Writers
The writers of zarzuelas are known as "libretistas" or "autores de libreto." Some of the most famous zarzuela writers include:
* Ramón de la Cruz (1731-1794): One of the most important figures in the history of zarzuela, de la Cruz wrote more than 300 zarzuelas. His works are known for their humor and satire.
* Leandro Fernández de Moratín (1760-1828): Moratín was a Spanish playwright and poet who wrote several zarzuelas, including "La mojigata" (1781) and "El sí de las niñas" (1806).
* Ventura de la Vega (1807-1865): Vega was a Spanish playwright and librettist who wrote over 100 zarzuelas, including "Jugar con fuego" (1846) and "La verbena de la Paloma" (1864).
* José María Pemán (1897-1981): Pemán was a Spanish writer, journalist, and politician who wrote several zarzuelas, including "La del manojo de rosas" (1934) and "Luisa Fernanda" (1932).
Composers
The composers of zarzuelas are known as "compositores" or "maestros de capilla." Some of the most famous zarzuela composers include:
* Francisco Asenjo Barbieri (1823-1894): Barbieri is considered to be the father of the modern zarzuela. He composed over 100 zarzuelas, including "Pan y toros" (1864) and "El barberillo de Lavapiés" (1874).
* Gerónimo Giménez (1854-1923): Giménez was a Spanish composer who wrote over 50 zarzuelas, including "La boda de Luis Alonso" (1897) and "El barbero de Sevilla" (1901).
* Tomás Bretón (1850-1923): Bretón was a Spanish composer who wrote over 100 zarzuelas, including "La Dolores" (1895) and "La verbena de la Paloma" (1894).
* Ruperto Chapí (1851-1909): Chapí was a Spanish composer who wrote over 100 zarzuelas, including "El rey que rabió" (1893) and "La revoltosa" (1897).
Modern times
Zarzuela continues to be a popular form of musical theater in Spain and Latin America. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in zarzuela, with many classic zarzuelas being revived and new works being written.