Federico Moreno Torroba (3 March 189112 September 1982) was a Spanish composer, conductor, and theatrical

impresario An impresario (from the Italian ''impresa'', "an enterprise or undertaking") is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film or television producer. His ...

. He is especially remembered for his important contributions to the classical guitar repertoire, becoming one of the leading twentieth-century composers for the instrument. He was also one of the foremost composers of zarzuelas, a form of Spanish

light opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

. His 1932 zarzuela ''

Luisa Fernanda Luisa (Italian and Spanish), Luísa ( Portuguese) or Louise (French) is a feminine given name; it is the feminine form of the given name Louis (Luis), the French form of the Frankish Chlodowig (German Ludwig), from the Germanic elements ''hlo ...

'' has proved to be enduringly popular. In addition, he composed

ballets Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

, symphonic works, and piano pieces, as well as one-act operas and one full-length opera, '' El poeta'', which premiered in 1980, starring well-known tenor

Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French ...

. Moreno Torroba also ran his own zarzuela company, which toured extensively, especially in

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

Biography and career

Over the course of his long career, Moreno Torroba composed many works, both in traditional Spanish forms and for the concert hall. He is often associated with the zarzuela, a traditional Spanish musical form. He achieved his greatest success in the 1930s with the zarzuelas ''

'' (1932) and ''La Chulapona'' (1934). Directing several

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

companies, Moreno Torroba helped introduce the zarzuela to international audiences. In 1946 he formed a zarzuela company with singers Plácido Domingo Ferrer and Pepita Embil, the parents of

and close friends of his. The company toured

for two years, becoming particularly popular in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. The composer who was identified from the beginning with the phalanx, to be on the national side. decided to go to America in 1946 to avoid the economic and food shortages of the postwar Spain. Moreno Torroba also composed operas, of which ''La Virgen de Mayo'' (1925) and '' El poeta'' (1980) with Plácido Domingo in the title role, are his best known. In addition to his vocal works, he is well known for his compositions for the classical guitar, many of which were dedicated to either Maria Angélica Funes or

Andrés Segovia Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña (21 February 1893 – 2 June 1987) was a Spanish virtuoso classical guitarist. Many professional classical guitarists were students of Segovia or their students. Segovia's contribution to the m ...

. Although he did not play the guitar himself he had a deep understanding of the instrument, according to the virtuoso Pepe Romero. He also frequently conducted. Torroba is also the composer of Cuban Boy, the

Frank Chacksfield Francis Charles Chacksfield (9 May 1914 – 9 June 1995) was an English pianist, organist, composer, arranger, and conductor of popular light orchestral easy listening music, who had great success in Britain and internationally in the 1950s and e ...

recorded version of which is known as the theme tune for the BBC Scotland comedy show Still Game.

Works

Operas

*''La Virgen de Mayo'', 1 act (1925) *'' El poeta'', 4 acts (1980)

Zarzuelas

*''La Mesonera de Tordesillas'' (1925) *''La Marchenera'' (1928) *''Azabache'' (1932) *''

'' (1932) *''Xuanón'' (1933) *''La Chulapona'' (1934) *''Sor Navarra'' (1938) *''Maravilla'' (1941) *''El Duende azul'' (1946, with Rodrigo) *''Baile en Capitanía'' (1960) *''Ella'' (1966)

Ballets

*''Fantasía de Levante'' (1957) *''Don Quixote'' (1970) *''El Hijo pródigo'' (1976) *''Cristo, luz del mundo'' (1978)

Orchestral works

(see below for works with guitar) *''La Ajorca de oro'' (1918) *''Zoraida'' (1919) *''Suite madrileña'' (1953) *''Mosaico sevillano'' (1954) *''Aires vascos'' (1956) *''Danzas asturianas'' (1956) *''San Fermín'' (1960) *''Eritaña'' (1979) *''Sonatina trianera'' (1980) *''Fantasía castellana'' (1980) for piano and orchestra

Guitar works

Solo *''Sonatina'' (1924) *''Nocturno'' (1926) *''Suite castellana'' (1926). Contains: 1. ''Fandanguillo''; 2. ''Arada''; 3. ''Danza''. *''Preludio'' (1928) *''Burgalesa'' (1928) *''Piezas características'' (1931). Contains: 1. ''Preámbulo''; 2. ''Oliveras''; 3. ''Melodía''; 4. ''Albada''; 5. ''Los Mayos''; 6. ''Panorama''. *''Sonata-Fantasía'' (early 1950s) *''Madrileñas'' (1953) *''Zapateados'' (1953) *''Segoviana'' (1956) *''Sevillana'' (1956) *''Once obras'' (1966) *''Habanera de mi niña'' (1966) *''Castillos de España'' ("Castles of Spain") (vol. 1, 1970; vol. 2, 1978). Contains:

Sigüenza Sigüenza () is a city in the Serranía de Guadalajara comarca, Province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. History The site of the ancient ''Segontia'' ('dominating over the valley') of the Celtiberian Arevaci, now called ('old to ...

Manzanares el Real Manzanares el Real is a 8,936 inhabitant town (2020 statistics fro in the northern area of the autonomous Community of Madrid. It is located at the foot of The Pedriza, a part of the Sierra de Guadarrama, and next to the ''embalse de Santillana' ...

