Alma Llanera captures life in the Venezuelan plains at the beginning of the XX century. The work, full of local color, centers around a tragic love story similar to that of Cavalleria Rusticana. "Alma Llanera" was premiered in 1914 at the Teatro Caracas, in the Venezuelan capital. Composer Pedro Elias Gutierrez joined forces with lyricist Rafael Bolivar Coronado to create this work, the main number of which is considered Venezuela’s second national anthem. The title of the work refers to the "llaneros", the inhabitants of the Venezuelan plains. The llanero culture is at the center of the Venezuelan identity, and at the root of the joropo as a dance and musical genre. Apart from its historical significance as a document of Venezuelan culture and identity, the agile libretto of the zarzuela "Alma Llanera" makes for an impactful work in line with "Cavalleria Rusticana" by Mascagni or "Il Tabarro by Puccini".
While the libretto of the zarzuela has survived intact, the actual musical selections featured in the premiere have not been documented with certainty, apart from the joropo "Alma Llanera". The "Alma Llanera" new version by La Zarzuela, Inc. will restore the work by adhering to the original libretto and incorporating some of the extant original songs by composer Pedro Elias Gutierrez, as well as authentic regional music throughout the work. The fully-staged production will be presented at the Goodlet Theater and the Manuel Artime Theater. The musical score will make use of the typical Venezuelan instruments at the heart of the traditional ensemble: the “cuatro” (a four-string instrument similar to the guitar), the Venezuelan “arpa llanera” (harp of the plains), and the maracas. In addition, the libretto and the musical score will be compiled and made available to libraries and other organizations.