Interview with Maria Malbran

Q: First may I say its a true honor to be sitting in the presence of one of the most famous,brilliant and legendary opera singers of the 19th century!! Ms. Maria Malibran!

A: Haha, awh why thank you, thank you! I’m delighted, and honestly pleased with myself that I could make it. As you’d know I’m wonderfully busy.

Q: Now, I asked you here of course to discover more about you, from you.

A: Yes ofcourse!  I’d understand why, I’m quite the interesting woman.


1. Q: So lets get to it, could you describe for me where your from. With some information on your very well known family as well, The Garcias.

A: Well, haha, I am Spanish, sense my maidien name is Garcia, full name Maria Felicitas Garcia Sitches. But darling, I’m from Paris, haha yet because of my fathers career I traveled much. I was in Naples, Italy and even sometimes America ever so often with my family. Taking lessons, in studying music from my father Manuel del Populo Vincente Garcia, because I was just starting to learn the art. And it’s wondeful that my family as a whole were very musically inclined and involoved in my life! Sense mi padre was born a pedagogue, it was naturally his duty to educate us in music! All of us knew music very well, and surprisingly (although I am the most celebrated) I ( besides my father) wasn’t the only extraordinary singer in the family. My also (but not equally) famous brother and sister Manuel Patricio Garcia and Pauline Viardot-Garcia, were very talented! But mostly the family went where my father went, as he ( in my earlier years ) was back and forth from Italy to Paris, building his wonderful music career, as an artist and composer.

Q: Thats wonderful that it’s not just your passion alone. Your entire family enjoys the art and it’s basically like music is a member of your family. The traveling must have been very fun too.

A: Yes, and I absolutely love singing and my family. Im very fond of traveling now, so it was fun to have all in one.


2. Q: It really must’ve.  So i heard you mention something of your earlier life. Were there any events that happened earlier. That really got you interested in your arts?

A: Well hmm... As I said before my earlier life was spent training and traveling. I did perform as a child, so that played an important role in me of course getting use to performing. At around the age eight or so I was already appearing on stage in Naples! Haha I can’t really think of too many other things that dramatically got me interested. I wouldn’t say I was forced in my art (because i love it, I truly love it), but being around stage so much, I had to be interested! Haha but again father being a pedagogue, music was always around and in me. Sense he and others taught me, I had interest. Even at such a young age I would say so myself. I was also very well educated in other things that surround my art. Like languages, singing is more than having a beautiful and extraordinary voice, which we all know I have. It takes a lot of talent language wise as well. And me being able to fluently learn five languages, its helps. So hmm... basically everything I did, when it all came down to it,  had something to do with music or bettering me in music. Being around something so beautiful so often, will really get you interested in it.

:Wow, see I love music as well. It’s amazing that it’s really, really been in your life so much. It practically is your life.

:I agree ha ha.

:And at such a young age, because I know for one, when some start out in something that young. They grow tired of it. Thank goodness you didn’t.

 :Honestly I don’t think I could, or had the choice. I loved it yes, but I was not in love with it as I am now. Back then, it was my fathers drive, push and personality when it came to music.,. I’m sure.


3. Q: Well now speaking of your father, Manuel, was one of your mentors right?

A: Yes one of them.
 :So what affect did he have in, helping you develop your knowledge of, interests and your natural talents in music?

A: My father, I’ll get to him later of course, but lets speak of the others because he wasn’t the only one. A little after and while performing in Naples earlier on, I also took lessons from great singers. My teachings were in theory and piano, and learning piano, is a major portion of  building knowledge of true voice quality. Especially when beign taught by Auguste Panseron as well as Louis Herold, who were amazing, as I do remember. In fact sense I wouldn’t think you’d know, both Panerson and Herold won the Prix de Rome. I had started my teaching from them in 1812. Although they were great and helped developing my voice, and with them I really learned my French, especially working with me at a young, young age, ( I was only around six or seven ). Yet later on in my life,I’d say 1818, I had started my studies from my father, as we had returned from Naples back to Paris. In my opinion thats when my voice really... well became my voice. His teachings while splendid and obvious truly did their job. They were harsh, I should say I am... or haha was a natural contralto. But with his extensive exercises, I in fact remember, he’d start with slow long held notes. That he would have me crescendo and decrescendo, which helped him force me to hit the higher notes, in the soprano range which he mostly forced into me. Like up in my third octave. Speaking of pushing..see my father was hard, tyrannical, forceful and very strict.  And the lessons were..ugh, there was much tension between us (is all I should say). Haha But it worked tremendously, because he trained a voice that can sing anything. By him pushing me so hard, it not only greatly improved my voice. It taught me voice control, to work  harder and harder, kept me interested in how far I could go in my voice literally. Also in my passion. As sense my father was friends with and knew people in high places.

