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PERFORMANCES EL HIJO FINGIDO New
Production at the Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid. The lyrical comedy with a prologue and two acts by Joaquín Rodrigo, libretto by Jesús María de Arozamena and Victoria Kamhi, takes inspiration from two works by Lope de Vega , ¿De cuando acá nos vino? and Los ramilletes de Madrid . - Orchestra
of the Community of Madrid. On February 1, the splendid lyrical comedy by Joaquín Rodrigo EL HIJO FINGIDO reopened at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid. Following its premiere at the same theater in December of 1964, with Odón Alonso as musical director and Luis Escobar as stage director, EL HIJO FINGIDO had not been performed again on stage and anticipation was high for the re-opening.
Sponsored by INAEM, the National Institute of Theater and Music Arts, this magnificent production of EL HIJO FINGIDO, which was a great success at the box office as well as with the critics, was accompanied by the Orchestra of the Community of Madrid and the Choir of the Teatro de la Zarzuela, under the musical direction of Miguel Roa and the stage direction of Gerardo Malla. With sold-out performances every day, the beauty of Joaquín Rodrigo's music charmed the audience, and voices such as those of María Rey-Joly and María Rodriguez (as Ángela), Eneida García (as Doña Bárbara), Josep-Miquel Ramón and Ángel Ódena (as Leonardo), enhanced the inspired passages of this spirited lyrical comedy. The brilliant staging provided by Gerardo Malla, working with the inestimable collaboration of of stage designer Joaquín Roy, the superb costumes supplied by Javier de Artiñano, and the fine choreography contributed by Natalia Viñas made each performance an outstanding PLOT The plot revolves around the handsome young Lieutenant Leonardo, serving in the Spanish army in Flanders at the orders of Captain Fajardo, who decides to return to Spain, carrying letters of recommendation from his Captain, one of the letters for Doña Barbara, Fajardo's sister, a young widow and mother of Angela. By falsifying the letter to present himself as the son of Fajardo, Leonardo is received by Doña Barbara, who offers him lodging and both Barbara and Angela profess being enamored of the young man, thus provoking a rivalry between mother and daughter Angela and Leonardo declare their love, Doña Barbara leads her daughter to believe that Leonardo is her "brother", not her "cousin", Captain Fajardo returns to set things straight and Leonardo flee in shame. Seeing Leonardo's repentance, Fajardo forgives his former Lieutenant, adopts him as his true son and arranges his marriage to Angela.
RECORDING The recording of El Hijo Fingido on EMI CLASSICS , as part of the comemmorative edition of the complete works of Joaquín Rodrigo, is now available at record stores. PRESS COMMENTS ABC 03/02/01 "EL HIJO FINGIDO",Successful Lyrical Comedy by Joaquín Rodrigo by Antonio Iglesias "El Hijo Fingido". Lyrical comedy. Soloists: E. García, M. Rodriguez, J.-M. Ramón, L. Álvarez, Musical Director: M. Roa. Stage Director: G. Malla. Choir Director: A. Fauró, Orchestra of the Community of Madrid, Choir of the Teatro de la Zarzuela. Madrid. February l. "Since December of 1964, there have been no performances of one of Rodrigo's most substantial ventures into the theater, his lyrical comedy in one prologue and two acts, "El Hijo Fingido" , with libretto by Jesús María de Arozamena and Victoria Kamhi, extracted from two works by Lope de Vega: "¿De cuándo acá nos vino?" and "Los ramilletes de Madrid". The Teatro de la Zarzuela, where the work was first presented, has brought it back for a second "premiere" to an enthusiastic audience, which applauded each scene and crowned the evening with a long ovation. Joaquín Rodrigo's overwhelming personality and style of composition are clearly evident throughout this score, which might be called "a new fusion of my preference for older musical forms, and something which I call 'neocasticismo'", as the composer himself once affirmed. Naturally, there is much more of his admirable stylistic ability, but this is what stands out in "El Hijo Fingido", in addition to a torrent of musical ingenuity, bearing his personal touch everywhere. I especially admired the very inspired thematic material in the harmonization, following the "Overture" and an "Intermezzo" which are truly beautiful. The Teatro de la Zarzuela has spared no expense in this splendid revival: the sumptuously elegant costumes by Javier Artiñano, highly colorful stage design, the very suitable illumination by Juan Gómez-Cornejo, the fine choreography of high quality, and a long list of etceteras which includes all the participants in "El Hijo Fingido". A well deserved triumph on the part of the directors: Musical Director, Miguel Roa, highly experienced in this field, deals knowledgeably with the score which is delicate in its lines, but also has some rather difficult spicy moments; Stage Director Gerardo Malla, seeks a natural effect, which he achieves in several series of blendings. Outstanding in the cast are the voices of Angela, played by Maria Rodriguez and Doña Bárbara, Eneida García, actresses of considerable merit; and having mentioned the ladies first, I must praise the excellent actors playing the role of El Capitán Fajardo, the fine-pitched baritone, and, above all, the other baritone, Josep-Miquel Ramón, who portrayed a well rounded Leonardo, in all registers, with some extraordinarily outstanding moments. Having already underlined my sincere admiration for Miguel Roa's work, in this brief outline, I must mention the contribution of the members of the accredited Orchestra of the Community of Madrid, without forgetting the voices of the Teatro de la Zarzuela's Choir, well blended by Antonio Fauró and unforgettable in their moment of "a capella". EL PAÍS . 02/02/2001 "A de luxe performance of El Hijo Fingido", by Luis Suñen By Joaquín Rodrigo. Musical Director: Miguel Roa. Stage Director: Gerardo Malla. Stage design: Joaquín Roy. With Eneida García, María Rodriguez and Josep-Miquel Ramón. Choir of La Zarzuela, Orchestra of the Communityh of Madrid. Theater of La Zarzuela, February 1-11, 2001. "...On December 5, 1964, Joaquín Rodrigo's El Hijo Fingido opened at La Zarzuela, with Odón Alonso as musical director, and Luis Escobar as stage director. The work is on stage again, as part of the Centenary Year celebrations for the composer of Concierto de Aranjuez. Unmistakable Personality The presence of a composer like Rodrigo is clearly evident in the unmistakable personality of the musical numbers presented, many of them the result of his preference for a refined treatment of popular tradition that is so central to his production. It is music that is predictable, with no criticism intended, from a composer who feels quite at home in an evocative scenario, charged with a brilliance achieved through inspiration and craft, recalling an ambience that is as engaging as it is fleeting. Difficult Nuances The singers and actors deserve credit for their total commitment. Outstanding among the singers: Josep-Miquel Ramón - weak in his spoken lines, but excellent in his characterization as the simple, kind-hearted protagonist, and Eneida García and María Rodríguez, much better in verse, as Doña Bárbara and Ángela, the mother and daughter who are rivals in love. The ballet company and the theater's choir performed well. Miguel Roa achieved good results from a somewhat irregular orchestra, although it lacked nuances in the difficult sublety that Rodrigo demands in passages such as the beautiful prelude to the second act. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the evening and laughed at some of Fernando Conde's and Sonsoles Benedicto's veteran gags, effective although trite, and the performance was warmly applauded. "
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