Blas de Laserna facts for kids

Blas de Laserna Nieva (born in Corella, Navarra in 1751 – died in Madrid in 1816) was a Spanish composer. He was known for writing many popular songs and stage music during his time.

A Talented Composer

Blas de Laserna was one of the most active and well-liked songwriters in Spain during the late 1700s and early 1800s. This period was part of the Enlightenment, a time when new ideas and ways of thinking were popular.

He believed in promoting traditional Spanish music. However, as someone who managed theaters, he also understood that people enjoyed Italian musical styles. So, he often included both in his work.

Laserna wrote many different types of music. He composed several operas, which are plays set to music, and concertos, which are pieces for a solo instrument and orchestra. He also created music for popular Spanish comedies. He was very productive, writing over 500 songs called tonadillas. Many of these songs had lyrics written by Ramón de la Cruz.

In 1791, while he was the conductor for the orchestra at the Teatro de la Cruz in Madrid, his own operetta, La Gitanilla Por Amor (which means The Gypsy Girl For Love), was performed for the first time. An operetta is like a short, light opera.

His music continued to inspire others even after his death. For example, the famous Spanish composer Enrique Granados used a melody from Laserna's song "La Tirana del Tripili" in his own well-known music suite called Goyescas.