Isabella Colbran
Portrait by Johann Baptist Reiter, c. 1835
Isabella Colbran (1785-1845) was a Spanish soprano and composer acclaimed for her dramatic stage presence and range of nearly three octaves. Colbran made her concert début in Paris in 1801 and her stage début in Spain in 1806. She was known for her commanding portrayals of tragic characters and captivated audiences for more than a decade in Milan, Naples, Venice, and Vienna.
Colbran married composer Giaochino Rossini, and many leading roles in his Neapolitan operas were written for Colbran’s voice. These include Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra; Armida; Mosè in Egitto; Ricciardo e Zoraide; Ermione, La donna del lago; Maometto II; and Zelmira.
Colbran also composed four volumes of songs for soprano and piano.
Resources:
Sources:
Forbes, Elizabeth. “Colbran, Isabella [Isabel].” Grove Music Online. 2001.
Works Featured on Expanding the Music Theory Canon
Più bella aurora
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Pages: Intervals, Neighbor Tone, Modulation
Ombre Amene, Amiche Piante
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Pages: Intervals, Passing Tone, Incomplete Neighbor, V, V7+ Inversions, Augmented 6th
Benché ti sia crudel
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Pages: Seventh Chords, vii°6, vii°7+Inversions, Augmented 6th
So che un sogno è la speranza
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Pages: PolyRhythms, Passing Tone, Neighbor Tone, Cadences, Predominant, 6/4 Chords, Secondary Function
T’intendo, sì, mio cor
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Page: Passing Tone
Quel ruscelletto che l’onde chiare
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Pages: Pedal, 6/4 Chords
Vorrei che almen per gioco
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Page: Secondary Function
Chi sa qual core
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Page: Neapolitan