4. Q: Maria truly, wow. Maria, I guess we all simply will never quite know what those lessons were like for the two of you. Such strong personalities.  But moving on sense I’d imagine thats a touchy topic. What was the world of music like at the time, when you entered it. And how do you believe you changed it?

A: The world of music at that time wasn’t very Romantic. It had beautiful compositions but not very loving, which is something I like. Believe me, I truly loved the music, and the opera singers were wonderful the performing was great too. But I feel as if I really added Romanticism to the world of music at the time. Because I’m big on the romantic era, I feel as if I represent Romanticism, and have indeed been told I embody the spirit of Romanticism (Maria). I might as well, I was born in the era, and know I helped it thrive, in opera. Sense I sung many composed works by a romantic eras great Rossini. Also I set the bar high, my talents were something no one could truly achieve, although it was compared. In opera I really brought back a beautiful and thrilling combination of exquisite untopped song and emotion. I myself know for sure I impacted music and how people listened to true artists. Yet I do know I did what most simple could not, I, by nature put my heart and soul into every performance and let the music guide me. And know I must’ve changed a lot, but then again I feel as if I also mostly added to music just in a new way.


5.Q: How did the major things that were happening socially, politically, or culturally, at the time, impacted your work?

A: Well socially and politically, and culturally. Well Politics didn’t affect my work at all. I have a strong personality and such but politics and music for me anyway didn’t affect anything. Socially...hmm, well, socially...socially, I mean it’s music! It didn’t really affected my music unless the song that was composed for me to sing had lyrics that might’ve related to things socially. Then again everything was in a different language. Also unless social goes on with Romanticism it still didn’t do much. But if it did I’m huge on romantic. Yet I know that if I was composing yet that the politics and social things didn’t after my work. Now culturally, hmm.. I know it has to to what extinct I don’t. Now my culture per say, not really unless my father possibly composed it. Sense I am Hispanic and there weren’t many Hispanic operas out there. Haha.

 :Yeah that question is a little tuff, especially when you sing and portray the role that people have written. It’s more for a composer which you just started doing.But anyway...


Q: Now I know you’ve had so, many, but what were some of your really memorable and major things you were able to accomplish in your art?

 A: Wow, and yes I have had many accomplishments! Very many, I don’t quite know where to begin truly. All of the greats have this problem as you could only imagine, But hmm... I’d for starters have to say the roles that people considered superior to those that another diva Giuditta Pasta. I admire her I do, but I’m of a competitive nature. But I was well associated with Rossini, like Tancredi, Otello, II turco in Italia. As well as La Cenerentola, Meyerbeer’s II crociato in Egitto, and Semiramide (where I do remember playing two roles). But that simply a small portion. I know I’m simply listing but its a great list don’t you think? But back to beating out Pasta, because I ended up playing roles that were written for Pasta. So specifically some roles would be singing the role of Romeo in Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi, as well as two or three more Bellini’s operas. Which were two operas in which I played the same character, Giulietta e Romeo by Zingareki. Giulietta e Romeo by Vaccai, haha I love that I can name these at the drop of a hat! And all of those are very important but, the one where people say I truly made my debut was in Naples (a place I know too well) La Sonnambula and Norma. Besides simply all the roles I’ve done, the fact that I was applauded by my acting with my singing meant much to me. My voice is an accomplishment within itself. I wasn’t just born with my voice, it took so much for it to be what it is called now “ One of the greatest of the 19th Century”.

: That is incredible. I’m speechless truly. Those are...amazing, and it’s wonderful that you’ve done all of that brilliantly at such a young age! Women twice as old as you are never get experience what you have. Many never will.

: Well that’s sad. Haha but thank you! I worked extremely hard and still do for my accomplishments and those experiences!


7.Q: I will bet sense you’ve had so many accomplishments, there must’ve been some opportunities that you had. Which led to turning points in your music and life, havent you?

