Mariano Soriano Fuertes y Piqueras (27/03/1817 - 26/03/1880) a Spanish, dramatic composer and writer on music; born in Murcia, Spain, died in Madrid, Spain. He was a son of a musician who wished him to adopt the army as a profession, but he resigned, and founded a musical paper, entitled Iberia musical y literaria (1841), the first publication of the kind in Spain. On its failure he devoted himself to a longcherished plan of establishing a national opera, and composed zarzuelas which were favourably received. He became professor at the Madrid Conservatorio in 1843 ; director of the Lyceums at Cordova, Seville, and Cadiz in 1844 ; conductor of the opera at Seville, Cadiz, and in 1852 at Barcelona, where he founded the Gaceta Musical in 1860. Chevalier of the Order of Charles TTT. ; of the military order, first class, of St. Ferdinand ; great gold medal of the Spanish Institute ; member of several Spanish literary and scientific societies. Works: Zarzuelas: Geromala castafiera ; Elventorillo de Alfarache ; La feria de Santo-Pouce ; A Belen van los zagales ; El tio carianclio, opera-comique, Seville ; La fabrica de tabacos de Sevilla, ib. ; Lola la Gaditana. A Stabat Mater, and a Requiem for Cordova. Literary works : Musica Arabe-Espafiola (Barcelona, 1853) ; Historia de la niusica espanola desde la venida de los Feuicios hasta el aiio de 1850 (ib., and Madrid, 1855-59) ; Memoria sobre las sociedades corales en Espaua ; Espafia artistiea y industrial en la exposicion de 1867.