Noun
zarzuela (countable and uncountable, plural zarzuelas)
(music) A form of Spanish opera having spoken dialogue and usually a comic subject.
19th century In the 1850s and 1860s a group of patriotic writers and composers led by Francisco Barbieri and Joaquín Gaztambide revived the zarzuela form, seeing in it a possible release from French and Italian music hegemony. Source: Internet
Catalan zarzuela was turned little by little into what is called, in Catalan, teatre líric català ("Catalan lyric theater"), with a personality of its own, and with modernista lyricists and composers. Source: Internet
Despite some modifications the basic structure of the zarzuela remained the same: dialogue scenes, songs, choruses, and comic scenes generally performed by two actor-singers. Source: Internet
In spite of a success sustained over many years, his musical ambition took him to Madrid, where zarzuela had a higher profile. Source: Internet
Many well-known singers, including Victoria de los Angeles and Montserrat Caballé, have recorded albums of zarzuela songs and arias. Source: Internet
Musicians such as Antonio Rodríguez de Hita were proficient in the shorter style of works, though he also wrote a full-scale zarzuela with de la Cruz entitled Las segadoras de Vallecas (The Reapers of Vallecas, 1768). Source: Internet