Comic opera by Manuel García in two acts. Libretto by the same composer based on the exemplary novel La gitanilla by Miguel de Cervantes. Composed in 1829.
Stage production, musical production, and soloists: Málaga Opera Studio
Artistic direction: Carlos Álvarez.
“Without a doubt, we are before the masterpiece of the Sevillian composer and renowned singer Manuel García. An internationally renowned artist in his time, he not only enjoyed tremendous success as a performer, being a favorite of Gioacchino Rossini himself, but also as a composer of excellent operas of great quality and virtuosity.
In recent years, we have witnessed a growing interest in his operas and have seen his legacy revived on national and international stages, with some of his most notable works having been performed: Don Chisciotte, La mort du Tasse, I tre gobbi, I cinesi….
On this occasion, we want to showcase his last great work, which has neither been officially published nor premiered in any theater in the world. The manuscript housed in the National Library of Paris shows us a powerful work structured in two acts with a succession of truly overwhelming arias, duets, trios, and concertantes. It is practically his last great work (he wrote it on the way to (a boat from Veracruz to Cádiz after a tour of Mexico) presents us with a mature work and surprises us with a fresh and brilliant compositional style that shows us that our beloved maestro García was aware of all the compositional trends of his time, not forgetting a scrupulous bel canto style in the purest “Rossinian” or even “Mozartian” style, but also well-versed in the new techniques of French grand opera that might remind us of Meyerbeer. And all this combined with the most typically Andalusian air of tonadillas, airs, and seguidillas that give it a typically “Hispanic” stamp.
However, what truly makes the opera El gitano por amor unique in its genre is that he composed it entirely in Spanish, including the cymbal recitatives, making it almost the first important opera in our language of the pre-Romantic era and anticipating by almost fifty years the “Spanish national opera” movement promoted by later composers such as Barbieri, Bretón, and Ruperto Chapí. We are undertaking the world premiere of this opera at the Malaga Opera Studio with great enthusiasm and excitement, always seeking excellence, with the certainty that our joint effort with the Teatro Cervantes will help spread our musical heritage and open the door to new paths of repertoire that is still unknown but no less valuable.” Carlos Aragón, musical director