Lost 17th-Century Baroque Zarzuela Revived in Tenerife After 350 Years

The Auditorio de Tenerife has announced a cultural milestone comparable to uncovering a major architectural monument: the revival of the Baroque zarzuela Los celos hacen estrellas y el amor hace prodigios. After 350 years of silence, the piece—featuring music by Juan Hidalgo and a libretto by Juan Vélez de Guevara—will return to the stage this weekend at the Teatro Leal in La Laguna.

This event is significant because so little music from 17th-century Spain survives today. Much of Hidalgo’s work was lost in the 1734 fire at the Royal Alcázar of Madrid, making this 1673 composition—originally written for Queen Mariana of Austria’s birthday—an incredibly rare find. Musicologists Álvaro Torrente and Carmelo Caballero reconstructed the work by gathering fragments from the National Library, the Cathedral of Valladolid, and the University of Santiago de Compostela. Their work, edited by the Complutense Institute of Musical Sciences, provided the foundation for musical director Aarón Zapico to create a version that balances historical accuracy with the creative interpretation needed to fill in the gaps of the original manuscript.

Zapico will lead an ensemble playing period instruments, including the archlute, theorbo, cello, violone, dulcian, violin, recorder, and cornett, drawing on Italian traditions to bring the score to life. The performance will also feature an avant-garde staging by director Ricardo Campelo, who uses artificial intelligence and 3D projections to offer a modern take on the mythological themes found in Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

The story, which follows Juno’s jealousy toward Jupiter and the transformation of the nymph Io, features a cast of both singers—Ruth González, Juan Sancho, Lucía Caihuela, Soraya Méncid, and Lucía Martín-Cartón—and actors, including Karmele Aramburu, Silvia Criado, Mabel Quintero, Karen Ferrer, Yolanda Peña, Andrea García, Paula Marrero, Joche Rubio, Óscar Martín, José Cubas, Juan Pablo Domínguez, and Ignacio de la Lastra.

Performances will take place on May 15, 16, and 17 at 7:30 p.m. The project aims to do more than just entertain; it seeks to become a benchmark for reviving Spain’s Baroque heritage, bringing long-lost musical treasures to a modern audience.