THE NAPOLEONIC “CONQUEST OF MEXICO”

Abstract

Last year was the celebration of the bicentennial of the lyric tragedy

Fernand Cortez, composed by Gaspare Spontini (1774-1851) with a libretto by Etienne de Jouy and Alphonse Esmenard. Theaters in Germany, Spain, France and Italy each commemorated the event throughout most of the year, but not Mexican opera companies. The Mexican writer and composer Samuel Maynez Champion, narrates in this article the interesting origins of this fantasy opera assigned by the same Napoleon to the Italian composer, at the instigation of Empress Josephine.