This is a list of operas by Argentine composers.

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

's first native born

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

composer was Francisco Hargreaves (1849–1900) who composed ''La gatta bianca'' (1875) and ''Los estudiantes de Bologna'' (1897), followed by Zenón Rolón (1856–1902) who composed several operas as well as

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its ...

s and

zarzuela () is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular songs, as well as dance. The etymology of the name is uncertain, but some propose it may derive from the name of ...

s. The works of many of the composers from this generation were first performed outside Argentina. Native Argentine opera was to develop much more with the massive European (mainly Italian) immigration in the late 19th century and even more with the opening of the Teatro Colón in 1908 where most of the 20th century operas listed here had their world premieres. Some of the first operas to treat Argentine subjects or national themes were

Arturo Berutti Arturo Berutti (c. 27 March 1862 in San Juan, Argentina - 3 January 1938 in Buenos Aires) was an Argentinian composer of classical music and librettos. He was best known for his notable theme ''Pampa'' (1897). The opera was based on the life of Ju ...

's ''Pampa'' (1897) based on the life of

Juan Moreira Juan Moreira (? - April 1874) is a well-known figure in the history of Argentina. An outlaw, gaucho and folk-hero, he is considered one of the most renowned Argentinian rural bandits. Early life Moreira was born in the administrative area of La ...

and ''Yupanki'' (1899) based on the life of

Inca The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, ( Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The adm ...

warrior Manqu Inka Yupanki. Also notable in this genre were

Felipe Boero Felipe Boero (January 1, 1884 – August 9, 1958) was an Argentine composer and music educator. He is most famous for composing the opera ''El Matrero'', after a play by Yamandú Rodríguez, considered one of the national operas of Argenti ...

's ''Tucumán'' (1918) set during the Battle of Tucumán and ''

El matrero ''The Outlaw'' ( es, El matrero) is a 1939 Argentine drama film directed by Orestes Caviglia and starring Agustín Irusta. Cast * Agustín Irusta * Amelia Bence * Carlos Perelli * Roberto Escalada * Ada Cornaro Ada Cornaro (29 June 18 ...

'' (1929). Considered by many to be the quintessential Argentine opera, ''El matrero'' had a

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major li ...

based on

gaucho A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired and ...

folk tradition and incorporated Argentine folk melodies and a traditional gaucho dance. The Spanish playwright

Federico García Lorca Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936), known as Federico García Lorca ( ), was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblemat ...

was also the inspiration for several Argentine operas. His plays, '' La zapatera prodigiosa'' and ''

Bodas de sangre ''Blood Wedding'' ( es, link=no, Bodas de sangre) is a tragedy by Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. It was written in 1932 and first performed at Teatro Beatriz in Madrid in March 1933, then later that year in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ...

'', were the basis of operas by

Juan José Castro Juan José Castro (March 7, 1895September 3, 1968) was an Argentine composer and conductor. Born in Avellaneda, Castro studied piano and violin under Manuel Posadas and composition under Eduardo Fornarini, in Buenos Aires. In the 1920s he was ...

, while Osvaldo Golijov's 2003 opera '' Ainadamar'' is based on events in the playwright's life.

List

19th century

*''Il fidanzato del mare'' by

Héctor Panizza Ettore Panizza (born Héctor Panizza; 12 August 187527 November 1967) was an Argentine conductor and composer, one of the leading conductors of the early 20th century. Panizza possessed technical mastery and was popular and influential during ...

; opera in one act to a libretto by Romeo Carugati; premiered 15 August 1897, Teatro de la Ópera,

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

20th century

*''Medioevo latino'' by Héctor Panizza; opera (triptych) in three acts to a libretto by Luigi Illica; premiered 17 November 1900, Teatro Politeama Genovese,

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...

*''

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

'' by Héctor Panizza; opera in three acts to a libretto by Luigi Illica after Hector Quesada; premiered 5 September 1908, Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires (revised version in Spanish premiered 1945) *''Tucumán'' by

; opera in one act to a libretto by Leopoldo Díaz; premiered 29 June 1918, Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires *''Ariana y Dionysos'' by Felipe Boero; opera in one act to a libretto by Leopoldo Díaz; premiered 7 August 1920, Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires *''Raquela'' by Felipe Boero; opera in one act to a libretto by Víctor Mercadante; premiered 26 June 1923, Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires *''Las Bacantes'' by Felipe Boero; opera in three acts to a libretto after

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars ...

, translated by Leopoldo Longhi; premiered 19 September 1925, Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires *''

'' by Felipe Boero; opera in three acts to a libretto by Yamandú Rodríguez; premiered 12 July 1929, Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires *''Siripo'' by Felipe Boero; opera in three acts to a libretto by Luis Bayón-Herrera, after Manuel de Lavardén; premiered 8 June 1937, Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires * ''Chasca'' by Enrique Mario Casella, opera in one act, libretto by the composer; premiered 28 August 1939, Teatro Alberdi, Tucumán *''Bizancio'' by Héctor Panizza; opera (''poema dramático'') in three acts to a libretto by Gustavo Macchi after

Auguste Bailly Auguste Bailly (1878–1967) was a French novelist and historian. Several of his works have been adapted into films, particularly his 1924 novel ''Naples au baiser de feu'' which has had four screen adaptations including the 1954 Hollywood film '' ...

