Conchita Supervia Suggest updates
Maria de la Concepción Supervia Pascual.
Born Barcelona, 8/9 December 1895.
Died London, 30 March 1936.
Spanish coloratura contralto.
Conchita Supervia is remembered particularly for her famous interpretation of Carmen and for her Rossini repertoire. During the century after composition, Rosina and Angelina (Cenerentola) had usually been transposed up to soprano pitch (and Isabella (Italiana in Algeri) neglected completely). Supervia was the first important singer to return these roles to the original lower pitch.
Supervia was also highly regarded as a recitalist, especially as an interpreter of a wide range of Spanish song, generally performed in national costume as the second part of the programme.
Her debut was in 1910, at the extraordinary age of fifteen, on tour with an Italian company in South America. At the Colón in Buenos Aires she sang in the Argentine composer Cesar Stiattesi's Bianca de Beaulieu. Supervia also sang in Bretón's zarzuela Los Amantes de Teruel and Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana.
On returning to Europe she performed in small Italian houses - Lecce (Carmen); Osimo (Mignon); and Bari (Casilda in Marchetti's Ruy Blas). In Rome in 1911 she sang Octavian Der Rosenkavalier (in Italian).
1912 saw Supervia at home in Barcelona (Carmen, Dalila) and Venice (Carmen). In 1914 she sang Rosina Il barbiere di Siviglia for the first time in Barcelona. In 1915 her US debut was in Chicago (Charlotte Werther, Mignon, Carmen), returning in 1933 for further performances as Carmen.
In 1918 Supervia sang her three Rossini roles (Isabella L'italiana in Algeri, Rosina Il barbiere di Siviglia, Angelina La cenerentola) in Rome.
She first appeared at La Scala in 1925 (Hansel), returning in 1927/8 as Octavian and Cherubino, both conducted by Richard Strauss. In 1929 Supervia sang Concepción in L'Heure Espagnole.
In Paris in 1929 she sang her three Rossini roles, returning in 1933 for Lehár's Frasquita.
Supervia first sang in the UK in a London concert with Sir Henry Wood in January 1931. She toured Britain, giving highly successful recitals in 1931 and 1934. Her debut at the Royal Opera House was as Angelina in 1934. The following year she repeated Angelina and added Isabella and Carmen.
In 1931 she married a London timber-broker, Mr Ben Rubenstein, and settled in England. In 1936 her second child was stillborn and she died shortly afterwards.
