The zarzuela—Spanish light opera—is a delightful artform, combining folkloristic and operatic elements. It flourished in the 19th and early 20th centuries and is currently enjoying a revival, even making inroads outside the Spanish-speaking world.
One of the most popular pieces in this rather vast repertory is La Revoltosa (“The Troublemaker”), which opened in Madrid in 1897. The libretto was co-written by José Lopez Silva and Carlos Fernández Shaw, the latter also known as the librettist of Manuel de Falla’s La vida breve. The composer, Ruperto Chapí, was one of the most prolific and popular Spanish composers of his time.
La Revoltosa may more properly be called a sainete, a genre related but not quite identical to the zarzuela; it is a one-act farce, as opposed to the three-act zarzuela grande. The “troublemaker” of the title is a young woman who turns the heads of all the men in her neighborhood, until she figures out which one she really loves.
The prelude to La Revoltosa, filled with spirited Spanish melodies, has become a beloved concert item in its own right. It is, in essence, a brief medley that reunites several of the major tunes from the show.
Notes by Peter Laki
