The Bracale Opera Company in Colombia (1922-1933): a music culture agent for the country

Abstract

The opera company of Adolfo Bracale visited Colombia several times between 1922 and 1933. This opera company made contributions to the musical environment of that period. It brought opera singers, orchestral members and conductors internationally recognized at the time, and incorporated repertoire not heard before in Colombia. The musical environment of the country was also enriched by the mobilization of a series of cultural, social and commercial factors that had to do with these opera seasons. The last performance of the Bracale opera company took place in Medellín in 1933, some months before it went bankrupt. Because of this, some of its musicians, including Bracale, decided to stay in the country, and thus they contributed to the formation of musicians and orchestras that made part of the musical culture of the moment and of generations to come.

Keywords

• History of Music
• cultural history
• historical musicology
• musical industry
• Adolfo Bracale
• Opera in Medellín