Alhambrismo operístico en La conquista di Granata (1850) de Emilio Arrieta. Mito oriental e histórico en la España romántica

Abstract

This article analyses La conquista di Granata, Emilio Arrieta’s second opera with libretto by Temístocle Solera, premiered in Madrid in 1850. This work responds to the spirit of ideological remodelling of history which took place in the Spain of Isabel II designed to reinforce the image of a country which had just suffered a significant civil conflict and which aimed to develop economically, administratively and socially thanks to the constitutional monarchy. The choice and  treatment of the subject demonstrate the attraction which romanticism felt for oriental themes and reflect the position which Spain developed during this epoch with regard its mediaeval past, highlighting its Christian spirit. Solera’s text  and Arrieta’s score clearly characterise both contexts -Christian and Moorish-, notably contributing...