Ruperto Chapí

Ruperto Chapí

Source: Arte Historia

Born in Villena, Spain, on 27 March 1851 just like Vincent d'Indy, Ruperto Chapí began playing piccolo and composing at age nine. Like his most significant Spanish contemporary, Tomás Bretón, Chapí had composed largely operas (7 of them), numerous zarzuelas [Wikipedia] and orchestral works including symphonies. EcuRed has him writing the fantasy, 'A Day In the Woods', at age twelve (1863). He wrote his first zarzuela, 'La estrella del bosque', at age fifteen (1866), the same year that he began conducting in Alicante. Chapí began studies the next year at the Madrid Conservatory at age sixteen. A second zarzuela, 'Doble engaño', followed in 1868. Come the scherzo, 'Combate de Don Quijote', in 1869 before 'Abel y Cain' in 1871, the year prior to winning a scholarship to the Paris Conservatoire in 1872. Chapí's initial opera, 'Las Naves de Cortés' ('The Ships of Cortez'), premiered at the Teatro Real in Madrid on 19 April 1874 [score to Prelude].

'Combate de Don Quijote contra las ovejas'   E major   Scherzo by Ruperto Chapí

'Don Quijote's Fight Against the Sheep'

1869

Orquesta Sinfonica de RTVE   Adrian Leaper

Score

Chapí's long-lost second opera, 'La Muerte de Garcilaso', wasn't commercially performed but won him a scholarship from the Royal Spanish Academy of Fine Arts. Upon returning to Madrid to commence a highly successful professional career Chapí premiered his fourth opera, 'Roger de Flor', on 23 January 1878 at the Teatro Real in Madrid, that composed while in Rome with libretto by Mariano Capdepón Maseres. Roger de Flor (b c 1267) is a mercenary who lead the powerful Catalan Company into the service of the Byzantine Empire against the threat of the Ottoman Turk. He was assassinated in Turkey on 30 April 1305.

'Escenas de capa y espada'   Symphonic poem by Ruperto Chapí

'Cloak and Dagger Scenes'

1876

OS de Radio Televisión Española   Adrian Leaper

'La Muerte de Garcilaso'   Second opera by Ruperto Chapí

'The Death of Garcilaso'

1876

Libretto by Antonio Arnao

Stage direction: Carlos Durán   Conducting: Tulio Gagliardo Varas

Garcilaso de la Vega: Rafael Lledó

İzmir State Opera and Ballet   2020

Garcilaso de la Vega Foundation   Informacion    El Mundo    Nuestra Zarzuela

'Symphony'   D minor   Ruperto Chapí

1877

Orquestra del Gran Teatre del Liceu   Guerassim Voronkov

IMSLP

Prelude to 'Roger de Flor'   Fourth opera by Ruperto Chapí

Premiere 23 Jan 1878 at the Teatro Real in Madrid

Orquestra del Gran Teatre del Liceu   Guerassim Voronkov

Europa Press   IMSLP   Wikipedia

Serenata from 'La Corte de Granada' aka 'Fantasía Morisca'   Ruperto Chapí

Originally for military band  1879

Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid   José Ramón Encinar

IMSLP

'En la playa' ('On the Beach') from '6 Melodias'    No.2 of 6   D minor   Ruperto Chapí

C 1879

Libretto: Miguel Ramos Carrión

Mezzo soprano: Laure de Marcellus   Piano: Alberto Urroz

IMSLP   Score

Chapí premiered his fifth opera, 'La Serenata' [IMSLP] with libretto by José Estremera, on 5 November 1881 at the Teatro Apolo in Madrid. The failure of that turned him away from opera, not to approach that form again for another score of years (c 1902). In the meantime he produced numerous zarzuelas such as 'El rey que rabió' ('The King Who Raged') at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid on 20 April 1891 with libretto by Miguel Ramos Carrión and Vital Aza. This comedy concerns the love affair of Rosa and her king complicated by one Jeremias who also loves Rosa although she doesn't return it.

Nocturne from Act II of 'El rey que rabió' ('The King Who Raged')

Comic Opera by Ruperto Chapí

Premiere 20 April 1891 at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid

Libretto: Miguel Ramos Carrión / Vital Aza

Camerata del Prado   Tomas Garrido

Beckmesser   IMSLP   Wikipedia   Zarzuela Net

Come Chapí's one-act zarzuela, 'El tambor de granaderos' ('The Drum of the Grenadiers') in 1894. This tale set in Spain concerns the love between Gaspar who faces death as a Bourbon loyalist and a wealthy Luz who faces life as a nun.

