PARES | Spanish Archives

Identification

Type:

Person

Preferred form:

Cabello Lapiedra, Xavier (1866-1955)Other forms

Fechas de existencia:

Madrid (España) 1866 - Madrid (España) 1955-10-09

History:

Spanish writer, music critic, composer, librettist and lawyer.

Born in 1866 and passed away on 9 October 1955 in Madrid. His parents were Luis Cabello y Aso and Canuta Lapiedra, and he was the brother of architect Luis María Cabello (Madrid, 1863-Guadarrama, 1936) and Fernando Cabello.

He combined his activity as a music critic with his duties as chief counsel of the Ministry of Public Education and Fine Arts, crown prosecutor and Commander in the Order of Alfonso X. Under the pseudonym "Sfogatty", he wrote operatic/stage and musical critiques for the democratic daily "La Mañana" and the magazines "Vida Aristocrática" and "Pictorial Review".

Xavier and his brother Fernando wrote several librettos together, including those of the lyrical comedy "Aire puro" and the sainete "Día de prueba". He kicked off the 1911 theatre season with an adaptation of Francisco de Rojas Zorrilla's "García del Castañar", starring Enrique Borrás. Xavier joined Manuel Machado, Carlos Bosch, Francisco Alonso, Enrique Estela, Federico Moreno Torroba and Julio Gómez on the jury of the 1926 zarzuela and operetta competition. In 1928 he was elected president of the Asociación de Cultura Musical, and in 1929 El Escorial honoured him by naming him an adopted son. Cabello corresponded with Manuel de Falla and made him an honorary member of the aforementioned musical association.