The two-act zarzuela Marina was premiered on September 21 1855 at Madrid's Teatro Circo. Despite a cool initial reception many musicians could sense its popular potential. Gaztambide wrote to the poet López de Ayala:'Emilio's new zarzuela Marina is most outstanding; a true Spanish Opera sure to please the crowd; it will I'm sure be much liked'. Indeed it was and when the tenor Enrico Tamberlick expressed a wish to play Jorge at the Teatro Real Arrieta had no hesitation in agreeing to expand it into the through-written 3-act form familiar today.
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