Preludio to 'El tambor de granaderos' ('The Grenadier Drum')   Zarzuela by Ruperto Chapí

1894

Libretto: Emilio Sánchez Pastor

Voices for Peace Concert at the Monumental Theater in Madrid   21 Jan 2001

Fuente de Cantos Music Band   Hollywood Bowl   LA Phil   Wikipedia

Chapí conducted 'Las Bravías' ('The Pigeons') at the Teatro Apolo on 12 December 1896 with libretto by Carlos Fernández Shaw and José López Silva borrowed from Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew' (1591-94). Seven rapidly written zarzuelas later 'La Revoltosa' arrived to the Apolo on 25 November 1897 with libretto again by Shaw and Silva. That became the subject of a silent film called 'The Troublemaker' directed by Florián Rey in 1924. Set in Chapí's Madrid, 'The Rebel' concerns the love between one Felipe and Mari Pepa.

'La Revoltosa' ('The Rebel')   Zarzuela by Ruperto Chapí

Premiere 25 Nov 1897 at the Teatro Apolo in Madrid

Libretto: José López Silva / Carlos Fernández Shaw

Teatro Calderon in Madrid   Jose Irastorza

IMSLP   Wikipedia English   Wikipedia Spanish   Zarzuela Net

It had been 21 years since Chapí premiered his last opera in 1881 ('La Serenata' above) when his next, 'Circe', arrived to Madrid with libretto by Carrión (above) on 7 May of 1902. Among the eight zarzuelas given a date of 1902 at French Wikipedia, 'El Puñao de Rosas' ('A Bunch of Roses') premiered at the Teatro Apolo with libretto by Carlos Arniches on 30 October 1902.

'El Puñao de Rosas' ('A Bunch of Roses')   Zarzuela by Ruperto Chapí

Premiere 30 Oct 1902 at the Teatro Apolo in Madrid

Libretto: Carlos Arniches

Rosario: Ana María Iriarte

Coro Cantores de Madrid / José Perera

Orquesta de Cámara de Madrid / Ataulfo Argenta

IMSLP   Alejandro Mejías Moya   Wikipedia English   Wikipedia Spanish

'El Puñao de Rosas' ('A Bunch of Roses')   Zarzuela by Ruperto Chapí

Premiere 30 Oct 1902 at the Teatro Apolo in Madrid

Libretto: Carlos Arniches

Rosario: Carmen Sinovas

Coro Cantores de Madrid / José Perera

Orquesta Filarmonica de España / Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos

IMSLP   Alejandro Mejías Moya   Wikipedia English   Wikipedia Spanish

'El Puñao de Rosas' ('A Bunch of Roses')   Zarzuela by Ruperto Chapí

Premiere 30 Oct 1902 at the Teatro Apolo in Madrid

Libretto: Carlos Arniches

Rosario: Dolores Pérez

Oquesta de Cámara de Madrid / Enrique Navarro

IMSLP   Alejandro Mejías Moya   Wikipedia English   Wikipedia Spanish

Though the greater portion of Chapí's music was for theatre, he composed instrumentals as well, such as 'String Quartet No.1' in G in 1903. He followed that the next year with his four-movement 'String Quartet No.2' in F.

'String Quartet No.1'   G major   Ruperto Chapí

1903

For 2 violins / viola / cello

Arriaga Quartet:

Violin: Rodrigo Bauza / Adrien Jurkovic

Viola: Miguel Ángel Lucas

Cello: Damien Ventula

IMSLP

Allegro moderato of 'String Quartet No.2'   Movement  1 of 4   F major   Ruperto Chapí

1904

For 2 violins / viola / cello

Cuarteto Latinoamericano

IMSLP

Chapí premiered his last opera, 'Margarita la Tornera', at the Teatro Real on 24 February 1909, that with another libretto by Shaw, now based on a poem by José Zorrilla. It seems that Margarita who is a nun has been uncharacteristically seduced by an immoral Don Juan Alarcon. She is forgiven by a living statue of the Virgin Mary, but Don Juan is not, to be struck by lightning.

'Margarita la Tornera'   Opera by Ruperto Chapí

Premiere 24 Feb 1909 at the Teatro Real in Madrid

Libretto: Carlos Fernández Shaw based on a poem by José Zorrilla

Coro de la Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid

Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid / Luis Antonio García Navarro

Opera Today   Wikipedia   Zarzuela Net

EcuRed lists a final zarzuela titled 'The Magic of Life' with a posthumous date of 1910, albeit Chapí died in Madrid on 25 March 1909, one month after the premiere of 'Margarita la Tornera'.

Sources & References for Ruperto Chapí:

Robert Cummings (All Music)