An exhibition paying homage to Victoria de los Ángeles
The exhibition “Victoria de los Ángeles. La veu que sorgí de la Universitat”, commissioned by Victoria de los Ángeles Foundation, aims to pay homage to one of the biggest figures of the history of lyrics with images that show her character and objects that go through her professional career.
The exhibition will open on Tuesday, June 12, and will be available until September 23 (except for August), in the room Josep Uclés in El Carme Cultural Centre in Badaolna (Francesc Layret, 78-82).
Visitors will find photographs and portraits of the artist as well as personal journals, music scores, records, and different documents. Some of her dresses and personal objects will also be exhibited. All the original objects in the exhibition are owned by Victoria de los Ángeles Foundation and are stored in the facilities of the collaborating entities of the exhibition: ESMUC, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Arxiu Nacional de Catalunya, Palau de la Música Catalana and Institut del Teatre.
The exhibition “Victoria de los Ángeles. La veu que sorgí de la Universitat”, commissioned by Victoria de los Ángeles Foundation, aims to pay homage to one of the biggest figures of the history of lyrics with images that show her character and objects that go through her professional career.
The exhibition will open on Tuesday, June 12, and will be available until September 23 (except for August), in the room Josep Uclés in El Carme Cultural Centre in Badaolna (Francesc Layret, 78-82).
Visitors will find photographs and portraits of the artist as well as personal journals, music scores, records, and different documents. Some of her dresses and personal objects will also be exhibited. All the original objects in the exhibition are owned by Victoria de los Ángeles Foundation and are stored in the facilities of the collaborating entities of the exhibition: ESMUC, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Arxiu Nacional de Catalunya, Palau de la Música Catalana and Institut del Teatre.
Other activities
The exhibition is included in the program organized by the Vice-rectorʼs Office of Arts, Culture and Heritage of the University of Barcelona together with the Council of Badalona Educadora in the exhibition room Josep Uclés in El Carme Cultural Centre, and it has additional activities:
On June 21 at 7 p.m., Jorge Binaghi will give the conference “Victoria de los Ángeles, un cant a la vida”, in the same room of the exhibition, and will offer a tour.
On July 12, at 7 p.m., in El Carme in Badalona, the documentary “Brava, Victòria” will be screened in an activity presented by the director, Maria Gorgues.
A life dedicated to music and linked to the University of Barcelona
Daughter of a janitor of the University of Barcelona, the Catalan soprano Victoria de los Ángeles was born in the Historical Building in 1923 and lived there during her childhood and adolescence, until she was twenty-five. In addition, the soprano was distinguished with an honorary doctorate by this university in 1987. A year ago, a collaboration agreement between the University of Barcelona and Victoria de los Ángeles Foundation was signed.
The official debut of Victoria de los Ángeles was in 1944 in Palau de la Música Catalana, and in 1945 in Gran Teatre del Liceu playing the role of Countess Almaviva in Mozartʼs The Marriage of Figaro. She had been seen in concerts as amateur and member in Arts Musicae, specialized on music from the Renaissance and conducted by Josep Maria Lamaña advised by Higini Anglès since 1941.
In 1947 she won the International Geneva Competition, and in 1949 she acted in Paris (with Gounoudʼs Fasust), in Coven Garden in London (with Pucciniʼs La bohème), and in Teatro alla Scala in Milan (as recitalist and later with R. Straussʼs Ariadne auf Naxos). In 1951 she acted in the Metropolitan Opera House of New York and since that moment she performed around the world.
Apart from her work in opera she also developed a career as soloist. She always supported chamber music and performed recitals in which she combined German lied, French melody and Catalan and Spanish song. She is seen as a great ambassador of the Catalan and Spanish cultures worldwide, since she always programmed a part of chamber music from her country in her recitals.
She was honoured with several awards over the course of her life, among which are the National Music Award by the Ministry of Culture (1978), the Prince of Asturias Awards in Arts (1991), the National Music Prize of Generalitat de Catalunya (1993) and the Légion dʼHonneur (France, 1994). In addition, she was appointed Honorary Accademician of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Sant Jordi (1981). Her discography gathers 22 complete operas and 40 albums with several works.