Opera singer. Called the "Mexican Nightingale," she was her country's premiere soprano over a relatively short career. She was raised in Mexico City under poor circumstances, worked as a servant girl, gave early evidence of talent, and first appeared in public at age eight performing a song by Donizetti. The good impression she made led to study at the Conservatorio Nacional de Musica and to her operatic debut 15 singing Leonore in Giuseppe Verdi's "Il Trovatore" at the Teatro Nacional in Mexico City. Sponsored for further study in Italy, she made her La Scala Milano debut on May 13, 1862, in the title role of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor". Angela performed the role of Amina in Vincenzo Bellini's "La Sonnambula" before King Victor Emmanuel II at the Teatro Regio in Turin receiving 32 curtain calls; between 1863 and 1864 she sang in Rome, Naples, Florence, Lisbon, Madrid, and Barcelona, as well as in Russia and Egypt. Over her career she was to be known for singing Lucia, which she assayed 166 times, and Amina, with which she logged 122 performances, but she also earned praise as the tragic Violetta from Verdi's "La Traviata", as Adina in Donizetti's comedy "L'Elisir d'Amore", and as the title leads of Bellini's "Norma" and Verdi's "Aida". Returning to Mexico in 1865 she was named "Chamber Singer of the Empire" but when the empire fell in 1866 she returned to Europe with appearances in Havana and New York along the way. Angela divided the rest of her career between Mexico and Europe, forming her own Mexican touring company in 1871 primarily a vehicle for her two signature pieces. Her personal life was unfortunate with her first marriage ending with her husband's commitment to an asylum within a year of the wedding and her second occuring on her deathbed; Angela and 75 other members of her company died in a yellow fever epedemic while on tour. Today theatres in Mazatlan and San Miguel de Allende carry her name.
Opera singer. Called the "Mexican Nightingale," she was her country's premiere soprano over a relatively short career. She was raised in Mexico City under poor circumstances, worked as a servant girl, gave early evidence of talent, and first appeared in public at age eight performing a song by Donizetti. The good impression she made led to study at the Conservatorio Nacional de Musica and to her operatic debut 15 singing Leonore in Giuseppe Verdi's "Il Trovatore" at the Teatro Nacional in Mexico City. Sponsored for further study in Italy, she made her La Scala Milano debut on May 13, 1862, in the title role of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor". Angela performed the role of Amina in Vincenzo Bellini's "La Sonnambula" before King Victor Emmanuel II at the Teatro Regio in Turin receiving 32 curtain calls; between 1863 and 1864 she sang in Rome, Naples, Florence, Lisbon, Madrid, and Barcelona, as well as in Russia and Egypt. Over her career she was to be known for singing Lucia, which she assayed 166 times, and Amina, with which she logged 122 performances, but she also earned praise as the tragic Violetta from Verdi's "La Traviata", as Adina in Donizetti's comedy "L'Elisir d'Amore", and as the title leads of Bellini's "Norma" and Verdi's "Aida". Returning to Mexico in 1865 she was named "Chamber Singer of the Empire" but when the empire fell in 1866 she returned to Europe with appearances in Havana and New York along the way. Angela divided the rest of her career between Mexico and Europe, forming her own Mexican touring company in 1871 primarily a vehicle for her two signature pieces. Her personal life was unfortunate with her first marriage ending with her husband's commitment to an asylum within a year of the wedding and her second occuring on her deathbed; Angela and 75 other members of her company died in a yellow fever epedemic while on tour. Today theatres in Mazatlan and San Miguel de Allende carry her name.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
Family Members
Advertisement
