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Bravo!
Preview
of Latin American Arts Festival this weekend
Spanish
zarzuela puts a different twist on classical opera by
incorporating upbeat music and spoken dialogue.
By Ferrell
Fields
Staff Reporter
An authentic Spanish zarzuela which combines sophisticated
musical ensembles and comedic characters will be performed
this weekend by the TCU School of Music and its opera
program.
Zarzuelas differ from traditional operas because most
of the dialogue is spoken and the musical numbers don’t
necessarily advance the story, said Richard Estes, director
of TCU’s opera program.
“Zarzuela is to Spain what Broadway is to the U.S.,”
Estes said.
“Opera doesn’t have a be a stuffy, boring production.
The zarzuela incorporates a more popular style of music
that is ethnically driven,” said TJ Hoffman, a junior
music education major.
“Agua, Azucarillos y Aguardiente” will be performed
at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Ed Landreth Auditorium
and at 3 p.m. Sunday. The event serves as a preview performance
for the Latin American Arts Festival in April.
The zarzuela is filled with comedic dialogue and upbeat
music that will be amusing from beginning to end, Estes
said.
“Agua, Azucarillos y Aguardiente” is set in
Madrid’s Recoletos Gardens in 1897. It depicts the
struggles faced by the common people during an economic
depression. The message of the zarzuela is how to enjoy
life when life is hard, Estes said.
The second half of the program will feature Colombian
soprano Martha Gutierrez performing excerpts from other
zarzuelas.
Ryan McFarland, a freshman vocal performance major, said
it’s an honor to have someone with so much experience
with zarzuelas be a part of the production.
Chelsea Coyne, a freshman vocal performance major, said
people have misconceptions about the opera but the zarzuela
provides a good example of how opera can be fun and lighthearted.
The production will feature a cast of 24 singers in full
costume and will be accompanied by the TCU Symphony Orchestra.
Dialogue will be in English and the lyrics will be sung
in Spanish with English translations projected above the
stage.
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Sarah
Chacko/Photo Editor
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| Richard
Estes, director of the TCU opera program, and other
singers assist senior music major Andrea Pate with
her costume at rehearsal Tuesday night. |
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