Alexandru Zirra and the opera Alexandru Lăpuşneanu

Abstract

This material has the purpose to bring to the forefront one of the great names of the Romanian composers from the middle of the last century, Alexandru Zirra, with the attempt to rememorize his most valuable work, the opera Alexandru Lăpuşneanu. The option for this subject could not lead to an analysis text - most commonly used in scientific communications - but to a presentation of the essential moments of the composer's life and activity, to a highlight on the features of the main character and the essence of the four acts that make up the structure of the work and to underlining the musical-dramatic characteristics of the opera Alexandru Lăpuşneanu as a whole. Given the limited dimensions of this material and taking into account the dimensions of the whole opera, the many remarkable situations of the action (and it should not be forgotten that only the monologue in the final act of the main hero extends over a space whose interpretation lasts ten minutes!), the content of this material sins through the absence of numerous musical examples that could support the theoretical statements; but under the circumstances we consider the lack of appropriate examples to be justified.