Born presumably in 1870 (and certainly not, what most sources give, in 1879) at some unknown place in Spain, Carlos Barrera
made his debut very young as a bass. After some time, he started to study with maestro Guani and made his debut, as a tenor,
in 1899 at the Garibaldi in Trapani as Otello; in Italy, he altered his first name to Carlo.
In his book The Levik memoirs: an opera singer's notes, Sergej Levik wrote the following, referring to the tenor/bass
Aleksej Kanshin: A similar and even more striking transformation took
place with Italian tenor Barrera. Having sung a season in Odessa as a bass, he disappeared for two years and returned as a
tenor. When he had been a bass, the top notes were quite satisfactory.
His tenor career evolved as follows:
1899
Trapani, Teatro Garibaldi
Otello in December, with Gina Perfumo, Luigi Francesconi
1900
Trapani, Teatro Garibaldi
L'Africaine in February
Loreley in March, with Annunziata Panizza Stinco, Olga Metlica, Luigi Francesconi, Paolo Salotti
Trapani, Chiesa del Collegio Nazionale
Stabat mater in March
Catanzaro, Teatro Comunale
Otello in April, with Luisa Tozzi, Carlo Farinetti
Bergamo, Teatro Donizetti
Samson et Dalila in August
Livorno, Politeama
Otello in November, with Esperanza Clasenti, Tieste Wilmant
Parma, Teatro Regio
Aida in December
1901
Parma, Teatro Regio
Tosca in January/February, with Carmen Bonaplata Bau, Emanuele Bucalo
Bari, Teatro Piccinni
Tosca and Otello in March, both with Amalia De Roma, Emanuele Bucalo
Milano, Teatro Lirico
Samson et Dalila in April and October
Ravenna, Teatro Alighieri
Otello in May
Cairo, Khedivial Opera House
Aida in December
Otello and Andrea Chénier in December, both with Avelina Carrera, Edoardo Camera
1902
Cairo, Khedivial Opera House
Samson et Dalila in January
Alexandria, Zizinia Theatre
Aida in January
Bari, Teatro Piccinni
L'Africaine in March
Torino, Teatro Vittorio Emanuele
(sharing with David Juzhin) Tosca in April, with Oliva Petrella, Antonio Magini-Coletti
Milano, Teatro Lirico
Concert in October
Cecilia (by Orefice) in November
Odessa, Municipal Theater
Aida in December
1903
Odessa, Municipal Theater
Otello in January, with Valentina Mendorioz, Mario Sammarco
Carmen in January
Andrea Chénier in January, with Livia Berlendi, Mario Sammarco
Samson et Dalila and Pikovaja dama, presumably in February
Pagliacci in March, with Armanda Degli Abbati, Mario Sammarco
Palermo, Teatro Massimo
Aida in March
Andrea Chénier in April, with Livia Berlendi, Francesco Maria Bonini
Samson et Dalila in April
Napoli, Teatro Verdi
Carmen in May
Busseto, Teatro Verdi
I lombardi alla prima crociata in September
Cremona, Politeama Verdi
Andrea Chénier in September, with Mary D'Arneiro, Pasquale Amato
Roma, Teatro Adriano
Ernani in October, with Ester Adaberto, Mattia Battistini/Emilio D'Albore, Mariano Baldelli
Madrid, Teatro Real
Aida and Samson et Dalila in November
(sharing with Angelo Marcolin/Amedeo Bassi) Tosca in November, with Matilde De Lerma/Emma Carelli/Elena Bianchini Cappelli,
Vincenzo Ardito
(sharing with Arturo Franceschini) Il trovatore in December, with Matilde De Lerma, Armida Parsi-Pettinella, Vincenzo Ardito,
Remo Ercolani
Ferrara, Teatro Comunale
Otello in December, with Emilia Corsi, Silla Carobbi
Odessa, Municipal Theater
La Juive and Les huguenots in December
1904
Madrid, Teatro Real
Ballo in maschera in January
Norma in February, with Elena Bianchini Cappelli, Armida Parsi-Pettinella, Andres Perelló de Segurola
