When I was a kid, upper middle class people drove Buicks and rich people drove Cadillacs. Thus giving rise to expressions such as this is the Cadillac of toothbrushes or vacuum cleaners, or whatever. Then, of course there was Elvis’s Pink Cadillac. Alas: at the end, Elvis bought Priscilla a Mercedes. Now there’s Lexus, BMW, Jaguar – you name it. How the mighty have fallen. No matter how much the mighty have fallen, the most I’ve made it up to is a Buick. So, for me it’s still the Cadillac of this or that. In this, the Cadillac superlative goes itb Auvidis Valois’s Zarzuela Series. So far, there’s a sampler disk with seventy minutes of zarzuela heaven: Barbfori’s “El Barberillo de Lavapies,” Amadeo Vives’s “Bohemios” and “Dona Francisquita,” Breton’s “La Verbene de la Paloma,” Torroba’s “Luisa Fernanda,” and Nebra’s “Viento es la dicha de Amor.”
Why do I call them the Cadillacs of zarzuelas? Well, these have topnotch casts. In the past, zarzuelas, if issued at all, would be on some obscure label with whatever pickup singers could be found in Madrid or the provinces. The sound was catch as catch can. These recordings have state of the art digital sound. The Gramophone has an expression: “Value for Money.” These are not! They are luxuries. The compact disk can hold 80 minutes of music without distortion. Most of these Zarzuelas are 45 minutes long and there are no fillers. “El Barberillo de Lavapies” contains 66.45 minutes and is the exception. The double albums, “Luisa Fernanda” and “Donna Francisquita” contain at best 98 minutes.
You have to ask yourself – Do I want to search for some obscure label or do I want a Cadillac? So far, I’ve sworn off the doubles, but I’ve bought the sampler disk: “El Barbesillo de Lavapies,” “Bohemios,” and “La Verbena de Paloma.” I like to collect in sets, and some day I may buy them all. I should also tell you that discounted they are $15.00 a disk. Not cheap – Cadillac Zarzuela.
Now, I did a piece about Erato as the label of France and how they brought out, then unknown French operas by Charbrier, Faure, Dukas, and Chausson. Apparently, Auvidis Valois wants to become the label of Spain. I first discovered the label when I sprang for Manuel da Falla’s unfinished cantata (almost opera) “Atlantida.” Once again, at two CDs, one and one-half hours poor value for money, but by far the best recording available.
What’s a zarzuela? I don’t know. There’s not one book in Grand Army on zarzuela. Groves has a largely historical article written by Jack Sage and Lionel Salter. For me, zarzuela is a combination of vaudeville, operetta
(mostly), and occasionally even opera. The same Lionel Salter reviewing Nebra’s “Viento es la dicha de Amor,” says: “To most people, the term “Zarzuela” implies (if anything at all) the Spanish form of light operetta that enjoyed a vogue in the latter part of the nineteenth century; but in fact its history goes back another couple of hundred years, when it was all but indistinguishable from baroque Italian opera except by being in the vernacular and including spoken dialogue and some folk-dance elements.” Lionel Salter goes on to show and tell that Nebra’s Zarzuela is the baroque zarzuela of the set. For that alone, I may have to buy it. He says: An all female cast and not a weak member in the group.
Getting back to casts: Maria Bayo is enjoying a vogue in the opera house. She is on all of my disks. Right now, let’s deal with that old chestnut that Vivaldi wrote the same concerto 300 times. Baloney! He didn’t and these zarzuelas are all different. Oh! they have common elements. To me, Spain was always exotic. Admittedly, as it modernizes it becomes like the rest of the world, but this is its past. If you call it operetta, it is different from. French or Italian. Is it Gypsy? the article in Groves doesn’t use the word, but they use words such as “Vital,” “Fiery.” It’s Gypsy! One zarzuela has no fewer than six seguidillas. Zarzuela has been influenced by the opera: as a model, as a rival, as something to steal from, and even for composers. In no particular order, “Cavalli,” “Martiny Soler,” “Paisiello,” and “Piccini” have either composed zarzuelas or had their material appropriated. Calderon adopted materials for zarzuelas (mucho). The famous librettist Metastasio was satirized by the same Nebra in his “Aquiles en Troya” (bet you can figure out what that means) by having two characters dance a seguidilla in front of the walls of Troy. Picture that!
Again as to casts: Juan Pons is a leading baritone. He’s on the sampler and “El Barberillo de Lava pies.” Incidentally, that CD was nominated by Gramophone magazine for a best of the year in the cate gory of “Music Theatre.” The competition Gershwin’s ”.Oh! Kay,” and Sondheim’s “Passion.” Gee, I’m torn. I wrote about “Passion” also. Then there’s Placido Domingo. He loves this music! At this stage of his career his voice is really suited to this material. There’s Alfredo Kraus – will he go on for ever?
I’m sure Auvidis intends to give us more. They will have to get to Ruper to Chapi, composer of such zarzuelas as 14 La Revoltos.” It’s corning, I’m sure. Then we’11 also get (I’ 11 bet) Jose Serrano, but I don ‘t know which. When the article in Groves was written, the writers said that zarzuela was apparently in decline. Performances then tended to be by amateur companies. Mr. Salter, reviewing the Nebra, says the. whole issue is a delight, certain of a place in my annual “Critics” Choice.” Amateurs, forget it – this is Zarzuela Cadillac. If you think I’m an old fuddy duddy, then it’s Zarzuclu Mercedes, and these are nothing if not ultra professional and beautiful.
I forgot to give you the title of the sampler disk, or maybe I was saving it for last. “i Viva La Zarzuela!” Buy a Cadillac so we can get the Chapi and Scrruno. This Cadillac is only a little more expensive than a Model T Ford, even though there’s only 45 minutes in the gas tank, but you’ll be living like a millionaire.