Ramón Carnicer

Biography

Ramón Carnicer i Batlle (October 24, 1789 – March 17, 1855) was a Spanish composer and opera conductor, today best known for composing the National Anthem of Chile.

Biography

Carnicer was born in Tàrrega, Spain. He was a pupil of Francesc Queralt. His first major positions were as conductor for the opera, and he was influential in the development of the Spanish national opera style, zarzuela. He conducted the Italian Opera in Barcelona from 1818 to 1820, and the Royal Opera in Madrid from 1828 to 1830, as well as composing nine operas.
In 1830, he accepted a position as professor of composition at the Madrid Conservatory, which he would retain until his retirement in 1854. He composed a variety of songs, church music, and symphonies; his best-remembered composition today being the National Anthem of Chile. He died in Madrid in 1855.

Opera

Some of his operas are lost, but are known from references in documents of the period. However the authorship of several of the pieces is not fully clear.

Adele di Lusignano: Melodramma semiserio (1819), Opera in Italian, in two acts
Elena e Costantino: Dramma eroico-comico in due atti (1821, premiered again in 2005), Opera in Italian, libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola
Il dissoluto punito, ossia Don Giovanni Tenorio (1822, premiered again in 2006), Opera in Italian, in two acts, libretto by Giovanni Bertati.
Elena e Malvina (1827), Opera in two acts
Cristoforo Colombo (1829), Opera
Eufemio di Messina (1832), Opera
Guglielmo Tell (1834), Opera
Eran due or sono tre, o sea, Gli esposti (1836), Opera buffa in two acts. Libretto by Jacopo Ferretti
Ismalia o Morte ed amore (1838), Opera in two acts
Laura y Don Gonzalo (1841), òpera in 4 acts. Music attributed to Carnicer. Libretto attributed to Manuel Bretón de los Herreros
Ipermestra (1843), drama in three acts. Words by Pietro Metastasio. Authorship discussed
Lucrezia Borgia. Attributed opera, some believe he only collaborated in the composition
El sacristán de Toledo, opera. It's said he had only collaborated, composing incidental music

Instrumental

Fantasía en mi bemol mayor, for clarinet
Gran sinfonía en Re (1839)
Fantasía original para clarinete con acompañamiento de piano (1849)
Capricho para contrabajo con acompañamiento de piano (1852) (Capricho for doublebass with piano accompaniment)
Melodía fantástica con acompañamiento de piano
Sinfonía oriental
Solo de flauta (solo for flute)
Salmòdia for organ
6 Sonates per a instrument de tecla'
Obertura (sinfonía) Composed for the premier of the opera Il barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini in Barcelona (1818)
A second overture for that same opera

Vocal

El caramba: canción andaluza (ca. 1832), Voice and piano or guitar
Completas Fratres a 4 v., 4 voices, 6 instruments, accompaniment and continuo
La criada: canción española (ca. 1832), voice, guitar and piano
El currillo: canción andaluza (ca. 1835), voice, guitar and piano
La gitanilla (ca. 1831), song for voice, guitar and piano
Himno a los defensores de Gandesa (1838).
Himno patrio de la República de Chile (1828)
Himno patriótico, con motivo de la publicación del Estatuto Real (1834)
Himno patriótico [para el] cumpleaños de la Reina Doña Isabel II (1835)
El julepe: polo (1823), song for voice and guitar
Misa de Réquiem (1929), 4 voices and orchestra, in Latin. For Maria Josepha Amalia de Saxony, Ferdinand VII third wife
Misa de Réquiem (1842), 4 voices and orchestra, in Latin
Misa solemne (entre 1806 i 1808), 8 voices and orchestra
El músico y el poeta (Los maestros de la Raboso), tonadilla a dúo
El no sé, song for voice, guitar and piano
La noticia feliz: polo y seguidillas (1823), song for voice, guitar and piano
El nuevo sereni (1825), song for voice, guitar and piano or guitar
Odas de Anacreonte (1832), text original grec d'Anacreont i traducció castellana de José del Castillo y Ayensa, comprèn les cançons per a veu i piano De si mismo, A una muchacha i Del amor y la abeja
El poder de las mugeres: canción española con acompañamiento de piano y guitarra (1836)
Psalmodia que contiene todos los tonos (1818)
Tantum Ergo
Tonadilla de la cantinera (1813)
Vigilias con orquesta para las exequias de Fernando VII (1833), in Latin
El chairo: canción española cantada en la ópera "El barbero de Sevilla" (1833), lyrics by Agustín Azcona