Valverde, Joaquín

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Valverde, Joaquín

Valverde, Joaquín, Spanish composer; b. Badajoz, Feb. 27,1846; d. Madrid, March 17,1910. He played the flute in bands from the age of 13, then studied at the Madrid Cons. His sym., Batylo,won a prize of the Sociedad Fomento de las Artes (1871). He wrote some 30 zarzuelas, some in collaboration with others; his most celebrated was La gran vía (Madrid, July 2, 1886; in collaboration with Chueca); it contains the march Cádiz,which became immensely popular. He publ, the book La flauta: Su historia su estudio (Madrid, 1886). His son, Quinto (Joaquín) Valverde Sanjuán (b. Madrid, Jan. 2, 1875; d. Mexico City, Nov. 4,1918), was also a composer; he studied with his father and with Irache; wrote some 250 light pieces for the theater; his zarzuela El gran capitánwas especially successful. He died during a tour which he undertook as conductor of a light opera company

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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