''Zigor'' (

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

: ''Punishment'') is the first opera in four acts written by Francisco Escudero in 1962, commissioned by the Bilbao Association of Friends of the Opera (Asociación Bilbaína de Amigos de la Ópera, ABAO.) Its

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

was written in Basque by and Escudero. It is based on a story by {{ill, José Zinkunegi, eu. ''Zigor'' first performance was an abridged concert version on 4 October 1967 in the Coliseo Albia in

Bilbao Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the Provinces of Spain, province of Biscay and in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the List o ...

. One year later, on 6 June 1968, it was presented for the first time in the

Zarzuela Theatre () 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 o ...

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

Characters

*Zunbeltz, Antihero, child killer, ambitious, cruel and a traitor. Father of Lore and uncle of Sancho Garcés. Bass or Baritone *Sancho Garcés, Hero, aspiring to be the first King of Navarra designated by the divine Providence, in love with Lore. Tenor *Urdaspal, Baritone *Burni ��iron’ Basso Profondo *Lore ��flower’ Heroine, daughter of Zunbeltz, young, beautiful, personifies all the values of the town. Soprano *Sorgin ��witch’ Daughter of a

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

who lives in the Basque lands. Contralto *San León,

Bishop of Bayonne The Diocese of Bayonne, Lescar, and Oloron, commonly Diocese of Bayonne, (Latin: ''Dioecesis Baionensis, Lascurrensis et Oloronensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Bayonne, Lescar et Oloron''; Basque: ''Baionako, Leskarreko eta Oloroeko elizbarrutia'') ...

. Baritone

Synopsis

''Zigor'' starts with three fairies chanting about the grim future of the Basque Country (the invasion of the Normans and the betrayal of Zunbeltz). However, these fairies also announce a plentiful era which will arrive with Sancho Garcés, destined to be the first

King of Navarre This is a list of the kings and queens of kingdom of Pamplona, Pamplona, later kingdom of Navarre, Navarre. Pamplona was the primary name of the kingdom until its union with Kingdom of Aragon, Aragon (1076–1134). However, the territorial desig ...

, guide of the Basques. Zunbeltz defies God and vows to claim the crown. His first action is an unsuccessful attempt on the life of the infant Sancho Garcés; he kills the wrong baby. When Garces becomes a man, Zunbeltz accuses him of double treason: patriotic treason (for dealings with the Normans who are destroying the Basque coasts) and treason of love (a romance with Sorgin, the daughter of a Norman who lives in the Basque lands). San León assures the captured Basques that God will break their chains, allowing them to defeat the enemy, as anything that disrupts or circumvents the divine balance will be punished. This is where the title ''Zigor'', punishment, comes from. At the end of the opera, the punishment begins: the Normans who try to gain power in Navarre lands are punished with defeat. The evil Zunbeltz is punished both psychologically (remorse, hallucinations, murder of a child) and physically, when he accidentally wounds his daughter, Lore, fatally.

Discography

*Information extracted from the libretto that accompanies the recording of ''Gernika'', realised in November and December 2007. Symphonic Orchestra of Euskadi, Choir Society of Bilbao,

José Ramón Encinar José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , ...

(musical director). DECCA, 2 CD (0028947667957) Operas 1968 operas Basque-language operas Operas by Francisco Escudero

Characters

Synopsis

See also

Discography