Tonadilla was a Spanish musical

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...

form of theatrical origin; not danced. The genre was a type of short, satirical musical comedy popular in 18th-century

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, and later in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

and other Spanish colonial countries. It originated as a song type, then dialogue for characters was written into the tonadilla, and it expanded into a miniature opera lasting from 10 to 20 minutes. It drew its personages from everyday life and included popular and folk music and dance, and

vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

language. The tonadilla also influenced the development of the

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 ...

, the characteristic form of Spanish musical drama or comedy. The first tonadilla is ascribed to Luis Misón in 1757. Notable composers of tonadillas in Spain included Blas de Laserna,

Pablo Esteve Pablo Esteve y Grimau (1730–1794) was a Spanish composer. Esteve was conductor and house-composer for the Teatro de la Cruz in Madrid during the peak of the popularity of the ''tonadilla Tonadilla was a Spanish musical song form of theatrical ori ...

, and Jacinto Valledor. The tonadilla was particularly popular in

where more than 200 stage tonadillas were sung between 1790 and 1814, the year in which they began to be displaced from

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

programs, finding new life in the Cuban provinces.Carpentier, Alejo 2001 945 ''Music in Cuba''. Minneapolis MN. p125 In 1959

Joaquín Rodrigo Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquess of the Gardens of Aranjuez (; 22 November 1901 – 6 July 1999), was a Spanish composer and a virtuoso pianist. He is best known for composing the '' Concierto de Aranjuez'', a cornerstone of the classical ...

wrote a short guitar duet in popular style, called ''Tonadilla'' and inspired by the theatrical form.

References

Spanish styles of music Cuban styles of music Musical theatre Theatrical genres {{music-genre-stub