MARI-ELI

The zarzuela Mari-Eli, by Jesús Guridi, premiered in Madrid in April 1936 and was later performed after the Civil War, in 1941, in Bilbao, as part of the Lyric Season of the Coral Society of Bilbao. With a libretto by Carlos Arniches and Eloy Garay, it is a work that shows us a different side of Guridi in terms of the character of the piece, but very recognizable for the quality of his musical composition. Jesús Mª Arozamena describes *Mari-Eli* as “a Basque zarzuela with sea airs, with catchy melodies and comedic passages, very much in line with the tastes of the time.”

This production of Mari-Eli, produced by Teatro Arriaga with the special help of BBK Foundation, represents a top-notch musicological recovery, a contemporary look at a zarzuela with many references typical of the genre, which will take on an entirely different dimension under the stage direction of Calixto Bieito. The participation of the Coral Society of Bilbao, so closely linked to Guridi, symbolizes today the relevance of choral singing transmission and Teatro Arriaga’s commitment to vindicating and promoting it. The recovery of Guridi’s original score has been promoted by the Coral Society of Bilbao, which has had the collaboration of the Basque Government and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.