Gerónimo Giménez

La Boda de Luis Alonso: 4. Intermedio

Spanish conductor and composer Gerónimo Giménez (1854-1923) was dedicated to writing zarzuelas, the populist Spanish genre of lyric-dramatic one-act operas popular at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. He wrote La Boda de Luis Alonso (The Wedding of Luis Alonso) in 1896, following the success of his 1896 zarzuela El Baile de Luis Alonso (Luis Alonso's Dance), with La Boda de Luis Alonso premiering at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid on January 27, 1897. The Intermedio (Intermezzo) from La Boda de Luis Alonso was written for performance between scenes and is a medley of several traditional dances, including a seguidilla that Falla later included in El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Corned Hat). It is certainly the best-known of Giménez' work and is likely the most famed excerpt to come from the zarzuela tradition. Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(3-4): Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).