are the two main examples of this genre) effectively launching Zarzuela to the rest of Spain and the world.
The Zarzuela evolved during the 18th century and became entertainment for the general population during the middle of the 19th century. Zarzuela, because of this, has had a continuous history of metamorphosis and change from its birth until the present. This evolution is reflected in the more thar 10,000 works that were created in Spain, as well as the 4000 works created in Latin America. The Zarzuela genre covers all of Latin America as well as the Philippines, with a unique artistic synchronization with the Spanish peninsula.