FULL LAS LEANDRAS (Alonso) Merida 2017 Mariana Palma, Gustavo Durán, Paco Ríos, Cristina Woodward
Information on the Performance
- Work Title: Las Leandras
- Composer: Alonso Francisco
- Libretto: Emilio González del Castillo, José Muñoz Román Libretto Text, Libretto Index
- Venue & Opera Company: Teatro Fantasio de Mérida, Yucatán, México
- Recorded: 2017
- Type: Staged Opera Live
- Singers: Mariana Palma, Gustavo Durán, Paco Ríos, Cristina Woodward, Miguel García, David Ortiz, Silvia Káter, Julia Arcudia, Rebeca Ruiz, Claudia Pichardo, Alfonso Marrufo, Juanjo Basto
- Conductor: Gustavo Durán
- Orchestra: Ensamble filarmónico O.C.E.
- Choreographer: Juan Ramón Góngora
- Stage Director: Juan Ramón Góngora
- Stage Designer: Manuel Araiza
- Costume Designer: Concepción Herrero, Adriana Briceño
Information about the Recording
- Published by: Juan Ramón Góngora Alfaro
- Date Published: 2023
- Format: Streaming
- Quality Video: 3 Audio:3
- Subtitles: nosubs
- Video Recording from: YouTube FULL VIDEO
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE
If the glittering career of Madrid revista or revue effectively began with La Gran Vía in 1886, it reached its apogee some forty-five years later with Las Leandras, first seen at the Teatro Pavón on 12 November 1931. If indeed Las Leandras really is a revista, rather than a proper zarzuela … a debate would demonstrate the fatuity of pigeon-holing these unique stage works as one thing or another. However it may be categorised, Las Leandras remains one of the most sparkling jewels in the whole Spanish music theatre tradition.
The librettists’ droll description – “a lyric comedy diversion in two acts, divided into a prologue, five scenes, several subscenes and apotheosis” – cocks a snook at dramatic pretension. Las Leandras is a risque little farce, full of double-entendres and what used to be called “sauciness”, tricked out with musical numbers of more – or in most cases less – consequence to the plot. Its Political Incorrectness, so blatant to blushful modern sexual mores, takes nothing away from its sheer cleverness.
It was written to show off the talents of the great Argentinian chanteuse Celia Gámez, to whom the piece is dedicated – she played Concha plus La Aurelia in the “zarzuela” scene, and her younger sister played Fermina. Alonso’s music is a piquant concoction of modern and traditional styles. The grand sweep of La Calesera and La Parranda is absent. In its place we get a compendium of thirties dances blended with traditional Madrid models, full of catchy tunes and sharply effective orchestration. Numbers such as Pichi, the Lesson Scene, and above all the rousing Pasodoble “Por la calle de Alcalá” are still part of madrileño folklore, and the bust commemorating their composer can still be seen on Alcalá, with a good view down to the junction with La Gran Vía. Both the Pasodoble and Pichi boast something very rare for popular songs – an unforgettably memorable “B-section” tune. Las Leandras is proof that in the right hands, revista-revue could be transmuted into something of lasting value.
Quoted from https://www.zarzuela.net/syn/leandras.htm