Tomás Bretón

Tomás Bretón

Source: Biografia y Vidas

Born in Salamanca, Spain, on 29 December 1850, Tomás Bretón is now an obscure composer whose most immediate contemporaries were Manuel Fernández Caballero, Ruperto Chapí and Gerónimo Giménez. He wrote largely operas, zarzuelas, chamber and orchestral works. Bretón was schooled in music as a child and worked with small orchestras before heading to Madrid at age sixteen to study under Emilio Arrieta. IMSLP lists Bretón's earliest composition as 'String Quartet' in G major as of 1866. Come his symphony, 'La necesidad', in 1868. He wrote his 'Symphony No.1' dedicated to Arrieta in 1872, not to be performed until 1874.

Scherzo of 'Symphony No.1'   No.3 of 4 movements   G major   Tomás Bretón

1872

Castilla y Leon Symphony Orchestra   Jose Luis Temes

IMSLP

Bretón played in small outfits in Madrid while gaining exposure to zarzuela theatre. Zarzuelas [Wikipedia] are a form of drama peculiar to Spain, generally ascribed to Juan Hidalgo de Polanco as of 1658 upon his composition, 'El Laurel de Apolo'. The nationalistic zarzuela had arrived in association with the Palace of Zarzuela as an endeavor to lend the dominating Italian opera a more Spanish character. Bretón's first zarzuela is ascribed to 'Tic-Tac' of 1873.

'Guzmán el Bueno' was Bretón's initial opera, premiering at the Teatro Apolo on 25 November 1876 with libretto by Antonio Arnao. Bretón began conducting in 1878. A grant from the Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando made it possible for him to study in Rome, Milan, Vienna and Paris from 1881 to 1884. During that time he composed both the music and libretto for his vocal oratorio 'El Apocalipsis' in 1882 followed by his 'Symphony No.2' the next year in 1883. Also composing for chamber, Bretón's 'Piano Trio' in E major was composed in 1887 toward publishing in London in 1891. Come his symphonic serenade, 'En la Alhambra', in 1888.

'El Apocalipsis'   Oratorio by Tomás Bretón

1883   Libretto: Bretón

Soprano: E. Matos   Contro-alto: R. Pierotti

Tenor: J. Ferrero   Bass: S. Palatchi

Coral de Bilbao w the Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid   Andrés Zarzo    2000

IMSLP   Nueva Zarzuela

'Symphony No.2'   E-flat major   Tomás Bretón

1883

Castilla y Leon Symphony Orchestra   Max Bragado Darman

 This album

'Piano Trio'   E major   Tomás Bretón

1887

Violin: Joan Orpella   Piano: Daniel Ligorio   Cello: José Mor

 IMSLP

'En la Alhambra'   A minor   Symphonic serenade by Tomás Bretón

1888

Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid   Miguel Roa

 IMSLP

'Las Golondrinas' ('The Swallows')   F major   Song for piano and voice by Tomás Bretón

1888

Libretto: Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

Soprano: Isabel Hernández   Arrangement: Víctor Grande Escudero

 IMSLP

Bretón's most famous zarzuela is his 28th per the list at IMSLP, and features the Spanish folk dance known as the seguidilla: 'La Verbena de la Paloma', premiering in Madrid on 17 February 1894 with a prose libretto by Ricardo de la Vega.

'La Verbena de la Paloma' ('The Shrub of the Dove')   Zarzuela by Tomás Bretón

Premiere 17 Feb 1894 at the Teatro Apolo in Madrid

Libretto: Bretón

Orquesta y Coros Montilla   Eugenio Marco    Madrid 1994

IMSLP   Wikipedia   Zarzuela Net

'La Verbena de la Paloma' ('The Shrub of the Dove')   Zarzuela by Tomás Bretón

Premiere 17 Feb 1894 at the Teatro Apolo in Madrid

Libretto: Bretón

Musical director: Jose A. Irastorza   Calderón Theater    Madrid 1995

IMSLP   Wikipedia   Zarzuela Net

Of Bretón's ten operas listed at IMSLP, his most highly regarded is his fourth, 'La Dolores', premiering at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid on 16 March 1895 with libretto by himself drawn from the 1892 eponymous drama by Josep Feliu i Codina. 'La Dolores' also includes a few jotas (dances), notably 'Si vas a Calatayud' from the last scene of Act I, more simply referred to as 'Le Gran' [live performance]. 'La Dolores' also includes an instrumental jota believed to have been recorded by the Trio Instrumental Arriaga in 1905 on cylinder per Edison Gold Moulded 18769 [audio].

'La Dolores'   Opera by Tomás Bretón

Premiere 16 March 1895 at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid

Libretto: Bretón

Stage director: Jose Carlos Plaza   Musical director: Antoni Ros-Marba

Choral director: Antonio Fauro

Choreography: Miguel Angel Berna   Lighting: Francisco Leal

IMSLP   Wikipedia   Zarzuela Net

'Si vas a Calatayud' aka 'Le Gran'   Jota by Tomás Bretón

'If You Go to Calatayud' from the opera 'La Dolores'

Premiere 16 March 1895 at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid

Monumental de Las Ventas in Madrid

Bretón was appointed Director of the Madrid Conservatory of Music in 1901, a position he would hold off and on until 1921. Among symphonic works completed during that period was 'Symphony No.3' in 1905. This work was an arrangement of his 'Piano Quintet' in G major of 1904, once thought lost but more recently found. Come Bretón's 'Violin Concerto' in A major in 1909.

'Symphony No.3'   G major   Tomás Bretón

1905

Castilla y Leon Symphony Orchestra   Jose Luis Temes

IMSLP

'Violin Concerto'   A minor   Tomás Bretón

1909

Violin: Agustin Ara

 Community Orchestra of Madrid   Gloria Isabel Ramos

It was 1914 when Bretón premiered his opera with libretto by Tomás Luceño, 'Don Gil de las Calzas Verdes', at the Teatro Tívoli de Barcelona on 31 of July after three weeks of rehearsals beginning on the 9th [Sanchez / Tivoli Theatre]. It was either 1914 or 1916 when Bretón finished the opera with libretto by Jacinto Soriano, 'Las Cortes de Amor' ('El Trovador Lisardo') ['The Courts of Love' ('The Troubadour Lisardo'): score]. It was also 1914 or 1916 when he complete his fantasía musical, 'La Guitarra del Amor'. Bretón's symphonic poem, 'Salamanca', was first performed on 14 October of 1916, that dedicated to the Spanish city of Salamanca. IMSLP lists Bretón's last zarzuela as 'Fraile Fingido' ('Fake Friar') as of 1919 [score].

'Salamanca'   F major   Symphonic poem by Tomás Bretón

Premiere 14 Oct 1916 at St. James Hall in London w Parry conducting

Castilla y Leon Symphony Orchestra   Max Bragado-Darman

IMSLP

Bretón was resigned from his post at the Madrid Conservatory in 1921, thereat to receive a small government pension of 3000 pesetas a year (around $20 with purchasing power at present of about $250). He died on 2 December 1923 in Madrid.

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