zarzuela

American  

[zahr-zwey-luh, -zwee-, thahr-thwe-lah, sahr-swe-] / zɑrˈzweɪ lə, -ˈzwi-, θɑrˈθwɛ lɑ, sɑrˈswɛ- /

noun

plural

zarzuelas

1. a Spanish opera having spoken dialogue and often a satirically treated, topical theme.

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zarzuela British  

/ zɑːˈzweɪlə /

noun

1. a type of Spanish vaudeville or operetta, usually satirical in nature

2. a seafood stew

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Etymology

Origin of zarzuela

1885–90; < Spanish, after La Zarzuela, palace near Madrid where first performance took place (1629)

Explanation

Zarzuela is a genre of Spanish musical theater that blends singing, spoken dialogue, and dancing. A zarzuela is usually lighthearted and comical, like a story about a mischievous fisherman accidentally starting a village feud over a stolen sardine. A zarzuela is like a vibrant mini opera, or operetta, with a uniquely Spanish flair. It combines popular music and classical music with elements of folk storytelling and dance. Zarzuela originated in 17th-century Spain, where it became a popular form of entertainment for the common, everyday people, focusing on relevant societal and cultural themes. A zarzuela may include political satire and often includes romantic entanglements that resolve happily.

Example Sentences

He had gotten his start in this opera as a teenager with his parent’s zarzuela company in Mexico City.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 2, 2019

From a modern perspective, though, zarzuela can offer relevance.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2019

Chang, the Guatemalan tenor of partial Chinese ancestry, not only won first place but also received the male prize for zarzuela, the Spanish operatic genre, as well as an audience prize voted by the public.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2014

Before the first zarzuela based on the Chilean miners is staged, someone should think of putting on Adam Guettel's marvellous man-stuck-in-cave musical Floyd Collins.

From The Guardian • Oct. 16, 2010

The habanera’s strict dotted 3 + 1 pattern was handed down to the Spanish zarzuela, the Cuban danzon, the Brazilian maxixe and the Argentinian and Uruguayan tango.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall