Mar 18 • 18:24 UTC 🇪🇸 Spain El País

‘The Afternoons of Moncloa’: An Unfinished Comic Opera by the Machados Sees the Light

The Fundación Unicaja has revived 'The Afternoons of Moncloa', an unfinished comic opera by Manuel and Antonio Machado, highlighting the existence of more original works in a collection acquired in 2018.

The Fundación Unicaja has recently uncovered 'Las tardes de la Moncloa', an unfinished comic opera co-written by the renowned Spanish literary brothers Manuel and Antonio Machado. The work, which consists of the first act of what was intended to be a three-act opera, showcases the creative collaboration of the Machados, known for their significant contributions to Spanish literature. This unveiling continues the foundation's mission of preserving and promoting works by historical figures, following their 2018 presentation of 'La diosa Razón', a completed piece by the duo.

Antonio Rodríguez Almodóvar, a writer and researcher, expressed a bittersweet sentiment about the revival of this comedic work, noting that audiences will never know how the entire opera would have unfolded. The Machados had publicly discussed the intent for a three-act structure, but it appears that the completion of the remaining acts may never be realized. Such pieces serve as a glimpse into the artistic inclinations of the Machado brothers and their humorous engagements with contemporary themes of their time.

The discovery also implies that there may be additional original content within the collection acquired by Fundación Unicaja in 2018, which underscores the foundation's important role in the cultural preservation of Spanish literary heritage. This event encourages further exploration and scholarship regarding Manuel and Antonio Machado, prompting both excitement and nostalgia for works that might have altered the landscape of early 20th-century Spanish theater.

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