Here stands a tribute to a master. This is the Pablo Sorozábal Statue. It honors a composer who filled Spain with zarzuelas and passion.
Pablo Sorozábal Mariezcurrena was born in San Sebastián. The date was September 18 1897. He later died in Madrid on December 26 1988 at the age of 91. His journey took him through music schools in San Sebastián Madrid and Leipzig. He honed his craft in Berlin.
Sorozábal did not care for Arnold Schoenberg’s theories. Instead he chose Friedrich Koch as his composition teacher. Germany became the stage for his conducting debut. He directed from the rostrum for much of his career.
His early works include choral pieces and symphonic variations. Suite vasca Dos apuntes Vascos and Symphonic Variations on a Basque Theme were all composed in Leipzig. Later he wrote Gernika a funeral march for chorus and orchestra.
Do you know his Siete Lieder? These settings of Heinrich Heine are perhaps his finest German works. Maite and Ay tierra vasca remain beloved by Basque people.
Sorozábal’s stage debut was with Katiuska in 1931. He followed it with about twenty zarzuelas. These combined lyric fire and inimitable orchestration. He had an unfailing sense of theatre. La del manojo de rosas is his classic madrileño comedy. La tabernera del puerto is a nautical romance. It is set on the Atlantic Coast. This includes the romanza No puede ser. Plácido Domingo made it an international hit. He sang it in the Three Tenors concerts.
Sorozábal also composed the one-act verismo opera Adiós a la bohemia. It is based on a short story by Pío Baroja.
After the Spanish Civil War Sorozábal faced some isolation. This was due to his liberal views. Many of his zarzuelas premiered outside Madrid. Some even played in less prestigious theatres. Black el payaso is an allegorical romance. Don Manolito is a ski-sports musical.
Sorozábal wrote scores for films. Marcelino Pan y Vino is a classic Spanish film.
His time as director of the Madrid Symphony Orchestra ended in 1952. He was not allowed to conduct Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony. Las de Caín premiered at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in 1958. His opera Juan José had a concert premiere in 2009. A full production was stopped during rehearsals in 1979.
With his death in Madrid the romantic zarzuela era ended. Sorozábal’s theatrical vitality rivals the best of his contemporaries. This includes Kurt Weill.
This Pablo Sorozábal Statue stands as a testament. It is a monument to his enduring legacy. It was erected in 1993. May his music continue to inspire.