Teresa Berganza Vargas <small>OAXS</small> (16 March 1933 – 13 May 2022) was a Spanish mezzo-soprano. She is most closely associated with roles such as Rossini's Rosina and La Cenerentola, and later Bizet's Carmen, admired for her technical virtuosity, musical intelligence, and beguiling stage presence.

Berganza was a key singer in a Rossini renaissance which explored less-performed operas and restored the leading roles to mezzo register. She appeared as Zerlina in Joseph Losey's Don Giovanni film in 1979. She participated in the opening ceremonies of the Expo '92 in Seville and of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

Life and career

Teresa Berganza was born in Madrid on 16 March 1933. That same year, she made her La Scala debut. She first appeared at the Glyndebourne Festival in 1958, She portrayed the character with intelligence, singing the Habanera with the flexibility of a lieder singer, and abrupt changes in timbre and dynamic, seemingly addressing the crowd but meaning one person, in a provokingly light tone demonstrating superiority. Her concert repertoire included Spanish, Italian, French, German, and Russian songs. From 1957 to 1977, Berganza was married to the composer and pianist Félix Lavilla, who accompanied her in recitals and recordings. The couple had three children, including soprano Cecilia Lavilla Berganza. She showcased Spanish repertoire, from medieval cantigas from the era of Alfonso X of Castile to miniatures by Manuel de Falla and Enrique Granados. She last taught singing at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía, continued to perform music of Spanish composers, and gave master classes all over the world. Her students have included María Bayo, Jorge Chaminé and Alicia Nafé.

Honours

Berganza received a Gold Medal of Merit in Fine Arts from the Kingdom of Spain on 26 February 1982. She shared the 1991 Prince of Asturias Award for arts and letters with six other Spanish singers. In 1994, she became the first woman elected to the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. In 1996, she was awarded the Premio Nacional de Música. She also received the Grand Prix Rossini. She was awarded the Dame Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise from the Kingdom of Spain on 3 May 2013. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 International Opera Awards.

Discography

References

Further reading

  • Discography (Capon's Lists of Opera Recordings)
  • Teresa Berganza interview by Bruce Duffie, 1 December 1984