Antonio de Literes

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Antonio de Literes (June 18, 1673 in Majorca - January 18, 1747 in Madrid, also known as Antonio Lliteres Carrio or Antonio Literes Carrión) was a Spanish composer of zarzuelas, a type of performance that mixes spoken word, song and dance. Unlike Romantic opera, which is dominated by strings, there are guitars, lutes and harpsichords in the orchestra.

Literes played the bass viol for the royal choir in Madrid and was accounted the greatest composer at the Spanish court at the time. He moved to Capilla Real in 1693 after the banishment of his predecessor Sebatian Duron. His most famous work is Acis y Galatea (1708). The piece enjoyed frequent performance until 1774. After 200 years of neglect it was recorded in 2003, to an enthusiastic response. The zarzuela Jupitar y Semele survives in manuscript form in Evora and its libretto was written by Jose de Canizares (who also wrote Acis y Galatea). It has also been issued on CD.

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