A:  Yes. I have, haha I wouldn't have been able to accomplish this much without opportunity. But mmm...for starters I had the amazing oppurtunity, as I’ve mentioned many times it seems like, but to start perfoming at such a young age! The fact that I was constantly surrounded by music and when I was schooled, besides Hammersmith boarding school I was sent to. I had been schooled in music, by honestly greats! I mean Auguste Panseron and Louis Herold, also of course my father. Also sense my father was building his carreer too, I got to observe him, and learn from his mistakes. My father also knew so many important people and helped me get lead roles, before my own voice and truly began to do that for me.And because I’m a go getter I’d be doing multiple shows in different areas of all sorts in a single day! Connections as well, you can have all the talent, or one of the greatest talents in your craft in the world (much like I do). But without some sort of connection somewhere, it’s going to be a true struggle to get anywhere far. A turning point might’ve been... ahhh, haha well, the performance Pasta and I both performed at. In Milan The Chateau of d’Aucy le Franc, actually in Norma, but when I was truly over shadowed my only real competitor Pasta. And was universally pronounced as the cantante par excellenxa! I was very glad that night as you’d imagine haha!
:Hahaa! Well yes I could imagine, I’m not that much for over shadowing, but then again it is nice for more people other than yourself to realize your own brilliance in your own art. Compared to another or not.


8.Q: Now not everyone absolutely loves these questions but, it inspires so many other people, at the same time. So sense everyone has a past what were some hard times or roadblocks that you had to overcome in order to do what you love, to be an great artist?

A: Well I’m not afraid of these types of questions in the least bit. Its also expected, ha, but I’d have to for one say that the lessons I had with my father were.. hard. He’s forceful and so tyrannical, and some say because of those lessons I adapted some of his personality. But they were good lessons and he obviously knew what he was doing, but he pushed me just so hard. And we both have strong personalities so there’d be some combativeness going on, but yeah those were always...hard. I also haven't necessarily had too many hardships really that I can recall. But when I was with my first husband Eugene Malibran, finding out about his money problems. The traveling struggles I had to go through with him when it was between New York and going back to Paris. Then NOT BEGIN ABLE TO QUICKLY ANNUL THE MARRIAGE! After falling out of love then falling in love with someone else. That indeed was irritating.

 :Hmm, interesting. And no matter what I think I would've loved to have your father as a mentor. Because as you said he knows what hes doing.

9.Q: Haha so aside from things that irritate you, I know many people now admire you. I happen to be one of them. But could you tell me people who you admired? In the arts and beyond that, and why did they inspire you?

A: Hmmm... inspirations. Now I know I’ve inspired people but, who inspired me. Well it may sound bad, but I dont really have inspriations. I love music , and I love to sing, no one really inspired me to truly do so. I grew up with music so it’s always been there. But in another way you could say that I’ve had motivators. Who ofcourse would’ve been mi familia, and especially again my father Manuel Garcia. But as well as my other lesson teachers Auguste Panseron and Louis Herold. As well as the fact that all of the knowledge I had obtained. But also I’d say my competition motivated  me too. Now I didn’t really have any competition, except for Pasta, Giuditta. We weren’t hmmm, complete rivals but I did end up getting roles that were written for her. Haha but as you’d imagine having a rival in a way can inspire you, although I’d rather say motivate you. Or motivated me to simply do better!
:Well then it fits to you you motivate me.

:Well of course! Haha but thank you!

Q: Now were sadly to one of my last questions for you. But what are some of your personal stories, that basically tell how you became such success in your art, Maria?

A: Haha well...hmmm well, I don’t exactly know where this performance was. Which is unexpected because it took me no time to list all my other operas before with one of those other questions! BUt oh yes! That story, well there was this hall, a music hall I’m sure. And I was due to perform yet someone had this horrible law! That the audience couldn’t clap after a performance!! How idiotic! So I stood outside (or maybe even inside, hahah i was somewhere), but I absolutely refused to perform with out the audience having permission to appluad me! So I didn’t perform and had the law or rule, changed! Thats how I get things done.

 :Thank so much Maria for everything! Your an amzing person, who has untouched talent. No one can be and no should even be compared. I liked you before but after this I truly admire you. And your voice lets me know that no I’m not you and never will be. But my voice can always get better. You motivate me, again thank you.

 :Awhh! Thankyou!!! You have been amazing and I’m glad I’ve motivated another. This has been a ton of fun! Now I’ve got to go back to Paris soon, so tah, tah!!



















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