Maria Rodrigo facts for kids

María Rodrigo (born March 20, 1888 – died December 8, 1967) was a talented Spanish pianist and composer. She was the first woman to have her opera performed in Spain, which was a big achievement!

María grew up in a very artistic family. Her sister, Mercedes Rodrigo, was also very smart and became the first Spanish woman to get a psychology degree from the Rousseau Institute in Switzerland.

Because of the Spanish Civil War, María and her sister left Spain. They moved to Switzerland, then to Bogota, Colombia, in 1939, and later to Puerto Rico in 1950. In Puerto Rico, María helped create the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music with the famous musician Pablo Casals. She passed away in Puerto Rico in 1967. María was special because she was one of the few composers who wrote zarzuelas, which are a type of Spanish musical play.

Early Life and Education

María Rodrigo grew up in a home full of learning and culture. She learned her first musical skills from her father. Later, she studied piano with José Tragó and composition with Emilio Serrano.

María was a child prodigy, meaning she was incredibly talented from a young age. When she was just 14, she received scholarships to study music even more in countries like France, Germany, and Belgium. She chose to go to the city of Munich in Germany.

Later, María worked as a professor at the Royal Conservatory in Madrid. In 1933, she was given an important role there, teaching vocal and instrumental music. She continued teaching until 1936, when the Spanish Civil War began.

Career and Later Life

Because of the Spanish Civil War, María and her sister had to leave Spain in 1939. She tried to take all her musical works with her in a trunk, but sadly, the trunk was lost on the way to Geneva.

For the rest of her life, María worked as a music teacher. First, she taught in Colombia. Then, she moved to Puerto Rico, where she spent her last 17 years. In Puerto Rico, she was with other Spanish people who had also left Spain, like Pablo Casals and Francisco Ayala.

María's Music

As a composer, María Rodrigo wrote many different kinds of music. She created vocal music, like operas, zarzuelas, and songs. She also wrote instrumental music, including symphonies, chamber music, and piano pieces.

María was the first woman to have an opera performed in Spain, which was a very important moment in music history. She wrote several pieces for piano and wind instruments. Her symphonic music, like the Rimas infantiles suite, was often played in concerts in Madrid. Her music often showed the influence of her German musical training and the famous composer Wagner.

Main Works

Here are some of María Rodrigo's most important musical works:

• Sonata en mi bemol para piano / Piano Sonata in Eb (1911)
• Obertura para orquesta / Overture for Orchestra (1912)
• Cuarteto de cuerda, en cuatro tiempos / String Quartet in Four Movements (1913)
• Mudarra para gran orquesta (poema sinfónico) / Mudarra for Orchestra (Symphonic poem) (1914)
• Sinfonía en 4 tiempos / Symphony in 4 movements (1914)
• Tres lieder para voz y piano (canciones con texto en alemán) / Three Lieder for voice and piano (1914)
• Salmantina (ópera) / Salmantina (Opera) (1914)
• Quinteto en fa para piano e instrumentos de viento / Quintet in F for Piano and winds (1915)
• Becqueriana (zarzuela, estrenada en el Teatro de la Zarzuela) (1915)
• Diana la Cazadora, o Pena de Muerte al Amor (zarzuela, estrenada en el Teatro Apolo el 19 de noviembre) / Diana the Hunter, or Death Penalty for Love (Zarzuela, premiered at Teatro Apolo on November 19th) (1915)
• Alma española (poema sinfónico) / Alma Española/Spanish Soul (Symphonic Poem) (1917)
• Las hazañas de un pícaro (sainete, estrenado en el Teatro Apolo) / Las Hazañas de un Picaro/The Amazing Deeds of a Rascal, sainete, premiered at Teatro Apolo (1920)
• Linterna mágica / Magic Lantern (1921)
• El pavo real (comedia poética, estrenada en el Teatro Eslava) / The Indian Peafowl (poetic comedy, premiered at Teatro Eslava) (1922)
• Coplas de España (para guitarra), cuatro coplas dedicadas a Andrés Segovia / Coplas of Spain (for guitar), 4 coplas dedicated to Andrés Segovia (1924)
• Ayes (canciones para canto y piano) / (Songs for voice and piano) (1925)
• Canción de amor () / Love Song (Chamber opera) (1925)
• Rimas infantiles, glosas de canciones de corro / Nursery Rhymes, variations on circle songs (1930)
• La Copla intrusa (para piano) / The Intruder Copla for piano (1930)
• La Cenicienta (ballet infantil) / Cinderella (Children's ballet) (1941)
• Canciones infantiles / Children's Songs (1942)
• Fábulas / Fables (1942)
• La carta, el guante y la rosa (ballet) / The letter, the glove and the rose (ballet) (1945)
• La flor de la vida (ópera) / The flower of life (Opera)
• La romería del Rocío (zarzuela) / The Pilgrimage to El Rocío (Zarzuela)
• Los Caprichos de Goya (suite sinfónica para coro y orquesta) / Goya's Caprichos (Symphonic Suite for Choir and Orchestra)

Images for kids

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  María Rodrigo Bellido

See also

In Spanish: María Rodrigo para niños