Amalia Ramírez

Amalia Ramírez in Rossini´s Moises
Amalia Ramírez in Dinorah

María Amalia Ramírez (née de los Dolores de la Aparición de Santiago, Lupión, Jaén, Spain, 23 May 1834, Madrid, Spain, 25 February 1918) was a Spanish lyric singer.[1]

Biography

She was born into a military family. Her father, Ramón Rafael Ramírez, was commander of the Spanish infantry and her mother's name was Ana Sánchez del Campo Rubio. Amalia's musical fascination began as a child, but because of the frequent moves due to her father's position, she was unable to attain formal, continuous musical education. Despite the lack of training, at the age of eleven she debuted in an acclaimed charitable performance, singing the cavatina of the opera of Betti.[2]

The carlist movement and her father's death brought a downward change in the family economic situation, which motivated Amalia to develop her musical career. She attended a course in the Conservatoire of Madrid, studying with the teachers Valldemosa and Saldón.[2]

Musical career

Ramírez had offers to join several opera companies, but instead chose to pursue a career in zarzuela,[2] a genre that was experiencing a rebirth as part of the Romantic era.[3] She debuted in the Circus, early in 1853, in the zarzuela of Emilio Arrieta and Francisco Camprodón , called The dominated blue. In the following years, she acted in works like Catalina, My two women, War to death, Marina, The daughter of the regiment and Call and troop.[2]

After three years of performances, she signed an exclusive two-year contract with the company Cádiz, which caused local composers to ban her from performing their works in an attempt to force her out of her contract. Unbothered, by their boycott, she Ramírez turned to comic Italian operas translated into Spanish, which were popular in the era. She briefly retired when her mother died, but rejoined to performing shortly afterwards, touring successfully in the Americas between 1857 and 1860.[2]

Ramírez married the republican doctor Adolfo of Rosa, with whom she had three children and once again retired from the stage. They were forced to emigrate during the Spanish Restoration in 1874, which in turn caused her to return to performing. Going back to opera, she traveled extensively singing in the operas of Corsi in Milan, Gayarre, Patierne and Algdighieri in Bolonia and Verger in Paris.[2]

Premiere works

References

  1. ↑ García 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Garcia Garcia, Florentina. "Amalia Ramírez (Lupión)". Lupión, Spain: Ayuntamiento de Lupión. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  3. ↑ Webber 2002, p. 3.

Bibliography

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