Colbrán, Isabella (EN)

Colbrán Isabella Angela, *2 February 1785 Madrid, †7 October 1845 Bologna, Spanish singer (soprano). She trained in Spain, then in Italy under G. Crescentini. In 1801, she made her debut in Paris. In 1807, she sang in Bologna, then in Milan (La Scala), as well as in Venice and Rome. In 1811, the famous impresario D. Barbaja recruited her to the San Carlo Theatre in Naples. There she sang the title role at the world premiere of Rossini’s Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra (1815), and subsequently in several of his other operas. In 1822 she married Rossini, who she divorced in 1837. By then, Colbrán had retired from the stage; she owed her fame not only to her high artistic qualities (L. Spohr did not hesitate to rank her higher than A. Catalani in terms of dramatic expression), but also to her extraordinary beauty.