Alma Llanera ~ The Zarzuela

"Alma Llanera" was premiered in 1914 at the Teatro Caracas, in the Venezuelan capital. Composer Pedro Elias Gutierrez joined forces with lyricist Rafael Bolivar Coronado to create this work, the main number of which is considered Venezuela’s second national anthem. The title of the work refers to the "llaneros", the inhabitants of the Venezuelan plains. The llanero culture is at the center of the Venezuelan identity, and at the root of the joropo as a dance and musical genre. Apart from its historical significance as a document of Venezuelan culture and identity, the agile libretto of the zarzuela "Alma Llanera" makes for an impactful work in line with "Cavalleria Rusticana" by Mascagni or "Il Tabarro by Puccini".

While the libretto of the zarzuela has survived intact, the actual musical selections featured in the premiere have not been documented with certainty, apart from the joropo "Alma Llanera". The "Alma Llanera" new…