Moreno Torroba, Federico

(b Madrid, 3 March 1891; d Madrid, 12 Sept 1982). Spanish

composer, conductor and critic. He first studied music with his
father, Jos Moreno Ballesteros, an organist and teacher at the
Madrid Conservatory, and with whom he collaborated on his first
zarzuela, Las decididas (1912). He later studied composition with
Conrado del Campo at the Royal Conservatory, where his tone
poem La ajorca de oro was first performed in 1918. In 1924 he
married Pilar Larregla, the daughter of a Navarrese composer; the
folk music of Navarra along with that of Castile was to serve as a
major source of inspiration in his music. Although not a guitarist
himself, in the 1920s his growing friendship with Segovia inspired
him to begin writing for the guitar, and the resulting compositions
such as Sonatina (1924) and Piezas caractersticas (1931) are
among his finest works. He also established himself as a composer
for the stage, and his zarzuela La mesonera de Tordesillas was
first performed to critical acclaim in 1925, while his most famous
zarzuela, Luisa Fernanda (1932), is a representative of the last
flowering of the zarzuela grande. Between 1925 and 1935 he was
active as a music critic for Madrid periodicals, especially
Informaciones, and used this position and his brief term in the
Second Republic's five-member Junta Nacional de Msica to
promote greater government support for music.
With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1936, Moreno Torroba
retreated to Navarra with his family, avoiding involvement in the
conflict. With the ascendancy of Franco he became one of the
dominant figures in Spanish music, along with Turina and Rodrigo.
Rejecting the European avant garde, they embraced a
conservative nationalist aesthetic that was accepted in the new
political environment. In 1946 he formed a zarzuela company that
toured the Americas for two seasons (he had directed productions
of his zarzuelas in Buenos Aires annually since 1934). In the 1950s
Moreno Torroba's satirical zarzuela Bienvenido, Mister Dolar (1954)
reflected the growing political and military cooperation between the
USA and Spain along with the influx of American capital and
culture, while Mara Manuela (1957) became his most popular
zarzuela of the decade.
His output diminished as the public appeal of the zarzuela waned
in the 1960s and his own work became increasingly seen as dated.
Consequently, he devoted more time to conducting and recording,
returning several times to Latin America to conduct performances
of his own works. He continued to compose for the guitar, however,
writing the Concierto de Castilla (1960) for Segovia, Homenaje a la
seguidilla (1962) and Dilogos entre guitarra y orquesta (1977),
among the best of his concertos. The two books of Castillos de
Espaa (1970 and 1978) for solo guitar are among his most
notable successes in that genre. Among his last works is his

