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Francisco VinasSpanish opera tenor
Date of Birth: 27.03.1863
Country:  Spain |
Content:
Biography of Francisco Viñas
Francisco Viñas was a Spanish opera tenor whose bright, resonant, and rich lyric-dramatic voice impressed listeners with its expressiveness and classical style of performance. He was not only considered an outstanding interpreter of Wagnerian roles, including Tristan, Parsifal, and Lohengrin, but also a successful performer of Italian and French repertoire.
Early Life
Francisco Viñas was born on March 27, 1863, in the town of Moià, Barcelona province. His parents were peasants, and the family lived modestly. From a young age, Francisco tended to goats and sheep and assisted a priest in the local church, where he likely learned the basics of music theory and clarinet playing. His father had a beautiful baritone voice and, despite lacking formal education, composed his own songs and encouraged his children's love for music.
In 1879, at the age of 16, Viñas moved to Barcelona, hoping to find work in a factory. He lived with his aunt and worked in his father's small candle trading business from five in the morning until nine in the evening, while also taking music lessons from nine to ten at night. He frequently visited the El Buen Retiro theater, paying special attention to the performances of young artists and trying to imitate them. At first, he sang intuitively with a baritone voice like his father, but he found it uncomfortable. Viñas was responsible for providing candles to the Liceu Theater, and when his work was finished, he stayed backstage and listened to the rehearsals of the artists. At that time, renowned tenors Julian Gayarre and Angelo Masini performed there, and Francisco began imitating them. With the help of Gonzalo Tintorer, a teacher at the Barcelona Conservatory, he discovered his talent as a tenor and developed his voice. By this time, Viñas was determined to leave the candle shop and dedicate his life to singing.
Career
An unexpected opportunity arose when Juan Goula, a leading conductor in Barcelona and Madrid, heard Viñas sing from "La Favorita" at a concert in the conservatory and offered him a debut at the Liceu Theater as Lohengrin. Viñas eagerly accepted the offer. His debut took place on February 9, 1888, and it was a resounding success, even though the young artist was extremely nervous. The role of Lohengrin became his signature piece, and Viñas performed it over 120 times in the first three years of his career. Julian Gayarre was so impressed by Viñas' performance that he gave him his own Lohengrin costume as a gift.
In March 1889, Viñas traveled to perform at La Scala in Milan, with some doubts about his suitability for the greatest Italian opera. However, he proved to be more than capable. Over the next two years, Viñas performed extensively in Italy, adding Arrigo Boito's "Mefistofele," Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana," and Meyerbeer's "La Africana" to his repertoire. This was followed by performances in major theaters in Europe and America, including Covent Garden in 1893 and 1895, the Metropolitan Opera in New York from 1893 to 1894, Teatro Constanzi in Rome from 1897 to 1898, and numerous seasons at the San Carlo in Naples. He also performed in Valencia, Seville, Madrid, Turin, Genoa, Palermo, Boston, Philadelphia, Saint Louis, Chicago, Paris, and Buenos Aires in 1910. It was the second time Viñas crossed the ocean, although he disliked sea travel and had a fear of sailing.
In 1918, Viñas retired from the stage and devoted much of his time to charitable activities. In Frankfurt, doctors diagnosed him with a severe illness, leaving no possibility for treatment, so Francisco Viñas returned home to Moià to see his loved ones one last time. He passed away on July 14, 1933, from lung cancer.
Viñas was married to mezzo-soprano Giulia Novelli (1859-1932), who was the first performer of mezzo-soprano roles in Alberto Franchetti's operas "Asrael" in 1888 and "Christoforo Colombo" in 1892.
