Francisco Asenjo Barbieri Biography

Francisco Asenjo Barbieri

(Madrid, 1823-1894) Spanish composer and musicologist.The significance of Francisco Asenjo Barbieri in Spanish music is threefold: he was an excellent composer, a capable conductor, who is responsible for the introduction in Spain of many symphonic works from the European continent, and a tireless musicologist, responsible for the recovery and edition of the ancient heritage of his homeland.

Drawn to opera since his earliest childhood (when he attended the Italian opera performances that were offered at the Teatro de la Cruz, in the that his grandfather worked), Barbieri studied clarinet, singing and composition at the Madrid Conservatory, where he had Ramón Carnicer as his teacher.At the end of his studies he carried out various tasks, from copyist to choirmaster, while trying to publicize his first compositions, including the Italian opera Il buontempone (1847).

The difficulties to release it made him focus his interest on the zarzuela, to whose recovery he contributed after more than a century of oblivion.In 1850 he made his debut in this genre with Gloria y peluca , which was followed by Playing with fire (1851), The diamonds of the crown (1854 ), Bread and bulls (1864) and El barberillo de Lavapiés (1874), his masterpiece.

His contribution in this field is limited to the attempts by various composers to provide Spain with its own musical theater that would put an end to the primacy of Italian opera.To do this, Barbieri sought his inspiration in the melodies and rhythms of the town, despite the fact that his works could not get rid of a certain Italian influence.

Founder in 1866 of the Madrid Concert Society, under his direction a complete Beethoven symphony, the Seventh, could be heard for the first time in Spain.As a musicologist, his main contribution was to have published the Cancionero musical de Palacio , one of the jewels of the Hispanic repertoire of the 15th and 16th centuries; He also edited works by Juan del Encina, and was a prominent bibliophile.

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