Juan Hidalgo de Polanco facts for kids

Juan Hidalgo de Polanco (born September 28, 1614 – died March 31, 1685) was a famous Spanish composer and harpist. He was one of the most important composers of his time in Spain and wrote music for the very first operas created in Spanish. Many people consider him the "father" of Spanish opera and of the zarzuela, which is a type of Spanish musical play.

Hidalgo was born and passed away in Madrid. Around 1630 or 1631, he became a harpist at the Spanish royal chapel. His job was to play music for both religious ceremonies and everyday events. He also played for King Philip IV himself! By about 1645, he was leading the court's chamber musicians and was the main composer of villancicos (popular Spanish songs), chamber songs, and music for plays.

The Birth of Spanish Opera

Juan Hidalgo played a huge part in starting Spanish opera. His work Celos aun del aire matan is a great example. This opera was written with the famous playwright Calderon de la Barca. It was based on an old story from Ovid's Metamorphoses about Cephalus and Procris.

The opera was first performed on December 5, 1660. It was a special event to celebrate the third birthday of Prince Felipe Prospero. Celos aun del aire matan is considered the oldest opera from Spain that we still have today.

His Influence and Music

Juan Hidalgo was the most important composer for secular (non-religious) and theater music at the Spanish court until he died. He wrote a lot of music and was very popular throughout his career. His importance in Spanish theater is similar to that of Henry Purcell in Britain or Lully in France.

He wrote music for at least nine religious plays called "allegorical plays." These were performed in public for the Corpus Christi celebration. For the court stages, he wrote songs for 16 spoken plays (comedias). He also created many zarzuelas (musical plays with singing and speaking) and semi-operas. He even wrote two full operas that are highly praised. Besides theater music, he composed many sacred villancicos and some religious music for church services.

Legacy

Juan Hidalgo's life story inspired a novel called The Harpist of Madrid. This book was written by the English author Gordon Thomas. Also, the composer Celia Torra used one of Hidalgo's melodies to create her choral song Las campanas.

Selected Works (Highlights)

Juan Hidalgo wrote many important works. Here are a few examples of his famous operas and zarzuelas:

• 1660 - La púrpura de la rosa (with Calderón de la Barca) / An opera (the music for this one is now missing).
• 1660 - Celos aun del aire matan (with Calderón de la Barca) / An opera (the music for this one is still preserved).
• 1672 - Los celos hacen estrellas (with Juan Vélez de Guevara) / A zarzuela (the music for this one is still preserved).
• 1680 - Hado y divisa de Leonido y Marfisa (with Calderón de la Barca) / An opera.

See also

• In Spanish: Juan Hidalgo para niños