, premiered 25 July 1939, Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires Buenos Aires *''La zapatera prodigosa'' by

; opera in three acts after

; premiered 1943,

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

*''Proserpina y el extranjero'' by Juan José Castro; opera in three acts after Omar del Carlo; premiered 17 March 1952,

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

*''Zincalí'' by Felipe Boero; opera in three acts to a libretto by Arturo Capdevila; premiered 12 November 1954, Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires *''Bodas di sangre'' by Juan José Castro; opera in three acts after Federico García Lorca; premiered 9 August 1956, Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires *''

Don Rodrigo ''Don Rodrigo'' is an opera in three acts by Alberto Ginastera, the composer's first opera, to an original Spanish libretto by Alejandro Casona. Ginastera composed the opera on commission from the Municipality of the City of Buenos Aires, Argent ...

'' by

Alberto Ginastera Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (; April 11, 1916June 25, 1983) was an Argentinian composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas. Biography Ginastera was born in Buenos ...

; opera in three acts to a libretto by Alejandro Casona; premiered 24 July 1964, Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires *''

Bomarzo Bomarzo is a town and '' comune'' of the province of Viterbo ( Lazio, Central Italy), in the lower valley of the Tiber. It is located east-northeast of Viterbo and north-northwest of Rome. History The city's current name is a derivation o ...

'' by Alberto Ginastera; opera in two acts to a libretto by

Manuel Mujica Láinez Manuel Mujica LainezIn fact, the writer himself spelled his surnames without accents, as all his books published during his lifetime show. (11 September 1910 – 21 April 1984) was an Argentine novelist, essayist and art critic. He is mainly ...

; premiered 19 May 1967, Washington, D.C. *''

María de Buenos Aires ''María de Buenos Aires'' is a tango opera (''tango operita'') with music by Ástor PiazzollaSCP 2005. and libretto by Horacio Ferrer that premiered at the Sala Planeta in Buenos Aires on 8 May 1968. The first part of the surreal plot center ...

'' by

Ástor Piazzolla Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (, ; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed '' nuevo tango'', incorporating elements fr ...

; opera (''

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

operita'') to a libretto by

Horacio Ferrer Horacio Ferrer (June 2, 1933 – December 21, 2014) was a Uruguayan-Argentine poet, broadcaster, reciter and tango lyricist. He is particularly well known for having composed the lyrics for tangos by Astor Piazzolla, such as ''Balada para un loc ...

; premiered May 1968, Sala Planeta, Buenos Aires *'' Beatrix Cenci'' by Alberto Ginastera; opera in two acts to libretto by the composer, William Shand, and A. Girri; premiered 10 September 1971,

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

, Washington, D.C. *''Barabbas'' by Alberto Ginastera; opera after Michel de Ghelderode (begun 1977, unfinished)

21st century

*'' Ainadamar'' by Osvaldo Golijov; opera in three images to a libretto by

David Henry Hwang David Henry Hwang (born August 11, 1957) is an American playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and theater professor at Columbia University in New York City. He has won three Obie Awards for his plays '' FOB'', '' Golden Child'', and '' Yel ...

; premiered 10 August 2003,

Tanglewood Music Festival The Tanglewood Music Festival is a music festival held every summer on the Tanglewood estate in Stockbridge and Lenox in the Berkshire Hills in western Massachusetts. The festival consists of a series of concerts, including symphonic music, c ...

Tommasini, Anthony
"New Operas Remember The Agony Of Lovers Left Behind"
''New York Times'', 13 August 2003 (revised version premiered 30 July 2005,

Santa Fe Opera Santa Fe Opera (SFO) is an American opera company, located north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. After creating the ''Opera Association of New Mexico'' in 1956, its founding director, John Crosby, oversaw the building of the first opera house on a newl ...

) *"Eterna flotación: Los Monstruito'" by

Oscar Edelstein Oscar Edelstein (born 12 June 1953) is a contemporary composer from Argentina. Known for creativity and inventiveness, frequently he is described as leading Latin America's avant-garde. He is also a pianist, conductor, and researcher. Biogra ...

, commissioned by the Centre for Experimentation (CETC) of Teatro Colón, premiered in Teatro Margarita Xirgu (Buenos Aires), on 17, 20, 21, 22 and 23 September 2006. The opera is divided into two acts each with eleven moments, for chamber orchestra, electro-acoustics, 3 leads & chorus, with the libretto adapted by the composer based on poems by

Rodolfo Enrique Fogwill Rodolfo Enrique Fogwill (July 15, 1941 – August 21, 2010), who normally went only by his surname, Fogwill, was an Argentine short story writer, novelist, and businessman. He was a distant relative of the novelist Charles Langbridge Morgan. H ...

Notes and references

{{Opera topics

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, ...

Argentine music

List

19th century

20th century

21st century

See also

Notes and references