What is a sarswela?
WHAT IS A SARSWELA? In the Philippines, the sarswela is a play with songs and dances usually written in prose, containing from one to five acts, depicting the vagaries of romantic love among idealized Filipino characters, and often incorporating contemporary social, political, economic or cultural issues for relevance and interest.
What is sarsuwela in the Philippines?
After a long, complicated history, Filipino sarsuwela became a unique style of musical theater that delved into the political struggles of the past in search for a better future. More modern plays continue to explore political and social problems in more contemporary life throughout the Philippines
What influenced the development of the Filipino sarswela?
Research reveals two principal influences which shaped the Filipino sarswela, namely: the Filipino saynete, and the Spanish zarzuela. If the sinetes of Ramon de la Cruz contributed to the development of the zarzuela in Spain, so the saynete as written by Filipino folk playwrights stand as an important forerunner of the Filipino sarswela.
What is Philippine zarzuela?
What Is Philippine Zarzuela? The Philippine zarzuela is a type of drama that originated in Spain, and includes singing and dancing on stage. The lyrics are alternatively spoken and sung in both operatic and popular styles. Different types of zarzuelas have evolved in several countries with Spanish heritage, including the Philippines.
What is Sarsuela in the Philippines?
A PLAY that empowers the appreciation of Filipino culture and values, and is packaged in a comical and musical style are what define the zarzuela. The zarzuela is a beautiful art form of lyric theater drama incorporated with singing, dancing and dialogue.
What is zarzuela in Philippines literature?
Zarzuela, often defined as Spanish opera, is a theatrical play that contains musical acts. Characters usually represent the working classes: chulos (men wearing peculiar clothes and making extravagant gestures), ratas (thieves), nannies, policemen…
Who introduced sarswela in the Philippines?
Spanish director Alejandro CuberoThe zarzuela was introduced in the Philippines in the 19th century by Spanish director Alejandro Cubero. Soon, zarzuela became known in the Philippines as sarsuwela.
What is the first sarswela in the Philippines?
The first Spanish zarzuela brought in the Philippines by the settlers and friarsduring the period of colonization was Jugar con fiego (To Play with Fire, 1851) withmusic composed by Francisco Asenjo Barbieri and lyrics by Ventura de la Vega.
How will you describe zarzuela?
Zarzuela (Spanish pronunciation: [θaɾˈθwela]) is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular songs, as well as dance.
What is the importance of zarzuela?
The zarzuelas parodias were important because they created a space for Spanish musical theatre to subvert the dominance of Italian opera on the lyric stages of Spain. In 1851 Spanish musical theatre entered a new era, marked by two significant events.
What are the distinguishing characteristics of Philippine sarswela?
In the Philippines, the sarswela is a play with songs and dances usually written in prose, containing from one to five acts, depicting the vagaries of romantic love among idealized Filipino characters, and often incorporating contemporary social, political, economic or cultural issues for relevance and interest.
What is the history of zarzuela?
Zarzuela originated in Spain in the 17th century but reached its definitive form in the 19th century as a mixture of instrumental music, singing, dancing and the spoken word that encompassed the rhythms and traditions of the diverse cultures of Spain.
What is the most famous sarswela in the Philippines?
Although Walang Sugat or walang batas sa sugat is one of the major and more popular zarzuelas in the Philippines, it was one of the plays considered "too subversive" by the American colonial authorities, and its author Reyes was imprisoned.
What is another term of sarswela?
Zarzuela spread to the Spanish colonies, and many Hispanic countries – notably Cuba – developed their own traditions. There is also a strong tradition in the Philippines where it is also known as sarswela/sarsuela. Read more.
What is the example of zarzuela?
More recently, the word has begun to appear on the Spanish culinary stage as a term for a rich and savory seafood dish. A couple of the specific entrées that have emerged are the piebald "zarzuela de maiscos," a mixture of seafood, and the "zarzuela de pescados," a potpourri of fish.
What is the history of zarzuela?
Zarzuela originated in Spain in the 17th century but reached its definitive form in the 19th century as a mixture of instrumental music, singing, dancing and the spoken word that encompassed the rhythms and traditions of the diverse cultures of Spain.
What is Philippine theater art from zarzuela?
One example is the Philippine Zarzuela. This type of Philippine theater art and performance reflects the culture and different scenarios of life in the Philippines. It was influenced by the Spaniards when they colonized the country, Eventually, it became a part of the Philippine culture.
When was zarzuela introduced in the Philippines?
1878Jugar Con Fuego by Francisco Asenjo Barbieri was the first zarzuela introduced in the country in late 1878 or early 1879. By August 17, 1893, Teatro Zorilla, the home of zarzuela, was inaugurated.
What are the distinguishing characteristics of Philippine sarswela?
In the Philippines, the sarswela is a play with songs and dances usually written in prose, containing from one to five acts, depicting the vagaries of romantic love among idealized Filipino characters, and often incorporating contemporary social, political, economic or cultural issues for relevance and interest.
Baroque zarzuela
In 1657 at the Royal Palace of El Prado, King Philip IV of Spain, Queen Mariana and their court attended the first performance of a new comedy by Pedro Calderón de la Barca, with music by Juan Hidalgo de Polanco titled El Laurel de Apolo (The Laurels of Apollo).
Italian influence
In 18th-century Bourbon Spain, Italian artistic style dominated in the arts, including Italian opera. Zarzuela, though still written to Spanish texts, changed to accommodate the Italian vogue.
19th century
In the 1850s and 1860s a group of patriotic writers and composers led by Francisco Barbieri and Joaquín Gaztambide revived the zarzuela form, seeing in it a possible release from French and Italian music hegemony.
Romantic zarzuela
After the Glorious Revolution of 1868, the country entered a deep crisis (especially economically), which was reflected in theatre. The public could not afford high-priced theatre tickets for grandiose productions, which led to the rise of the Teatros Variedades ("variety theatres") in Madrid, with cheap tickets for one-act plays ( sainetes ).
Zarzuela in Catalonia
While the zarzuela tradition flourished in Madrid and other Spanish cities, Catalonia developed its own zarzuela, with librettos in Catalan. The atmosphere, the plots, and the music were quite different from the model that triumphed in Madrid, as the Catalan zarzuela was looking to attract a different public, the bourgeois classes.
Zarzuela in Cuba and Mexico
In Cuba the afrocubanismo zarzuelas of Ernesto Lecuona ( María la O; El cafetal ), Eliseo Grenet ( La virgen morena) and Gonzalo Roig ( Cecilia Valdés, based on Cirilo Villaverde 's classic novel) represent a brief golden age of political and cultural importance.
Zarzuela in the Philippines
Due to Spanish colonization, the Zarzuela Musical Theatre has been widely adapted by Filipinos in their native cultures, notably in urban areas. The theatre was only introduced by the Spanish in 1878, despite having colonial rule since the middle of the 16th century. During this time, the plays were performed only by Spanish people.
