Rafael Hernando
Rafael José Maria Hernando y Palomar (31 May 1822, in Madrid – 10 July 1888, in Madrid) was a Spanish composer of zarzuelas, being that his contributions to the genre lead to the development of the "zarzuela grande." His body of work consists of 17 operettas and some religious works. None of his zazuelas has been in the repertoire of today. Biography. Son of Pedro Hernando and Eugenia Hernando Palomar, his mother left him an orphan at the age of two. At fifteen he entered the Madrid Conservatory, where he studied music theory and piano with Pedro Albéniz, singing  with Baltasar Saldoni, and composition with Ramon Carnicer. In 1843, he moved to Paris, studying with Miguel García and befriending Daniel Auber. But following the outbreak of the Revolutions of 1848, and having received a message warning him of the impending death of his father, he returned to quickly Spain. He soon then joined other composers who would come to lead the revival of the zarzuela genre such as Francisco Asenjo Barbieri, Cristóbal Oudrid, José Inzenga and Joaquín Gaztambide.