Zarzuelas are form of theater that originated in Spain in the 1600s. Consisting mostly of one-act plays that are often comedic, more modern productions may be longer and more serious. While not musicals or operas, the tradition has been to have music in the form of preludes and intermezzos during the performances. The music is quick, spirited and uniquely Spanish sounding. The composers on this LP are from the 19th and early 20th century. I have to admit, until playing this record - I had no knowledge of the Zarzuela musical tradition.

A note on this recording from Summit Records. Summit was a label that was essentially a budget label for classical music. Thus, I was not expecting to hear a recording of this amazing quality when I pulled it from the thrift store record bin. One of the few records that I made zero noise removal, and in which the orchestra was perfectly captured in the recording. It is a good example of why to not make too many assumptions based purely on the company who released the recording.

Track List:
00:00 Gerónimo Gimenéz: El Baile de Luis Alonso (Intermezzo)
03:29 Tomás Bretón: La Verbena de la Paloma (Prelude)
07:50 Amadeu Vives: Bohemios (Intermezzo)
13:20 Ruperto Chapi: La Revoltosa (Prelude)
18:45 Ruperto Chapi: El Tambor de Granaderos (Prelude)

Details:
Record Title: Preludes and Intermezzos from Zarzuelas, Vol.1
Released by: Summit Records - SUM5093
Year released: 1978
Orchestra: Madrid Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Luis Fernandez

Illustration: Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid, Spain

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