Opera in Venezuela

In Venezuela, since the opening of the Teatro Caracas and, earlier, the Teatro Maderero (then called Teatro de la Zarzuela), there has been a great lyrical tradition ranging from serious opera to operetta, zarzuela, and Spanish musical reviews.

History

The first Venezuelan opera was ''El maestro Rufo Zapatero'' an opera buffa composed in 1848 by José María Osorio. ''Virginia'' by José Ángel Montero (sometimes incorrectly called the first Venezuelan opera) debuted in 1877, under the auspices of Antonio Guzmán Blanco. Another major early Venezuelan opera composer was Reynaldo Hahn, who was greatly influenced by his teacher Jules Massenet. He greatly expanded the genre of French operetta, of which ''Ciboulette'' was his most famous work; he also composed operas as ''Le Merchand de Venise''.

Before the foregoing had occurred, José María Osorio had composed early zarzuelas. The first Venezuelan zarzuela to debut, however, was José Ángel Montero's ''Los alemanes en Italia'', in the 1860s. Montero also debuted the zarzuelas ''El Cumpleaños de Leonor'', ''El Charlatán Mudo'', ''La Modista'', and many others. Another major zarzuela composer was Pedro Elías Gutiérrez, who used Venezuelan rhythms. His most important work was perhaps ''Alma Llanera'', with lyrics by Rafael Bolívar Coronado.

In the 20th century, Caracas had a rich cultural tradition. Teatro Maderero, Teatro Caracas, and the more modern Teatro Nacional and Teatro Municipal competed for the public's attention. The Teatro Maderero and Teatro Caracas, after the construction of the latter two, played a secondary role and were nearly always used for popular musical acts, such as reviews and fandango. The Teatro Nacional was the theater for the country's finest zarzuela, while the Municipal typically staged Italian, German and French works, which were more serious. Today Venezuelan operas are typically held in the Teatro Teresa Carreño.

Contemporary Venezuelan opera composers include María Luisa Escobar, whose works include ''Kanaime'', ''Orquídeas Azules'', and ''Princesa Girasol''. Other important composers are Hector Pellegatti (author of the ''verismo'' opera ''El Negro Miguel'' with lyrics by Pedro Blanco Vilariño), Alexis Rago (author of ''El Páramo'', ''Miranda'', and ''Froilán el Infausto''), Eric Colon (author of '' El Caballero de Ledesma''), Federico Ruíz (author of the famous opera buffa ', with a libretto by Aquiles Nazoa).

Other recent premieres include the opera ''Gertrudis'' by Gerardo Gerulewicz, with a libretto by , which premiered in concert and in full stage production in Caracas, Venezuela.

Venezuelan-American composer Sylvia Constantinidis who has written music and libretto for several lyrical works: two dramatic contemporary operas, ''Araminta'' and ''Afrodita''; one experimental short opera, ''Aurora''; and three children operas, ''Lincoln'', ''Ponce de Leon'', and ''The First ThanksGiving''. Some scenes from ''Araminta'' were premiered in concert in England 2017. ''Afrodita'' was premiered in concert in England 2015 and in Miami, USA, also in 2015. ''Aurora'', the experimental short opera, was premiered in England in 2011. The three children operas: ''Lincoln'', ''Ponce de Leon'', and ''The First ThanksGiving'', were all premiered in Florida, USA, in 2001, 2002, and 2003. For these three children operas Constantinidis received the Educator of Note Award 2003 by the Ethel and W. George Kennedy Family Foundation, and the Young Patronesses of the Opera, the Florida Grand Opera.

Venezuelan lyric singers

The sopranos Fedora Alemán, Cecilia Nuñez, Flor García, Aurra Cipriani, Reyna Calanche, Leila Mastrocola, , Beatriz Michelena, Carmen Hurtado, , Margot Pares-Reyna, Rosita del Castillo, Rosa Savoini, Alba Simara, , Thays Vergara and Lola Linares, mezzosopranos Morella Muñoz, Nancy Fabiola Herrera, Teresa Carreño, Mariela Valladares, and Aida Navarro, contralto , the tenors Fernando Michelena, Alfredo Sadel, , , Nico Castel, Rubén Domínguez, Ruben Malnez, Idwer Alvarez, Manuel Pérez, David Hidalgo, Eduardo Melgar, Edgar Bastidas, Sergio Duran, Julio Felce, Gregory Pino, Ugo Corsetti, Francisco Morales and Blas Martínez, baritones Ramón Iriarte, Francisco Salazar, William Alvarado, Sergio Daniele, Gaspar Colón Moleiro and , Jorge Páez and bass Daniel Bendahan, Claudio Muskus, Pedro Liendo, , Samuel Jones, Yunis Sujur and Carlos Maury.

Venezuelan conductors

Atanasio Bello Montero, Ángel Sauce, Gustavo Dudamel, Primo Casale, Angelo Pagliucca, , Eduardo Marturet, Eduardo Rahn, , Cesar Ivan Lara, Rafael Payare, Rodolfo Saglimbeni, Teresa Carreño, , .

See also

*Opera in Latin America

References

{{Americas topic, Opera in

Venezuela
Music of Venezuela