The Ministry of Culture of Peru announced on March 12 that the handwritten score of ‘La púrpura de la rosa,’ composed by Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco in 1701, has been declared National Cultural Heritage. The document is part of the bibliographic collection safeguarded by the National Library of Peru.
This designation highlights the historical and cultural significance of the opera for Peru’s musical memory. Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco (1644–1728) was a central figure in Lima’s musical life during the colonial period, producing sacred music, villancicos, and festive compositions. His most notable work, ‘La púrpura de la rosa,’ is recognized as the first opera composed and premiered in the Americas.
The opera was created from a libretto by Spanish playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca and premiered on October 19, 1701 at Lima’s Viceroyal Palace to celebrate King Philip V’s eighteenth birthday and his first year as monarch. The production is considered a fundamental testimony to the history of opera in Peru. Torrejón y Velasco adapted Calderón’s original text into an entirely sung spectacle, distinguishing this version from other works by Calderón.
According to Torrejón y Velasco, the work “is sung from beginning to end,” demonstrating its literary quality and dramatic sophistication. The plot features characters from classical mythology, romantic conflicts, comedic elements, and concludes with love triumphing over fate.
The manuscript stands out for its historical value as a unique cultural artifact reflecting its importance to Peruvian culture. Its physical characteristics include parchment binding with ties on the front cover; it begins with a title page followed by three blank leaves, eleven unnumbered pages containing the Loa (prologue), fifty-five pages dedicated to main arias, and nineteen final pages gathering choral selections and vocal ensembles.
‘La púrpura de la rosa’ represents both the legacy of colonial-era music and marks the emergence of opera in the New World. It also reflects a fusion between European dramatic tradition and popular rhythms from Peru’s viceroyalty era. In 2007, this opera was inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register as part of “La Música Colonial Americana.” The work has been performed internationally in Spain, Mexico, and Chile.
