Concepció Badia Millàs (14 November 1897 – 2 May 1975), known by her stage name Conchita Badía or Conxita Badia, was a Spanish
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
and pianist. Admired for her spontaneity, expressiveness, and clear diction, she was considered one of the greatest interpreters of 20th century Catalan, Spanish and Latin American
art song
An art song is a Western world, Western vocal music Musical composition, composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical music, classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is ...
. She premiered many works in that genre, including those by
Enrique Granados
Pantaleón Enrique Joaquín Granados Campiña (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916), commonly known as Enrique Granados in Spanish or ''Enric Granados'' in Catalan, was a Spanish composer of classical music, and concert pianist from Cat ...
,
Manuel de Falla
Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was a Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20t ...
,
Frederic Mompou
Frederic Mompou Dencausse (), or Federico Mompou (16 April 1893 – 30 June 1987), was a Spanish composer and pianist.
Life
Early years
Mompou was born in Barcelona to the lawyer Frederic Mompou and his wife, Josefina Dencausse, who was of ...
,
Alberto Ginastera
Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (; April 11, 1916June 25, 1983) was an Argentine composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical music, 20th-century classical composers of the Americas.
Biography
G ...
, and Enric Morera, several of which had been specially written for her voice. The main part of the collection of Badia's sound recordings, scores, letters and pictures is preserved in the
Biblioteca de Catalunya
The Library of Catalonia (, ) is the Catalan national library, located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The primary mission of the Library of Catalonia is to collect, preserve, and spread Catalan bibliographic production and that related to the ...
. In one of the letters,
Pablo Casals
Pau Casals i Defilló (Catalan: ; 29 December 187622 October 1973), known in English as Pablo Casals,
Life and career
Conxita Badia was born Concepció Badia i Millàs in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of 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 c ...
on 14 November 1897 and studied under
Enrique Granados
Pantaleón Enrique Joaquín Granados Campiña (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916), commonly known as Enrique Granados in Spanish or ''Enric Granados'' in Catalan, was a Spanish composer of classical music, and concert pianist from Cat ...
,
Manuel de Falla
Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was a Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20t ...
and
Pablo Casals
Pau Casals i Defilló (Catalan: ; 29 December 187622 October 1973), known in English as Pablo Casals,solfège
In music, solfège (British English or American English , ) or solfeggio (; ), also called sol-fa, solfa, solfeo, among many names, is a mnemonic used in teaching aural skills, Pitch (music), pitch and sight-reading of Western classical music, W ...
examination. Her first appearance on the stage was as one of the six flower maidens in a performance of
Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
's ''
Parsifal
''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is freely based on the 13th-century Middle High German chivalric romance ''Parzival'' of th ...
'' at the
Palau de la Música Catalana
Palau de la Música Catalana (, ) is a concert hall in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Designed in the Catalan ''modernisme, modernista'' style by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it was built between 1905 and 1908 for Orfeó Català, a ...
in 1913 when she was only 15 years old. Her solo recital debut came on 5 April 1915 in the premiere performance of the Granados
song cycle
A song cycle () is a group, or cycle (music), cycle, of individually complete Art song, songs designed to be performed in sequence, as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online''
The songs are either for solo voice or an ensemble, or rarely a combinat ...
, ''Canciones Amatorias'', accompanied by the composer (two of the songs, "Llorad corazón" and "Gracia mía", were dedicated to her by Granados). Following the death of Granados and his wife in the 1916 sinking of the , she performed in numerous concerts in his memory across Spain and Europe. In 1935, she made only other appearance on the opera stage: to sing the title role in '' María del Carmen''. It was the first time the work had been revived since its initial performances in 1898–1899.
During the 1930s she gave many recitals and concerts in Spain and in the rest of Europe. From 1936 to 1938, due to the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
, she performed more extensively in Europe in cities including London, Brussels, Geneva, Paris, Vienna, and Salzburg. In Vienna, she sang
Roberto Gerhard
Robert Gerhard i Ottenwaelder (; 25 September 1896 – 5 January 1970) was a Spanish and British composer, musical scholar, and writer, generally known outside his native region of Catalonia as Roberto Gerhard.Malcolm MacDonald. 'Gerhard, Roberto' ...
's ''Sis cançons populars catalanes'' in their 1932 premiere conducted by
Anton Webern
Anton Webern (; 3 December 1883 – 15 September 1945) was an Austrian composer, conductor, and musicologist. His music was among the most radical of its milieu in its lyric poetry, lyrical, poetic concision and use of then novel atonality, aton ...
. Gerhard had also dedicated his early song cycle ''L'infantament meravellós de Shahrazada'' (1916–18) to Badia and later said of her:
"She feels such an intense joy when she sings – joy in the music, joy in her own voice – that it is impossible not to share it when you listen to her."
