Francisco Alonso

Francisco Alonso López (9 May 1887 – 18 May 1948) was a Spanish composer of popular theatre music and zarzuelas.^[1]^[2]

Alonso's music is funny, cheerful, easy melody and with a popular accent. He excelled in pasodobles and chotis, which he impressed with grace and ease. Many of his works are still highly valued, as the pasacalle Los Nardos, the chotis El Pichi, both from Las Leandras, the chotis Tabaco and cerillas from the revue Las de Villadiego or the song Maitechu mía (both with lyrics by Emilio González del Castillo). He wrote also two pasodobles for fiestas in the city of Alicante, Les Fogueres de Sant Joan, titled La festa del poble, premiered in 1934, and La Nit de San Joan 1934, a pasodoble foguerer for band, chorus and bass soloist. He also was elected president of the General Society of Authors of Spain.

^ Tomás Marco - Spanish music in the twentieth century - Page 98 1993 "In a more purposeful way than Luna, Alonso decided to move the zarzuela closer to the revue, a genre he considered more likely than operetta to become acclimated to Spanish soil. He achieved lasting success with Las corsarias (1919)... Las bravias continued along the same line, but Alonso later went back to a more traditional zarzuela format with La linda tapada (1924), a work of undoubted quality. The regional zarzuela — Castilian peasants this time — appeared in La Bejarana (1924), from which a number of songs still survive; and in the Murcian zarzuela La Parranda (1928), which has also endured. Still, Alonso's masterwork is La Calesera (1925), which evokes the city of Madrid and popular culture, as well as a wider Spanish feeling, recalling the political battles of the nineteenth century..."
^ Vincent J. Cincotta - Zarzuela, the Spanish lyric theatre: a complete reference 2003 "During his 48-year career, Alonso composed the music for 74 zarzuelas and sainetes liricos, 72 operettas and musical revues, 32 lyrical entremeses and other short musical pieces for the theatre, ..."

[1] Tomás Marco - Spanish music in the twentieth century - Page 98 1993 "In a more purposeful way than Luna, Alonso decided to move the zarzuela closer to the revue, a genre he considered more likely than operetta to become acclimated to Spanish soil. He achieved lasting success with Las corsarias (1919)... Las bravias continued along the same line, but Alonso later went back to a more traditional zarzuela format with La linda tapada (1924), a work of undoubted quality. The regional zarzuela — Castilian peasants this time — appeared in La Bejarana (1924), from which a number of songs still survive; and in the Murcian zarzuela La Parranda (1928), which has also endured. Still, Alonso's masterwork is La Calesera (1925), which evokes the city of Madrid and popular culture, as well as a wider Spanish feeling, recalling the political battles of the nineteenth century..."

[2] Vincent J. Cincotta - Zarzuela, the Spanish lyric theatre: a complete reference 2003 "During his 48-year career, Alonso composed the music for 74 zarzuelas and sainetes liricos, 72 operettas and musical revues, 32 lyrical entremeses and other short musical pieces for the theatre, ..."

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