Composer

:

Osvaldo Golijov

Genre

:

Opera

Style

:

Opera

Average_duration

:

80:07

Movement_count

:

20

Movement ....

Ainadamar is an opera composed by Osvaldo Golijov in 2003. The libretto was written by David Henry Hwang and is based on the life of the Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca. The title of the opera means "Fountain of Tears" in Arabic and refers to a well near the city of Granada where Lorca was executed by Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War. The opera is divided into three movements and features a mix of musical styles, including flamenco, Arabic music, and contemporary classical music. The first movement, "The Well of the Tears," takes place in the present day and features the actress Margarita Xirgu, who was a close friend and collaborator of Lorca. Xirgu is preparing to perform a play about Lorca's life and reflects on her memories of him. The second movement, "The Café de Chinitas," takes place in the past and features Lorca and his friends at a flamenco club in Granada. The music in this movement is heavily influenced by flamenco and features a number of traditional flamenco instruments, including the guitar and the cajón. The final movement, "The Execution," takes place on the day of Lorca's death. The music in this movement is more somber and features a mix of Arabic and classical music. The movement ends with Xirgu singing a lament for Lorca. Ainadamar premiered at the Tanglewood Music Festival in Massachusetts in 2003 and has since been performed at a number of opera houses around the world. The opera has been praised for its innovative use of musical styles and its powerful portrayal of Lorca's life and death.

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