Cádiz is a light and lively evocation of the patriotic atmosphere in the Andalusian city in 1812, with the people defending itself from the siege of Napoleon’s armies and the Cortes drafting the first Spanish Constitution. It contains a love story between two youngsters and the attempt of a ridiculous old man to seduce the young girl.

The opening of Cádiz was a landmark in the history of Madrid’s Teatro Apolo; the text was well received, and the music, elegant, distinguished, solemn, and with a direct impact, was even better received. The long score, with fifteen numbers, has a grandiose and majestic feel to it.

There are several relevant musical numbers in Cádiz: the sevillanas and the caleseras, written with a golden pen; the entertaining pasacalle “El barrio de la Viña”, a charming barcarola and the “Pasodoble” that closes the first act, which was soon popular and became the national anthem in 1898 during the Spanish-American war. In the second act, the “Marcha de la Constitución”; a flamenco tango followed by “Panaderos y zapateado”, the delicious and cheeky “Polca de los Ingleses”, the descriptive “Canción del ciego”, the surprising “Danza de los negritos” and the imposing “Jota” which puts an end to the act and the zarzuela.