Badia had married Ricard Agustí Montsech in 1919. The couple has three daughters: Conxita, Mariona, and Carme. In 1936 Badia and her daughters left Spain to escape the Spanish Civil War, while her husband was working in South America. They initially lived in Paris and then in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
before moving to
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
where her husband joined them in 1938. In Argentina she continued her close artistic partnership with her fellow exile,
Manuel de Falla
Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was a Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20t ...
. She also collaborated closely with the Argentine composers Juan Jose Castro,
Carlos Guastavino
Carlos Guastavino (5 April 1912 – 29 October 2000) was an Argentine composer, considered one of the foremost composers of his country. His production amounted to over 500 works, most of them songs for piano and voice, many still unpublished. Hi ...
and
Alberto Ginastera
Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (; April 11, 1916June 25, 1983) was an Argentine composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical music, 20th-century classical composers of the Americas.
Biography
G ...
, the poet
Rafael Alberti
Rafael Alberti Merello (16 December 1902 – 28 October 1999) was a Spanish poet, a member of the Generation of '27. He is considered one of the greatest literary figures of the so-called ''Silver Age'' of Spanish Literature, and he won numer ...
, and the Brazilian
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Heitor Villa-Lobos (March 5, 1887November 17, 1959) was a Brazilian composer, conductor, cellist, and classical guitarist described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music". Villa-Lobos has globally bec ...
, among many others. In 1946, she and her family returned to
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
, where she introduced many of their songs to Spanish and European audiences, often with her close friend
Alicia de Larrocha
Alicia de Larrocha y de la Calle (23 May 192325 September 2009) was a Spanish pianist and composer. She was considered one of the great piano legends of the 20th century. Reuters called her "the greatest Spanish pianist in history", ''Time'' " ...
.
After her return to Catalonia, Badia also taught singing and piano, both privately and in her later years as a professor at Barcelona's
Municipal Conservatory of Barcelona
The Municipal Conservatory of Barcelona (, ) is a teaching institution, which is devoted to music education. The present ownership belongs to the Barcelona City Hall.
History
The beginnings took place in 1886; it was founded by the Municipal Ban ...
. Amongst her pupils were the pianist
Joaquín Nin-Culmell
Joaquín María Nin-Culmell (5 September 190814 January 2004) was a Cuban-Spanish composer, internationally known concert pianist, and emeritus professor of music at the University of California, Berkeley.
Early life
Joaquín Nin-Culmell was born ...
and the soprano
Montserrat Caballé
María de Montserrat Bibiana Concepción Caballé i Folch or Folc (12 April 1933 – 6 October 2018), also known as Montserrat Caballé (i Folch), was a Spanish operatic soprano from Catalonia. Widely considered to be one of the best sopranos ...
. She also served on the juries of international singing competitions in South America and Europe, including the Rio de Janeiro International Song Competition, the
Mozarteum
Mozarteum University Salzburg ( German: ''Universität Mozarteum Salzburg'') is one of three affiliated but separate (it is actually a state university) entities under the "Mozarteum" name in Salzburg municipality; the International Mozarteu ...
in Salzburg, and the Francesc Viñas competition in Barcelona.
Conxita Badia died in Barcelona on 2 May 1975. In 1997, the Archivo Manuel de Falla and the
University of Granada
The University of Granada (, UGR) is a public university located in the city of Granada, Spain, and founded in 1531 by Emperor Charles V. With more than 60,000 students, it is the fourth largest university in Spain. Apart from the city of Granad ...
marked the centenary of her birth with an exhibition and a series of concerts in her honour. The 2012 documentary film, ''Conxita Badia no existeix'' directed by Badia's great-granddaughter, Eulàlia Domènech, and co-produced by
Televisió de Catalunya
Televisió de Catalunya (, known by the acronym TVC) is the public broadcasting network of Catalonia, one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain.
It is part of the Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals, a public corporation c ...
chronicles her life and work.''
Ara
Ara may refer to:
Biology
* ''Ara'' (bird), a genus of parrots
* Ara (fish) (''Niphon spinosus''), a species of fish
* L-arabinose operon, also known as ara
Places
* Ara (mountain), a mountain in Armenia
* Ara, Armenia, a village in Armenia
...
Biblioteca de Catalunya
The Library of Catalonia (, ) is the Catalan national library, located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The primary mission of the Library of Catalonia is to collect, preserve, and spread Catalan bibliographic production and that related to the ...
.
Recordings
*''Conchita Badía: Homenaje'' – Songs by
Manuel de Falla
Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was a Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20t ...