, Alba de Tormes,

Montemayor Montemayor is a city located in the province of Córdoba, Spain. According to the 2006 census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is u ...

(Romance de los Pinos),

Alcañiz Alcañiz () is a town and municipality of Teruel province in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. The town is located on the banks of the river Guadalope. Alcañiz is the unofficial capital of the Lower Aragon historical region. It lies ...

Javier Javier may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Javier, in video game ''Advance Wars: Dual Strike'' * Javier Rios, a character in the Monsters, Inc. franchise. * Javier (album), ''Javier'' (album), a 2003 album by the American singer Javier ...

, Torija,

Simancas Simancas is a town and municipality of central Spain, located in the province of Valladolid, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is situated approximately 10 km southwest of the provincial capital Valladolid, on the ro ...

Zafra Zafra () is a town situated in the Province of Badajoz (Extremadura, Spain), and the capital of the comarca of Zafra - Río Bodión. It has a population of 16,677, according to the 2011 census. Zafra is the hometown of Fray Ruy Lopez, author ...

, Turégano, Redaba, Alcázar de Segovia, Olite, Calatrava. *''Tríptico'' (1973) *''Las Puertas de Madrid'' (1976). Contains: ''Puerta de San Vicente''; ''Puerta de Moros''; ''Puerta de Toledo''; ''Puerta de Alcalá''; ''Puerta del Ángel''; ''Puerta Cerrada''; ''Puerta de Hierro''. *''Aires de

La Mancha La Mancha () is a natural and historical region located in the Spanish provinces of Albacete, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, and Toledo. La Mancha is an arid but fertile plateau (610 m or 2000 ft) that stretches from the mountains of Toledo to th ...

'' *''Madroños'' *''Serenata Burlesca'' *''Siete Piezas de Álbum''. Contains: ''Chisperada''; ''Rumor de Copla''; ''Minueto del Majo''; ''¡Ay, Malagueña!''; ''Aire Vasco''; ''Segoviana''; ''Bolero Menorquín''. *''Sonatina y variación in E minor'' *''Suite miniatura''. Contains: ''Llamada''; ''Tremolo''; ''Vals''; ''Divertimento''. Guitar with orchestra *''Concerto de Castilla'' (1960) *''Homenaje a la seguidilla'' (1962) *''Tres nocturnos'' (1970) *''Concerto ibérico'' (1976) *''Diálogos'' (1977) Guitar quartets *''Ráfagas'' (1976) *''Estampas'' (1979) *''Sonata-Fantasía II'' (1976) *''Sonata trianera'' (1980)

Piano works

*''Apetits pas'' (1913) *''El Mate'' (1915) *''Alegrías de Cadiz'' (1957) *''Fandango corralero'' (1957) *''Torerías'' (1957) *''Chucares'' (1958) *''Noche sevillana'' (1959)

Recordings with Moreno Torroba as conductor or performer

LP

*Mosaico Andaluz – Orquesta De Conciertos De Madrid, Director y arreglador F. Moreno Torroba (Sello Hispavox, Año 1958. 45 R.P.M.) *Recordando El Ayer – Orquesta Federico Moreno Torroba (1961) *La Voz de su Amo – Isabel Rivas, Luis Sagi-Vela, Tino Pardo, Ramón Alonso, Rosa Sarmiento, Mari Carmen Ramírez, Matilde Garcés, Enrique del Portal, Luis Frutos, Ana M.ª Amengual. Coro Cantores de Madrid, dir.: José Perera. Orquesta Lírica Española, dir.: Federico Moreno Torroba. (1968) *Federico Moreno Torroba – Banda De Pasodobles De Madrid – Lp Pasodobles Toretos – RCA 1958 *Ultimos Exitos De Lola Flores. Acompañada Por F. Moreno Torroba Y Su Orquestra *Luisa Fernanda – Moreno Torroba *Corrida De Toros Con Oles *María ManuelaMaría Manuela
/ref> *Moreno Torroba: Homenaje A La Seguidilla c/w Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Guitar Concerto In D, Op. 99. Ángel Romero, ECO, Federico Moreno Torroba. EMI: ASD 4171.

CD

* Luisa Fernanda. Moreno Torroba conducts, 1932. (Blue Moon, BMCD 7504) * Azabache – Xuanon – Maria La Tempranica. Moreno Torroba conducts. (Blue Moon, BMCD 7544) * La Caramba – Maravilla – La Ilustre Moza. Moreno Torroba conducts. (Blue Moon, BMCD 7526)

References

Literature

* Clark, Walter Aaron – Krause, William Craig: ''Federico Moreno Torroba: A Musical Life in Three Acts.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. .

External links

*
Luisa Fernanda Zarzuela, Aria of Umbrellas
(YouTube)
Mazurca of the umbrellas
(YouTube)

by Enrique Pardo Canalís (Boletín de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Segundo semestre de 1982. Número 55.
Articles from ''ABC Sevilla'' and ''ABC Madrid'' etc.
br />click on ▸ BUSQUEDA AVANZADA (in small white letters, at the right-hand side) **''El Maestro Moreno Torroba, 85 Anos de Juventud''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moreno Torroba, Federico 1891 births 1982 deaths Musicians from Madrid Spanish classical composers Spanish male classical composers Composers for the classical guitar 20th-century classical composers Spanish opera composers Male opera composers 20th-century Spanish composers 20th-century Spanish male musicians