Miguel Marques Spanish violinist and composer Date of Birth: 20.05.1843 Country: Spain

Biography of Miguel Marques

Miguel Marques was a Spanish violinist and composer who was born on May 20, 1843, in Palma de Mallorca. He was the son of a chocolate manufacturer in the city. At the age of four, Miguel already demonstrated his exceptional musical talent and by eleven, he was playing the violin in the Palma opera company. He composed a piece called 'Fantasía para violin' for the company, which was well-received.

From 1859 to 1863, Miguel's family's financial situation allowed him to study in Paris, where he continued to refine his violin skills at the conservatory under the guidance of Lambert Massart. In 1863, he joined the Theatre Lyrique orchestra and began to delve into composition with Hector Berlioz.

His studies were interrupted by military service, but in 1866, Miguel was able to resume his musical pursuits at the Madrid Conservatoire, where he studied the violin with Monasterio and composition with Arrieta while playing in the Teatro de la Zarzuela orchestra. His extensive orchestral compositions include five symphonies (1869-1880) and the once-popular 'Primera lágrima.' However, he eventually shifted his focus to working in the theater, although he did write another symphonic poem, 'La cova del Drach,' in 1904.

After 1878, Miguel became the director of the National Music Schools and also taught singing at the Foundling Girls' School in the capital. He published a popular violin teaching guide. His first zarzuela, 'Justos por pecadores,' was performed in 1872, but his first significant success came in 1878 with the grand zarzuela 'El anillo de hierro.' He later added 'Camoens' (1879), 'Florinda' (1880), and 'La cruz de fuego' (1883) to his list of three-act works. His opera 'El reloj de Lucerna' (1884), based on events in Switzerland after William Tell's death, received critical acclaim and was staged with great fanfare.

Later, Miguel embraced the new style of 'henaro chico' (literally 'small genre'), a subgenre of zarzuela. After this transition, he produced the opera 'El plato del día' in 1889 and the one-act comedy 'El monaguillo' in 1891, which still occasionally sees revivals. Miguel continued to compose until he faded from the public eye and eventually returned to his hometown. He passed away in obscurity on February 15, 1918, in Palma de Mallorca.

Antonio Peña y Goñi, a renowned critic, defended Miguel's theatrical works and witnessed his period of success, referring to him as the most powerful composer of grand zarzuela. Of his complete works, only one, 'El anillo de hierro,' remains in the repertoire of various theaters. His extraordinary breadth and depth of teaching methods are evident in his harmonic and instrumental explorations. Although the popularity of his productions declined, several of his theatrical works, including 'El reloj de Lucerna,' have not lost their true value. This sentiment also applies to his symphonies.