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October 2015
Sibling Rivalries – Zarzuela and Operetta
Lecturer / Conferenciante : Christopher Webber (author, 'The Zarzuela Companion') Lecture in English / Conferencia en castellano ABSTRACT / RESUMEN Dictionaries usually define zarzuela as “Spanish operetta,” yet its formal variety and diverse subject matter – encompassing everything from low farce to bloody tragedy – make such a tempting equation impossible. This talk tells the tangled tale of La zarzuela’s love-hate relationship with her sunny, younger sister La opereta. The Merry Widow, H.M.S. Pinafore, and even Man of La Mancha…
Find out more »From El Cid to twelve-tone technique: the vocal music of Spanish exiled composers
Lecturer / Conferenciante: Eva Moreda (University of Glasgow) Lecture in English / Conferencia en inglés ABSTRACT / RESUMEN A significant contingent of artists and intellectuals fled Spain during or shortly after the Spanish Civil War, and musicians were no exception. In Mexico, Argentina, France, England, Cuba, Uruguay and other countries, many Spanish composers, performers and musicologists contributed decisively to the musical life of their home countries and saw their work take directions which were sometimes unexpected. This talk will assess…
Find out more »November 2015
Ser o no ser de un Director de Zarzuela en el Siglo XXI
Lecturer / Conferenciante: Jorge de Juan (director, 'The Spanish Theatre Company') Lecture in Spanish / Conferencia en castellano ABSTRACT / RESUMEN Un recorrido por las puestas en escena tradicionales y los intentos por modernizar el género chico. ¿Género chico? ¿Transgredir? ¿Modernizar? ¿Actualizar? ¿Se puede atraer a la gente joven con puestas en escenas innovadoras? ¿Cómo conseguir que un público cultivado como el británico se interese por este género tan español? ¿Hay interés por parte de las instituciones españolas en considerar…
Find out more »Razones de estado: El Quijote en la zarzuela
Lecturer / Conferenciante: Begoña Lolo (Directora del Centro Superior de Investigación y Promoción de la Música de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid) Lecture in Spanish / Conferencia en castellano ABSTRACT / RESUMEN El Quijote fue desde el primer momento de su publicación una obra muy utilizada por los compositores europeos como tema de inspiración, en todo tipo de repertorios, a lo largo de los siglos. Francia, Inglaterra, Alemania e Italia, inmediatamente utilizaron la obra a medida que se fueron produciendo…
Find out more »October 2017
Songs at Six: Murillo at 400
A rich and varied programme of songs and images celebrating four hundred years of the birth of Murillo in 1617. Guildhall postgraduate singers perform settings of Spanish Golden-Age lyrics by Joaquín Turina, Eduard Toldrá, Joaquín Rodrigo, Joaquín Nin, Amadeo Vives, Fernando Obradors and Frederic Mompou against a vibrant backdrop of some of Murillo's finest drawings and paintings. Curated by Ricardo Gosalbo and Professor Barry Ife. Kindly supported by:
Find out more »November 2017
Music and exile in Francoist Spain
LECTURE-RECITAL: PRESENTATION OF EVA MOREDA'S BOOKS: 'Music and exile in Francoist Spain' and 'Music Criticism and Music Critics in Early Francoist Spain', published by Oxford University Press Lecturer: Prof. EVA MOREDA (University of Glasgow) 17th November 2017 7pm at Kings College London, room SWB 21 The Civil War and the subsequent exile is often understood as a divide between the so-called 'two-Spains'; in this talk, however, I would like to approach the issue from a different perspectives and explore the…
Find out more »March 2018
Francisco de Goya in love and song
Lecture-recital with Dr Jacqueline Cockburn, Karen Schriesheim (soprano), Jorge Navarro Colorado (tenor) and Dan Bovey (classical guitar) Programme to include: Fernando Sor (1778-1839) - Cesa de atormentarme - Mis descuidados ojos - El que quisiera amando - Puede una buena moza Enrique Granados (1867-1916) - Callejeo (from ‘Tonadillas en estilo antiguo’) - El majo olvidado (from ‘Tonadillas en estilo antiguo’) - El mirar de la maja (from ‘Tonadillas en estilo antiguo’) - El majo tímido (from ‘Tonadillas en estilo antiguo’)…
Find out more »May 2019
(Dis)embodied singers in Cervantes
Given that printed texts don’t come with sound effects, it’s not obvious why characters in novels are made to speak, let alone sing; and when they do, what are we supposed to hear? Cervantes was clearly fascinated by the challenge of ‘writing singing’ and returned to the problem time and again. In the majority of cases he wrote singing as a performance in real time, with the (often lengthy) lyrics pasted into the main text of the novel. But this…
Find out more »April 2021
Bécquer 150
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (1836–1870) is widely considered the quintessential Spanish Romantic author. His poetry was crucial in the establishment of the Spanish Lied, and its impact on Spanish music has been far-reaching. The Becquerian song settings span over a century and feature breath-taking variety, offering unique insights into the evolution of Spanish art song. Ricardo Gosalbo directs this concert marking Bécquer's recent 150th anniversary with a programme of songs - including many UK premieres - by celebrated composers such as…
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