second opera El poeta, first performed in 1980 with Plcido

Domingo.
Moreno Torroba was a major figure in Spanish music of the 20th
century who flourished despite the political and social upheavals
that surrounded him. His music has often been described as
castizo, employing elements of folk and art music which are of
distinctly Spanish pure cast. A nationalist, he believed that fidelity
to Spain's heritage, rather than imitation of foreign models, would
lead to the universality of Spanish music. His musical palette was
not limited to strict folklorism, and he acknowledged a wider
musical influence through the works of Debussy, Ravel, Franck,
Wagner and, in later years, Bartk. His accessible, lyrical style
maintains a strong sense of tonality through the use of
conventional forms while judiciously employing extended triadic
harmonies, modality, remote modulations and colourful
orchestration. His zarzuelas also draw upon expressly regional
motifs and references to traditional and contemporary urban
culture.
Moreno Torroba held many prominent positions including
Comisario del Teatro Zarzuela, director of the Compaa Lrica
and, from 1974, president of the Sociedad General de Autores de
Espaa, through which he served as a cultural diplomat. He was
elected as the director of the Academia de Bellas Artes de S
Fernando in 1978, and died four years later at the age of 91.
WORKS
stage
La virgen de mayo (op, 1, P. Max and F. Luque), Madrid, Real, 14 Feb 1925
El poeta (op, 4, J. Mndez Herrera), Madrid, Zarzuela, 19 June 1980
Zars: Las decididas, 1912; Las fuerzas ocultas, 1920; La vuelta, c1925; La
caravana de Ambrosio, 1925; Intiga de amor, 1925; La mesonera de Tordesillas,
1925; La pastorela, 1925; Los guayabitos, c1926; Mari-Blanca, 1926; Colasn, el
chico de la cola, 1926; Las musas del triann, 1926; Como los ojos de mi morena,
1927; El fumadoro, 1927; El divo, c1928; Artistas para fin de fiesta, 1928; La
manola del portillo, 1928; La marchenera, 1928; Cascabeles, 1928; Una de
caballeria, c1929; La marchenera, 1929; Mi mama poltica, 1929; Mara la
temprnica, 1930; Baturra del temple, 1930
Azabache, 1932; Luisa Fernanda, 1932; La mujer de aquella noche, 1932; El
aguaducho, 1932; Xuann, 1933; La chulapona, 1934; Por la salud de mi madre,
1934; Luces de verbena, 1935; Paloma Moreno, 1935; La boda del Seor Brigas,
1936; Pepinillo y Garbancito en la isla misteriosa, 1938; Sor Navarra, 1936; T eres
ella, 1938; El maleficio, 1939; Monte Carmelo, 1939; Cuidado con la pintura, c1940;
Cascabeles, 1940; El que tenga un amor que lo cuide, 1940; Escalera de color,
1940; La maravilla, 1941; Boda gitana, 1942; La caramba, 1942; Despeherezada,
1942; Oro de Ley, 1942; Una reja y dos pelmazos, 1942; Una noche en Aravaca,
c1943; Pizpireta, c1943; La ilustra moza, 1943; Polonesa, 1944; La nia del cuento,
1944; Baile de trajes, 1945; Soy el amo, 1945; Usted gusta?, 1945; El duende
azul, 1946; Lolita Dolores, 1946; Las laureles, 1947; Orgullo de Jalisco, 1947; La
nia del Polisn, 1948; El cantar del organillo, 1949; Hoy y maana, 1949; Un da

en las carreras, 1950; Trio de ases, 1950

La media naranja, 1951; Huelga de los maridos, 1951; Pitusa, 1951; El tambor del
brunch, 1951; Hola Cuqui, 1951; El diablo en Sierra Morena, 1952; Las matadoras,
1952; Bienvenido, Mister Dolar, 1954; A lo tonto, a lo tonto, 1954; Paka y paka,
1954; Ol y ol, 1955; La monda, 1955; Mara Manuela, 1957; Una noche en
oriente, 1957; Un pueblecito espanol, c1958; Baile en Capitana, 1960; Nacimiento,
c1961; El rey de oros, 1961; El mundo quiere reir, 1965; Una estrella para todos,
1965; El fabuloso mundo del music-hall, 1966; Ella, 1966
Ballets: Mosaico sevillano, 1954 [for pf]; Fantasa de Levante, 1957; Parbola del
convite, 1965; Don Quijote, 1970, rev. 1982; El hijo prdigo, 1976; Ensueo gitano,
1977; Cristo luz del mundo, 1978; Los novios, 1979; Te voy a contar un cuento,
1975
vocal
Chorus: Ha nacido, 1959; La pastorela, 1959; Pastores venid, 1959; Nia merse,
1975; Desde lejos, 1981; Sabemos lo que somos, 1981; Ande pa Marimorena;
Ayla; Boga, boga; Caminando, caminando; Cantos seranos; En el monte gorbea;
Espaa tiene un jardn; Mara y Jos
Voice and orch: Estrella flamenca
Solo voice and pf: Copla de Antao, 1923; Lola de La Triana, c1950; Todo corazn,
1952; Barrio sud, 1955; Guayaba, 1955; Noche de la cestanera, 1955; Canciones
espaoles 1 & 2, 1956; Cholita, 1956; Amor que yo soe, 1957; Adios amor, 1958;
Amor legionario, 1960; Llegando al pinar, milagros, 1961; Siete canciones
espaoles, 1961; Valle verde, 1962; Camino de la fuente, 1968; Cantando a la
mariana, 1968; En este llano, 1968; Sevilla es , 1981; Perdn para un toro, 1982;
Arenitas de mi amor; Ay Micaela; Gitana iglesia; Tenerife
instrumental
Gui solo: Sonatina, 1924; Nocturno, 1926; Burgalesa, 1928; Preludio, 1928; Piezas
caractersticas, 1931; Scherzando, 1948; Alpujarrena, 1952; Madrileas, 1953;
Sonata fantasa, 1953; Punteado y taconeo clsico, 1955; Aire vasco, 1956;
Anoranza, 1956; Ay malaguea, 1956; Bolero menorqun, 1956; Cancioncilla, 1956;
Capricho, 1956; Chisperada, 1956; Danza prima, 1956; Fandango corralero, 1956;
Humorada, 1956; Improvisacin, 1956; Lejania, 1956; Marcha de cojo, 1956;
Minueto del Majo, 1956; Montaraza, 1956; Nana, 1956; Nia merse, 1956;
Nocturno No.2, 1956; Preludio, 1956; Quien te puso petenera, 1956; Romance de
los pinos, 1956; Romancillo, 1956; Ronda, 1956; Rumor de copla, 1956;
Segoviana, 1956; Sevillana, 1956; Sonata y variacin, 1956; Sonatina, 1956 [not
1965]; Sonatina II, 1956; Tonada, 1956; Trianera, 1956; Zapateado, 1956
Guitarra espaola, 1960; Suite miniatura, 1960; Aires de La Mancha, 1966; Alegra
malaguea, 1966; Habanera de mi nia, 1966; res Petenera, 1966; Castilla te
llaman, 1966; Once obras, 1966; Contradanza, 1968; Jota levantina, 1968; Castillos
de Espaa I, 1970; En todo la quintana, 1970; Vieja leyenda, 1970; Jaranera, 1973;
Trptico, 1973; Ocho preludios, 1974; Las puertas de Madrid, 1976; Castillos de
Espaa II, 1978; Preludios (6), 1982; Chaconne; Verbenera
Gui ens: Rfagas, qt, 1976; Sonata fantasa II, qt, 1976; Estampas, qt, 1979;
Invenciones, qnt, 1980; Sonatina trianera, qt, 1980
Gui(s), orch: Concierto de Castilla, 1960; Homenaje a la seguidilla, 1962, rev. 1981;
Concierto en flamenco, 1962; Tres nocturnos, 1970; Romancillos, c1975; Concierto
ibrico, gui qt and orch, 1976; Fantasa flamenca, 1976; Dilogos entre guitarra y
orquesta, 1977; Tonada concertante, 1982

