Mercedes Capsir (; 20 July 1895 – 13 March 1969) was a

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

opera singer, a high coloratura soprano, particularly associated with light Italian roles, such as Lucia and Gilda.

Life and career

Mercedes Capsir was born in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, in the same house where another Spanish soprano,

Maria Barrientos María Alejandra Barrientos Llopis (4 March 1884 - 8 August 1946) was a Spanish opera singer, a light coloratura soprano. Biography Barrientos was born in Barcelona on 4 March 1884. She received a thorough musical education (piano and violin ...

, had been born 12 years earlier. She studied (piano, composition, voice) at the

Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu () is a music college in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was created in 1837 with the name ''Liceo Filo-dramático de Montesión''. In 1847 the institution inaugurated the opera house Gran Teatre del Lic ...

, before making her debut in Genora, in 1913, as Gilda in ''

Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had co ...

'', a role she will remain closely associated with throughout her career. In 1916, she made her debut at the

Liceu The Gran Teatre del Liceu (, English: Great Theatre of the Lyceum), known as ''El Liceu'', is an opera house in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Located in La Rambla, it is the oldest running theatre in Barcelona. Founded in 1837 at another ...

in Barcelona, the

Teatro Real The Teatro Real (Royal Theatre) is an opera house in Madrid, Spain. Located at the Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace, and known colloquially as ''El Real'', it is considered the top institution of the performing and musical arts in the ...

in Madrid, the

Teatro Nacional de São Carlos The ''Teatro Nacional de São Carlos'' () (''National Theatre of Saint Charles'') is an opera house in Lisbon, Portugal. It was opened on June 30, 1793 by Queen Maria I as a replacement for the Tejo Opera House, which was destroyed in the 1755 L ...

in Lisbon, the

Teatro Colón The Teatro Colón (Spanish: ''Columbus Theatre'') is the main opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is considered one of the ten best opera houses in the world by National Geographic. According to a survey carried out by the acousti ...

in Buenos Aires, as well as at the Paris Opera in 1917. Gilda was her debut role at all these opera houses. Her Italian debut took place in Bologna, as Rosina in ''

Il barbiere di Siviglia ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an ''opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based ...

'', followed by Elvira in ''

I puritani ' (''The Puritans'') is an 1835 opera by Vincenzo Bellini. It was originally written in two acts and later changed to three acts on the advice of Gioachino Rossini, with whom the young composer had become friends. The music was set to a libretto ...

'', in Venice, opposite

Giacomo Lauri-Volpi Giacomo Lauri-Volpi (11 December 1892 – 17 March 1979) was an Italian tenor with a lyric voice of exceptional range and technical facility. He performed throughout Europe and the Americas in a top-class career that spanned 40 years. Caree ...

, she also appeared in Rome, before reaching La Scala in Milan, in 1924, again as Gilda, opposite baritone

Carlo Galeffi Carlo Galeffi (4 June 1884 – 22 September 1961) was a leading Italian baritone, particularly associated with the operatic works of Giuseppe Verdi and the various verismo composers. Life and career Galeffi was born in Malamocco, the on ...

and tenor

Miguel Fleta Miguel Burro Fleta (28 December 1897, in Albalate de Cinca, Province of Huesca, Aragon – 29 May 1938, in A Coruña) was a Spanish operatic tenor. Despite his short stage career, lasting from 1919 to 1935, Fleta has been described as one of the ...

, and conducted by Arturo Toscanini. Capsir sang mainly in Europe, and in a very limited repertory, other roles included: Amina in ''

La sonnambula ''La sonnambula'' (''The Sleepwalker'') is an opera semiseria in two acts, with music in the ''bel canto'' tradition by Vincenzo Bellini set to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on a scenario for a ''ballet-pantomime'' written by Eu ...

'', Lucia in ''

Lucia di Lammermoor ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel '' The Bride of Lammermoo ...

'', and Violetta in '' La traviata''. She took part in performances of Giordano's ''

Il Re ''Il re'' (''The king'') is a novella or opera in one act and three scenes by composer Umberto Giordano to an Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. The opera premiered at La Scala in Milan on 12 January 1929.Julian Budden: "Il re", ''Grove Musi ...

'' at La Scala in 1929. Capsir retired from the stage in 1949, her final performance took place at the Liceu in Barcelona, as Carolina in ''

Il matrimonio segreto ' (''The Secret Marriage'') is a dramma giocoso in two acts, music by Domenico Cimarosa, on a libretto by Giovanni Bertati, based on the 1766 play ''The Clandestine Marriage'' by George Colman the Elder and David Garrick. It was first performed o ...

'', and then turned to teaching. She died, aged 73, in Suzzara (Lombardy, Italy). Mercedes Capsir recorded in 1928, complete versions of ''Il barbiere di Siviglia'' and ''Rigoletto'', opposite

Riccardo Stracciari Riccardo Stracciari (June 26, 1875 – October 10, 1955) was a leading Italian baritone. His repertoire consisted mainly of Italian operatic works, with Rossini's Figaro and Verdi's Rigoletto becoming his signature roles during a long and dis ...

and

Dino Borgioli Dino Borgioli (15 February 189112 September 1960) was an Italian lyric tenor. Praised by critics for his musicianship, he was particularly associated with roles in operas composed by Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti. Life and career Dino Bo ...

. She also recorded the first ever complete ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' and ''La traviata''. In Spain and also for the Columbia Record Co. she recorded the Spanish zarzuela "Marina" by Arrieta in a performance which also featured Hipolito Lazaro and Jose Mardones.

Sources

* Alain Pâris, ''Dictionnaire des interprètes et de l'interpretation musicale au XX siècle'' (2 vols),

Éditions Robert Laffont Éditions Robert Laffont is a book publishing company in France founded in 1941 by Robert Laffont. Its publications are distributed in almost all francophone countries, but mainly in France, Canada and in Belgium. It is considered one of the most ...

(Bouquins, Paris 1982, 4th ed. 1995, 5th Edn 2004). * Roland Mancini and Jean-Jacques Rouveroux, (orig. H. Rosenthal and J. Warrack, French edition), ''Guide de l’opéra'', Les indispensables de la musique (Fayard, 1995). {{DEFAULTSORT:Capsir, Mercedes 1895 births 1969 deaths Opera singers from Catalonia Spanish operatic sopranos Fonotipia Records artists 20th-century Spanish women opera singers Singers from Barcelona