Madrid
The Teatro Real opened in 1850, was bombed in the Spanish Civil War, was rebuilt as
a concert hall, and underwent restoration in the 1990s. It had a distinguished history
in the 19th century. The first opera “broadcast” took place there in 1896, the trans-
mission being by telephone. This interesting fact is one of many provided in:
- Gómez de la Serna, Gaspar. Gracias y desgracias del Teatro Real.2nd ed.
Madrid: Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, 1975. viii, 78p. ISBN 8-4369-
0455-9. ML1747.8 M32 T44.
Begins with a useful review of theaters in Madrid in 1850, when the Real
opened. Gives a general account (no chronologies) of each season, 1868–
1924/1925. The theater closed in 1925 and was not reopened until 1966. Illus-
trations; no notes, bibliography, or index. - Subirá, José. Historia y anecdotario del Teatro Real.Madrid: Plus-Ultra,
- 820p. ML1747.8 .M32 T48.
A survey of the theater’s history, with chronologies and a list of works per-
formed. Index. - Buck, Donald C. “Aesthetics, Politics, and Opera in the Vernacular: Madrid,
1737.” OQ10-3 (1994): 71–91.
Examines the city’s theaters—the Cruz and the Principe—and their administra-
tion. Spanish companies presented zarzuelas and by 1737 were also giving
native operas. Buck compares their “performance aesthetic” with that of Ital-
ian companies. One difference was that castrati took part in Italian perfor-
mances, while in Spanish productions women took female and male roles.
Málaga
Kaufmancites D. B. Fernandez Serrano, Annales del Teatro Cervantes de Málaga
(1903), as a narrative history 1870–1903, with good coverage of performances and
playbills for each season; and Enrique del Pino, Historia del teatro en Málaga durante
el siglo XIX, 1792–1914(2v., 1985).
Oviedo
Kaufmancites Luis Peon Arrones, Historia de la ópera en Oviedo(3v.; 1981–1987),
as a history to 1948, with details on each season from then to 1985: dates, casts,
reviews, and pictures.
Valencia
- Zabala, Arturo. El teatro en la Valencia de finales del siglo XVIII.Valencia:
Institución Alfonso el Magnanimo, 1982. 461p. ISBN 8-4000-5084-3.
PN2785 .V18 Z16.
A documented narrative history of all theatrical genres, including the
tonadilla,dealing much with administration, the public, and the critics. Sea-
sonal chronologies, 1790–1801. No index.
496 Opera