Orch: La ajorca de oro, 1918; Zoraida, 1919; Cuadros, 1919; Antequera, 1953;
Gardens of Granada, 1953; Mosaico sevillano, 1954; Aires vascos, 1956; Danzas
asturianas, 1956; Sevillanas populares, 1956; San Fermn, 1960; Zambra mora,
1960; Eritaa, 1979; Sonatina trianera, 1980; Aires de Andaluca; Aires de Aragn;
Alpujarrena; As es la jota; Capricho romntico; Danza de humo; En la reja
sevillana; Iberiana; Las Hormagas; Preludio en Do menor; Suite madrilea
Pf and orch: Fantasa castellana, 1980
Pf solo: Apetits Pas, 1913; El mate, 1915; Mosaico sevillano, 1954; Alegras de
Cdiz, 1957; Fandango corralero, 1957; Romance antiguo, 1957; Torerias, 1957;
Chucares, 1958; El Tato, 1958; Noche sevillana, 1959; Alegra de Madrid, 1969;
Cuadro Goyesco; Semblanza; Tre obras; [Untitled]
Other works: Vaya por usted, accdn, 1959; Dedicatoria, fl, pf, 1973; Danza
castellana, inst unknown, 1977

Principal publishers: Ricordi (Buenos Aires), Schott (Mainz), Unin musical Espaola; Ediciones
Musicales de Madrid/Cadencia, Casa Latina, Jacobo, Cantabrian, Mendaur, Hispanovox, Msica del
Sur

WRITINGS
Discursos leidos ante la Academia de bellas artes de San
Fernando en la recepcin publica del Seor Don Federico
Moreno-Torroba el dia 21 de febrero de 1935 (Madrid, 1935)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
GroveO (L. Salter)
A. Olano, ed.: Homenaje a Federico Moreno Torroba (Madrid,
1982)
W.C. Krause: The Life and Works of Federico Moreno Torroba
(diss., Washington U., St Louis, 1993)
WALTER AARON CLARK, WILLIAM CRAIG KRAUSE