| |
JACINTO GUERRERO BIOGRAPHY
-
1895 .- Born in Ajofrín (Toledo) on 16 August.
During his childhood, plays the bass drum and cymbals in the band conducted by his father, Avelino Guerrero Cruz, and so gets the chance to earn a little pocket money. Thanks to his father's efforts to engage their services, also gets the chance to hear the first ever zarzuela (Spanish operetta) companies to visit Ajofrín.
- 1904 .- On the death of his father, enters Infantes College. At the same time, becomes a seise (traditional Spanish choir boy who must dance as well as sing) at the cathedral, where he meets Agustín Moreno Pavón.
- 1907 .- In the procession held to honour the Virgen de la Esperanza (Our Lady of Hope), makes his début as a conductor, directing a salve (psalm in praise of the Virgin Mary) for four voices which he himself has composed.
His first work of note is the “Hymn to Toledo”, a success that earns him a scholarship and opens the doors to Madrid.
- 1914 .- While living in the capital and studying at the Conservatory, he survives by writing cuplés and coplas (variety and popular songs) for theatres, and making a little extra on the side by playing at weddings and christenings.
- 1915 .- Joins the Apollo Theatre Orchestra as second violin, thereby bringing him into contact with personalities in the music and theatre world.
- 1917 .- Is unanimously awarded a First Class Diploma in Harmony by the Madrid Conservatory.
- 1918 .- Composes his first work, La de la cara de Dios (The girl with the divine face), a farce in the form of a Madrid comedy of manners.
- 1919 .- First performance of El camino de Santiago (The Pilgrims' Way to Santiago).
- 1920 .- On the occasion of the première of La Pelusa or El regalo de Reyes (The Gift of the Magi) is offered the position of pianist at the Fuencarral Theatre.
- 1921 .- Premières a number of works, such as La Alsaciana (The Girl from Alsace), in Barcelona, which assures him of a place in the role of honour of popular lyrical composers. From time to time, works alongside celebrated composers, with whom he jointly signs his works, and teams up with prestigious librettists.
His brother Inocencio secures the post of pianist in the Fuencarral Theatre Orchestra and, as a result, Jacinto moves on to conduct the Cervantes Theatre Orchestra.
- 1922 .- On 14 November, premières La Montería (The Hunt) in Zaragoza, marking a milestone in his career and the definitive recognition of the maestro.
- 1923 .- Gives the opening performance of Los Gavilanes (The Sparrowhawks) and achieves one of his greatest triumphs.
- 1924 .- On 3 October witnesses the première of La sombra del Pilar (The shadow of Pilar), a zarzuela in three acts, and his first collaboration with Federico Romero and Guillermo Fernández-Shaw.
On 26 November, Don Quintín el Amargao (Don Quintín the Embittered) opens in Madrid.
- 1926 .- Attains yet another memorable success with El huésped del Sevillano (The Sevillian Innkeeper's Guest), which is set against a Toledan backdrop and includes Miguel de Cervantes in its plot.
- 1927 and 1928 .- Continues producing hits, such as El sobre verde (The green envelope) which opened on 22 January 1927 in Barcelona and was destined to have a long and successful run.
- 1928 .- In the history of Jacinto Guerrero, this could be said to be the year of Martierra, which received its début performance on 28 September.
In this same year, he premières La orgía dorada (The Golden Orgy), a revue in 19 scenes based on a libretto by Pedro Muñoz Seca.
- 1930 .- La rosa del azafrán (The Saffron Rose) opens on 14 March. Characterised by Manchegan rhythms, this work was not only to be performed in Madrid hundreds of times, but was also to be performed at a number of venues around Spain, and even in Latin America, where the maestro scored a resounding success in Argentina.
At the request of the director, George Berthold Samuelson, he composes the theme music for the film, La canción del día (Song of the Day), one of the first sound motion pictures to be made in Spanish.
- 1931 .- Awarded the Isabel la Católica Cross. Work begins on the Coliseum Theatre.
- 1932 .- First performances in Valladolid and Barcelona of La fama del tartanero (The waggoner’s fame), set in Vejer (Cadiz) at the time of the Napoleonic Wars.
Participates as founder member in the Spanish & American Cinematographic Association (Asociación Cinematografía Española y Americana - CEA) under the chairmanship of Jacinto Benavente, with the aim of devoting himself to the production and screening of Spanish motion pictures.
The Coliseum Theatre opens.
- 1939 .- Premières his first post-war (i.e., Spanish Civil War) work, Carlo Monte en Monte Carlo, an operetta in fourteen scenes, with libretto by Enrique Jardiel Poncela.
Will henceforth devote himself almost exclusively to revues.
- 1943 .- Receives the Encomienda de la Orden de Alfonso X, El Sabio (Civil Order of Alfonso the Wise).
- 1944 .- Première of ¡5 minutos nada menos! (All of 5 minutes!) a comic operetta in two acts, which was to have an uninterrupted run of one thousand eight hundred performances at the same theatre.
- 1945 .- Composes the music for the first Spanish animated feature film, Garbancito de la Mancha.
- 1946 .- Takes up the post of city councillor in charge of the Madrid Municipal Band.
- 1948 .- Resigns as a member of the Madrid City Council to chair the Performing Rights Society (Sociedad de Autores) in place of Maestro Alonso.
- 1949 .- Travels variously to New York, Paris, Brussels, Lisbon, etc, as chairman of the Performing Rights Society.
- 1951 .- Embarks on the composition of El canastillo de fresas (The Strawberry Basket), a zarzuela in 7 scenes and a commemoration, which he leaves unfinished and in need of orchestration. To complete it, arrangements were made for the participation of a series of maestros -each tasked with a specific number- and the operetta was finally premièred after his death.
Acquires the Longoria Palace as the head office of the Performing Rights Society.
In a tribute to him at the Albéniz Theatre is awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (Medalla del Trabajo), as well as being presented with a gold baton by the Madrid City Council.
In Toledo is honoured by having a street named after him, and the Tríptico toledano (Toledan triptych) is given its first performance.
Dies on 15 September and his funeral is marked by a great outpouring of popular fervour.
Is posthumously awarded the Medal of the Madrid Provincial Authority .
- 1977 .- A monument to his memory is raised in Toledo.
- 1982 .- His brother Inocencio, who had always collaborated closely with him, creates the Jacinto & Inocencio Guerrero Foundation, which he then chairs until his own death on 16 March.
- 1995 .- To mark the centenary of his birth, the Medal of Artistic Merit is posthumously bestowed upon Jacinto Guerrero by the Madrid City Council.
|
