The Dolores

La Dolores is an opera by Tomás Bretón premiered on March 16, 1895 at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, according to a libretto written by Tomás Bretón himself., based on the play by his friend Feliú y Codina, and making the myth of "La Dolores" even more popular

Breton, precursor of the so-called "Spanish opera", created a work full of drama but far removed from the reigning neo-romanticism in the literary sphere and Italianate operatic styles, closer to Wagner.

José Feliú y Codina wrote this work in 1891 based on a popular couplet that, he stated, he heard in Binéfar during a trip from Madrid to Barcelona. At present, with the importance of the theories about its real existence discarded, as Sánchez Portero maintains, the study focuses on the literary production that occurred after the creation of the myth. Shortly after the opera premiered, Feliú transformed his work into a novel, and second parts appeared, such as those by Acevedo ("Lo que fue de la Dolores"), Luis Fernández Ardavín ("La daughter of Dolores") and others, and, above all, cinematographic works of special interest are produced, such as the one shot in 1908 by the pioneer of cinema Fructuós Gelabert, the one of 1923, by Maximiliano Thous Orts, and those of 1940 and 1947, starring and directed respectively by Concha Piquer, by Florián Rey, and Imperio Argentina, by Benito Perojo.

In Calatayud, in the province of Zaragoza (Spain), there is a museum on the universal work of Breton.

The copla, with the air of a jota, reads as follows:

If you go to Calatayud,

Ask about the Dolores,

that is a very beautiful girl,

and a friend to do favors.

"La Dolores" It has also served as inspiration for memorable parts of the Antología de la Zarzuela in 1964, by José Tamayo Rivas.

After its premiere, the work was performed 53 days in a row in Madrid and 103 at the Tívoli in Barcelona. It was later censored and cut, suspending performances in 1923. It was performed for the last time at the Teatro Real in October 2004, with José Carlos Plaza as stage director and musical director: Antoni Ros Marbá. And as interpreters: Elisabete Matos, Alfredo Portilla, Stefano Palatchi, Cecilia Díaz, Ángel Ódena and Enrique Baquerizo among others. The first DVD of this opera was recorded from this last performance, which also includes a second DVD of extras and a 32-page booklet with detailed information on the author, the work and its performers.

Among the information provided by the booklet, mention should be made of three great critics. For Guillermo Morphy, protector of Bretón, Casals and Albéniz among other prominent musicians, "La Dolores is a Spanish opera on all four sides." Indeed, its plot, characters, place of action, music and popular paintings, everything takes us to Spain at the end of the century, close to leading to the crisis of 98". For Emilio Casares, "With its premiere, the total success of one of our operas could finally be seen in Spain...La Dolores is also the fruit of an era, of a need and of circumstances: the continuous desire to throughout the 19th century to become a great Spanish national opera". And finally, for José Carlos Plaza, National Theater Award winner, and stage director of La Dolores, "Solana, Valle, Goya, Buñuel have been flying over our work. They and many more, knew how to undress a part of the Spanish soul and express it with pain through art. Bretón, with his Dolores, is one more piece in this chain. It shows a part of Spain, the obscurantist and repressive Spain that, although times varnish it with modernity, still gives heartbreaking claws". On the other hand, Plácido Domingo's recording of La Dolores, also directed by Antoni Ros Marbá, won the Latin Grammy in 2000. This opera is rarely performed today; in Operabase statistics it does not appear among the operas performed in the period 2005-2010.

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