Joaquín Valverde Durán

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Joaquín Valverde Durán (27 February 1846 – 17 March 1910) was a Spanish composer, conductor and flautist. As a composer he is known for his collaborations on zarzuelas (he has been described as "the collaborative musician par excellence").[1] He was also the father of Joaquín "Quinito" Valverde Sanjuán, who achieved a greater level of fame.

Biography[]

Joaquín Valverde Durán was born in Badajoz in 1846. He studied at the Madrid Conservatory under José Aranguren (harmony), (flute) and Emilio Arrieta (composition).[1] He was a brilliant flautist, playing in military bands and theatre orchestras from the age of 13, and winning first prize in flute at the Conservatory in 1867.[1] He won the composition prize in 1870. He wrote two manuals for flautists (1874; La flauta: su historia, su estudia, 1886[2]). Between 1871 and 1889 he was a professional theatre conductor.

His first symphony Batylo was written in 1871.[2] His reputation as a composer was made, however, with a series of zarzuelas (light operas), written in collaboration with Federico Chueca. It appears that Chueca provided most of the melodies and Valverde provided the orchestral polish.[3] They worked together on Un maestro de obra prima (1877), La Canción de la Lola (1880), Luces y sombras and Fiesta Nacional (both 1882), Cádiz (1886), El año pasado por agua (1889), and other operas. Their masterpiece was La gran vía (Madrid, 2 July 1886), which was played in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, New York, Vienna, and many other theatres in Europe. It was premiered in London in 1906 as Castles in Spain.

A march from Cádiz (originally a hymn to a general, written in 1868 by Chueca alone) proved enormously popular in Spain, and it competed for popularity with the national anthem among the military.[4] Both Valverde and Chueca were awarded the Military Grand Cross.[1]

Valverde also collaborated with Manuel Fernández Caballero, , Ruperto Chapí, , , Tomás Bretón, and José Serrano (La suerte loca, 1907). Less successful were operas Valverde wrote alone, such as La baraja francesa (1890).

His other works include two symphonies[1] and over 200 other orchestral works.[5]

Joaquín Valverde Durán died in Madrid in 1910. His son "Quinito" Valverde (Joaquín Valverde Sanjuán) carried on his father's tradition.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Zarzuela.net
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Don Michael Randel, The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music
  3. ^ La Gran Via, zarzuela.net
  4. ^ Federico Chueca, zarzuela.net
  5. ^ Answers.com

Vincent J. Cincotta. Zarzuela - The Spanish Lyric Theatre: A Complete Reference (4th ed. revised, 2011). Wollongong, Australia: University of Wollongong Press, pp. 766, ISBN 0 86418 700 9, (pp. 48,52-54,58,81-82,341-343)

Sources[]

  • Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed., 1954, Eric Blom, ed.
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