García, Manuel del Populo Vicente

views updated May 14 2018

García, Manuel del Populo Vicente (b Seville, 1775; d Paris, 1832). Sp. tenor, composer, and singing teacher. Choirboy, Seville Cath., at age 6. Sang in Paris 1808 and 1819–23, Naples 1811–16, creating Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and London 1817–19. Sang Almaviva in première of Il barbiere in Paris, London, and NY. Returned to London 1823, founding singing sch. Est. It. opera co. in NY 1825–6, giving US première of Don Giovanni with da Ponte in audience. Took co. to Mexico 1827–8 where bandits robbed him of all his earnings (some £6,000). Returned to Paris first as a singer, then teacher. Comp. 97 operas. Pupils incl. his daughters Maria Malibran and Pauline Viardot.

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