Discovering Larra Inédito: Mariano José de Larra's Unpublished Libretto at Museo del Romanticismo

The Museo del Romanticismo commemorates the Day of the Book by exhibiting for the first time to the public a libretto manuscript by the writer and journalist Mariano José de Larra. This exhibition showcases Larra's rare foray into the theatrical genre with the opera 'El Rapto'.

The Museo del Romanticismo is celebrating the month of literature with special activities, including a tribute to the emblematic writer and journalist Mariano José de Larra. Known by his pseudonyms 'Fígaro' and 'El Pobrecito Hablador', Larra was a significant critical literary figure of the Spanish Romantic era. This exhibition highlights one of his less-known ventures into the theatrical genre: the manuscript for the lyrical drama in two acts, 'El Rapto', with a libretto by Larra and music by Tomás Genovés. Larra aimed to revitalize Spanish lyricism, which had been dormant, but 'El Rapto', premiered in 1832, was a notable failure, receiving unfavorable reviews for both its music and libretto. The manuscript on display is a copy supervised by Larra himself, containing corrections in his handwriting, and represents a definitive version for staging. This is the first time this manuscript has been shown to the public, on loan from Jesús Miranda de Larra, a descendant of the writer. The Museo del Romanticismo also holds other works related to 'Fígaro' from a 2010 donation by Miranda de Larra, which included personal objects and documents from the writer's legacy.

The manuscript 'El Rapto' is displayed in Sala XVII (Gabinete de Larra) of the Museo del Romanticismo from April 1 to 30, 2016. Access to the museum and related events like the conference is free until capacity is reached.