,
Juan José Castro
Juan José Castro (March 7, 1895September 3, 1968) was an Argentina, Argentine composer and conductor.
Born in Avellaneda, Castro studied piano and violin under Manuel Posadas and composition under Eduardo Fornarini, in Buenos Aires. In the 1920 ...
,
Alberto Ginastera
Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (; April 11, 1916June 25, 1983) was an Argentine composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical music, 20th-century classical composers of the Americas.
Biography
G ...
,
Carlos Guastavino
Carlos Guastavino (5 April 1912 – 29 October 2000) was an Argentine composer, considered one of the foremost composers of his country. His production amounted to over 500 works, most of them songs for piano and voice, many still unpublished. Hi ...
, and others. Recordings of the December 1942 concerts broadcast on Radio El Mundo (
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
) with de Falla conducting his own music, sung by Badía. The album also includes Badía's 1964 Madrid concert dedicated to songs by Argentinian composers, the majority of which had been composed specially for her. Label: Piscitelli.
*''The Catalan Piano Tradition'' – Conchita Badía, accompanied by
Alicia de Larrocha
Alicia de Larrocha y de la Calle (23 May 192325 September 2009) was a Spanish pianist and composer. She was considered one of the great piano legends of the 20th century. Reuters called her "the greatest Spanish pianist in history", ''Time'' " ...
, can be heard singing three songs from ''Colección de tonadillas'' by
Enrique Granados
Pantaleón Enrique Joaquín Granados Campiña (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916), commonly known as Enrique Granados in Spanish or ''Enric Granados'' in Catalan, was a Spanish composer of classical music, and concert pianist from Cat ...
: No 8. "El mirar de la maja", No 7. "La maja de Goya", and No 5. "El majo Olvidado". Recorded in Barcelona circa 1960. Label: VAI (Video Artists International).
*''
The Record of Singing
''The Record of Singing'' is a compilation of classical-music singing from the first half of the 20th century, the era of the 78-rpm record.
It was issued on LP (with accompanying books) by EMI, successor to the Gramophone Company — perhaps the ...
: Vol. 3 - 1926-1939'' – Conchita Badía, accompanied by Oscar Donato Colacelli, can be heard singing two songs from ''Colección de tonadillas'' by Enrique Granados: No 4. "El majo discreto" and No 6. "El majo timido". Recorded in Argentina, 5 October 1940. Label: Testament.
*''Homage to Granados'' – Conchita Badía, accompanied by
Alicia de Larrocha
Alicia de Larrocha y de la Calle (23 May 192325 September 2009) was a Spanish pianist and composer. She was considered one of the great piano legends of the 20th century. Reuters called her "the greatest Spanish pianist in history", ''Time'' " ...
, can be heard singing 9 Tonadillas, 3 Majas dolorosas and 6 Canciones amatorias by
Enrique Granados
Pantaleón Enrique Joaquín Granados Campiña (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916), commonly known as Enrique Granados in Spanish or ''Enric Granados'' in Catalan, was a Spanish composer of classical music, and concert pianist from Cat ...
. Label: Everest 3237.
*''La Renaixenca'' – Conchita Badía, accompanied by Pere Vallribera, can be heard singing songs by Francesc Alio and Enric Morera. Label: LACANCO Edigsa 10/11.
Biographies
Published biographies of Conxita Badia include:
*Alavedra, Joan (1975). ''Conxita Badia: Una vida d'artista'' (Volume 18 of ''Col·lecció Memòries''). Editorial Pòrtic.
*Manso, Carlos (1989). ''Conchita Badía en la Argentina'' (Volume 12 of ''Libros del ayer inconmovible''). Ediciones Tres Tiempos.
*Pagès i Santacana, Mònica (2000). ''Conxita Badia'' (Volume 120 of ''Gent nostra''. Infiesta Editor.
La Vanguardia
' (; , ) is a Spanish daily newspaper founded in 1881. It is printed in Spanish and, since 3 May 2011, also in Catalan. It has its headquarters in Barcelona and is Catalonia's leading newspaper.
Despite being mostly distributed in Catalonia, ...
'', p. 41. Accessed 21 January 2009.
*Sadie, Stanley (ed) (1988). ''The Norton/Grove Concise Encyclopedia of Music'', W. W. Norton & Co., p. 49.
*Tarazona, Andrés Ruiz (12 October 1996) "Desventura y gloria de un exiliado" '' El Mundo''. Accessed 22 January 2009.
RTVE
The Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española (; ), known as Radiotelevisión Española (''Spanish Radio and Television'', RTVE), is the Spanish national public Broadcasting, television and radio broadcaster. It is a state-owned enterprise f ...