Miguel Fleta
Fleta was one of the reigning tenors after Caruso, famous for his vocal virility and passion, a recording superstar, creator of the role of Calaf in Puccini's Turandot, and a figure almost as dramatic in his personal life as on the opera stage. Like his compatriots Alfredo Kraus, Giacomo Aragall, Luis Lima, and Plácido Domingo, he made a point of performing and recording zarzuela music, contributing to its continued popularity in the non-Hispanic countries. His command of dynamics was remarkable, with an exceptionally fine diminuendo, though he was often accused of over-using this effect, and his high notes had a powerful ring, though again, he was accused of drawing attention to them at the expense of the rest of the vocal line.
His singing potential showed at an early age, though he had only basic musical education from a local priest. He entered a Jota competition (a song/dance style from Aragon, Spain), and while he did not win, was advised to persist. His brother arranged for him to audition for the Liceo Conservatory, and one of the teachers, Luisa Pierrich, became his mentor there. She later took him to Italy, where she introduced him to Riccardo Zandonai. Fleta made his opera debut as Paolo in a production of Zandonai's Francesca da Rimini in 1919 at the Teatro Comunale in Trieste. He was given other roles, and soon appeared at the major theaters in Europe. He and Pierrich married after her divorce was final. In 1922, Zandonai engaged him to create Romeo in the world premiere of his Giulietta e Romeo. In the same year, Fleta began a series of performances in Mexico and Central and South America, and also made his famous recording of Osman Perez Freire, which sold more than 100,000 copies, incredible sales for that time. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut the following year. His La Scala debut was in 1924, as the Duke in Rigoletto. He was scheduled to sing at the Met for the next two seasons, but decided to sign with the Teatro Apolo in Madrid instead. The Met's general manager, Gatti-Casazza successfully sued Fleta for breach of contract. In 1926, Fleta returned to La Scala to appear in the world premiere of Puccini's Turandot, specifically chosen by Toscanini to sing Calaf.
In the late '20s and early '30s, he experienced vocal problems, as well as divorcing Pierrich and marrying Carmen Mirat in 1927. In 1936, he began teaching at the Madrid Conservatory, and also became active in politics, strongly supporting the Falangists. He died at the age of 45 from kidney disease. His son, Pierre Fleta, born during his marriage with Pierrich, was himself a tenor, though considerably less famous, who later became director of the Luttich Opera.
© TiVo
Discography
21 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Miguel Fleta (Recorded 1922 - 1927)
Miguel Fleta, Emilio Sagi-Barba
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Prima Voce on 1 Jan 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lebendige Vergangenheit - Miguel Fleta (Vol.3)
Classical - Released by Preiser Records on 30 Aug 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lebendige Vergangenheit - Miguel Fleta
Classical - Released by Preiser Records on 29 Aug 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Miguel Fleta: Obra Completa, Vol. 4 (1928/30) (Remastered)
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Homokord on 15 May 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Lebendige Vergangenheit - Miguel Fleta (Vol.2)
Classical - Released by Preiser Records on 29 Aug 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carlos Julio Ramirez y Miguel Fleta
Miguel Fleta, Carlos Julio Ramirez
World - Released by Pueblo Viejo on 26 Mar 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Miguel Fleta - Grandes Éxitos, Vol. 1
Latin America - Released by Isyppdigital on 10 Feb 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Voces LegendariasZarzuela
Miguel Fleta, Alfredo Kraus, Marcos Redondo
Opera - Released by Rise International Music Ltd on 15 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Miguel Fleta: Obra completa, Vol. 2 (1924/26)
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Homokord on 5 May 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Miguel Fleta - Grandes Éxitos, Vol. 2
Latin America - Released by Isyppdigital on 10 Feb 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Romanzas y Canciones
Folk - Released by Fonal Music on 17 Feb 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Great Voices Of The Opera Vol. 5
Classical - Released by Documents on 1 Sep 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
La Dolores (Jota)
World - Released by Viking Records on 13 Feb 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Miguel Fleta: Obra Completa, Vol. 1 (1922/24) (Remastered)
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Homokord on 15 May 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Te quiero (Jota de El Trust de los Tenorios)
Flamenco - Released by Colección Carlos Martín Ballester on 23 Aug 1929
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Miguel Fleta
Latin America - Released by Piros - Arturos on 15 Sep 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Miguel Fleta
Latin America - Released by Pinnacle Latin Records on 1 Jan 1982
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Los Mas Grandes Éxitos de Miguel Fleta
Miscellaneous - Released by Pueblo Viejo on 6 Aug 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
La Fematera (Jota)
World - Released by Viking Records on 13 Feb 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
El Trust de Los Tenorios "Te Quiero" (Jota)
World - Released by Viking Records on 13 Feb 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo