Mateo Tollis de la Roca on the Madrid Theatre Scene between 1737 and 1744

Abstract

Mateo Tollis de la Roca (1714-1781) was a composer from Madrid who was of great importance in Spanish America, given that he became maestro de capilla at Mexico Cathedral. Before leaving for the New World, in his native city he composed a successful opera, La Casandra, premiered at the Coliseo de la Cruz in 1737, and collaborated closely with the José de Parra Company during the 1743- 1744 theatrical season. However, he does not appear to have become one of the leading composers in Madrid’s theatres and, consequently, his career as a stage composer has gone largely unnoticed. Therefore, this article seeks to shed light on Roca’s work as a composer on Madrid’s theatre scene.