Federico Moreno Torroba was a Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

, born in Madrid

Madrid

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...

.

Biography

Moreno Torroba is often associated with the zarzuela

Zarzuela

Zarzuela is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance...

, a traditional Spanish musical form. Directing several opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

 companies, Moreno Torroba helped introduce the zarzuela

Zarzuela

Zarzuela is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance...

 to international audiences. However, he is probably best known for his compositions for the classical guitar

Classical guitar

The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...

 , many of which were dedicated to either Maria Angélica Funes or Andrés Segovia

Andrés Segovia

Andrés Torres Segovia, 1st Marquis of Salobreña , known as Andrés Segovia, was a virtuoso Spanish classical guitarist from Linares, Jaén, Andalucia, Spain...

.

Moreno Torroba's works

In addition to his conducting duties, he composed many works, both in the traditional Spanish form and for the concert hall. He achieved his greatest success in the 1930s with the zarzuelas Luisa Fernanda

Luisa Fernanda (zarzuela)

Luisa Fernanda is a romantic zarzuela in three acts by Federico Moreno Torroba. The libretto is written in Spanish by Federico Romero and Guillermo Fernández Shaw. The first performance of Luisa Fernanda took place at Teatro Calderón in Madrid on March 26, 1932...

(1932) and La Chulapona (1934). He also composed several operas, of which La Virgen de Mayo (1925) and El Poeta (1980) , with Plácido Domingo

Plácido Domingo

Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...

 in the title role) are his best known .

Zarzuela

• La mesonera de Tordesillas (1925)
• La marchenera (1928)
• Azabache (1932)
• Luisa Fernanda
  Luisa Fernanda (zarzuela)
  Luisa Fernanda is a romantic zarzuela in three acts by Federico Moreno Torroba. The libretto is written in Spanish by Federico Romero and Guillermo Fernández Shaw. The first performance of Luisa Fernanda took place at Teatro Calderón in Madrid on March 26, 1932...
  
  (1932)
• Xuanón (1933)
• La chulapona (1934)
• Maravilla (1941)
• El duende azul (1946, with Rodrigo)
• Baile en Capitanía (1960)
• Ella (1966)

Guitar works

• Aires de La Mancha
• Burgalesa
• Castillos de España (Sigüenza, Manzanares el Real, Alba de Tormes, Montemayor, Alcañíz, Javier, Torija, Simancas, Zafra, Turégano, Rebada, Alcázar de Segovia, Olite, Calatrava)
• Estampas (for guitar-quartet)
• Madroños
• Nocturno
• Piezas características (Preámbulo, Oliveras, Melodía, Albada, Los Mayos, Panorama)
• Puertas de Madrid (Puerta de San Vicente, Puerta de Moros, Puerta de Toledo, Puerta de Alcalá, Puerta del Ángel, Puerta Cerrada, Puerta de Hierro)
• Rafagas (for guitar quartet)
• Romance de los Pinos
• Serenata Burlesca
• Siete Piezas de Álbum (Chisperada, Rumor de Copla, Minueto del Majo, ¡Ay, Malagueña!, Aire Vasco, Segoviana, Bolero Menorquín)
• Sonata-Fantasía
• Sonatina in A
• Sonatina y variación in E minor
• Suite castellana (Fandanguillo, Arada, Danza)
• Suite miniatura (Llamada, Tremolo, Vals, Divertimento)

LP

• Mosaico Andaluz - Orquesta De Conciertos De Madrid, Director y arreglador F. Moreno Torroba (Sello Hispavox, Año 1958. 45 R.P.M.)
• Recordando El Ayer - Orquesta Federico Moreno Torroba (1961)
• La Voz de su Amo - Isabel Rivas, Luis Sagi-Vela, Tino Pardo, Ramón Alonso, Rosa Sarmiento, Mari Carmen Ramírez, Matilde Garcés, Enrique del Portal, Luis Frutos, Ana M.ª Amengual. Coro Cantores de Madrid, dir.: José Perera. Orquesta Lírica Española, dir.: Federico Moreno Torroba. (1968)
• Federico Moreno Torroba -Banda De Pasodobles De Madrid - Lp Pasodobles Toretos - RCA 1958
• Ultimos Exitos De Lola Flores. Acompañada Por F. Moreno Torroba Y Su Orquestra
• Luisa Fernanda - Moreno Torroba
• Corrida De Toros Con Oles
• María Manuela

CD

• Luisa Fernanda (Moreno Torroba conducts, 1932) (Blue Moon, BMCD 7504)
• Azabache - Xuanon - Maria La Tempranica (Moreno Torroba conducts) (Blue Moon, BMCD 7544)
• La Caramba - Maravilla - La Ilustre Moza (Moreno Torroba conducts) (Blue Moon, BMCD 7526)

External links

• Necrologías del Excmo. Sr. D. Federico Moreno Torroba. by Enrique Pardo Canalís (Boletín de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Segundo semestre de 1982. Número 55.) ref.
• Articles from ABC Sevilla and ABC Madrid etc.
  click on     ▸ BUSQUEDA AVANZADA       (in small white letters, at the right-hand side)
  • El Maestro Moreno Torroba, 85 Anos de Juventud: 1, 2, 3
  • etc.