Cavalleria rusticana in March, with Elena Bianchini Cappelli, Anna Giacomini, Vincenzo Ardito
Barcelona, Teatre del Liceu
Il trovatore in November, with Elena Bianchini Cappelli, Giannina Lucacewska
Otello in November, with Anita Occhiolini, Mario Sammarco
Valencia, Teatro Principal
(sharing with Antonio Paoli) Otello in December, with Maria Santoliva Villani, Lorenzo Bellagamba
Les huguenots in December
1905
Warszawa, Teatr Wielki
Aida, La Juive and Les huguenots in March
Ernani in March, with Emilia Corsi, Mattia Battistini
Lisboa, Coliseu dos Recreios
Aida in April
L'Africaine, Ballo in maschera and Carmen in April and/or May
Il trovatore in April, with Maria Grisi, Maria Claessens, Bartolomeo Dadone, Manuel Candela
Pagliacci in May, with Enrichetta Acena, Michele Giovacchini, Emilio Cabello, Vincenzo Montanari
Ernani in June, with Maria Grisi, Michele Giovacchini, Angelo Masini Pieralli
Les huguenots in June
Valencia, Teatro Principal
Ballo in maschera, Otello, Pagliacci and Les huguenots in November
Ciudad de México, Teatro Arbeu
Il trovatore in December, with Ester Adaberto, Guerrina Fabbri, Gaetano Rebonato, Natale Cervi
Teatro Arbeu. Debut de la compañía de ópera. No es El trovador obra de debut, es obra de prueba para el
tenor y no precisamente obra de prueba para el conjunto como Aida, por ejemplo, que además de esto es una obra moderna,
hermosísima. El público vio que este debut era un error. ¿De quién? El culpable no le interesaba al público, lo que le
interesaba era el delito. Los concurrentes a los pocos minutos de haberse levantado el telón vieron una elegante
figura: la Adaberto haciendo la Leonora. Vio a esta artista y desfrunció el ceño el público: sintió que le
penetraba aquella voz fresca, pura, pastosa, colorida. La Adaberto había triunfado. El barítono Rebonato estaba enfermo
visiblemente: a la garganta de este artista se agarraba el vampiro ele los cantantes: la ronquera. El público vio la
Fabbri-Guerrini, y si viéndola no lo convenció, en cambio oyéndola se convenció que es una verdadera
contralto, una artista de gran experiencia y de grandes facultades. El público oyó al tenor Barrera antes ele verlo: le
oyó la serenata y no le agradó; parecióle que la voz engolada de este artista tiene además un timbre desagradable,
particularmente en el registro agudo, cuvas notas tremoladas dañaron los oídos. Este cantante se obstinó en vencer y para
ello alereó las notas, prolongó los calderones, procuró dar expresión a su canto y ... no lo logró; persistió la
impresión mala, el timbre ríspido, el engolamiento de las notas, el temblor molesto de los agudos. Todo lo demás lo vio
y lo oyó el público sin interés.
El Imparcial, 2 December 1905
Ernani in December, with Ester Adaberto, Rogerio Astillero, Augusto Dadò
1907
Padova, Teatro Verdi
Carmen in April
Modena, Teatro Storchi
Velve (by Castracane) in April
Cento, Teatro Comunale
Il trovatore in September, with Teresa Burchi, Alice Zacconi, Vincenzo Ardito, Alfredo Fiorini
1908
Napoli, Teatro Bellini
Lucia di Lammermoor in April
Firenze, Teatro Verdi
Norma in October
Livorno, Teatro Goldoni
Norma in November
1909
Bologna, Teatro Duse
Concert in January
Bologna, Teatro Verdi
Norma in January
Il trovatore in January, with Adalgisa Rossi Murino, Enrica Canovas, Giovanni Comune
Vicenza, Teatro Verdi
Walküre in August
Thiene, Teatro Sociale
Carmen in September
Conegliano, Teatro Accademia
Carmen in October
1910
Praha, Neues Deutsches Theater
Ernani in May, with Edith De Lys, Mattia Battistini, Vittorio Arimondi
Casalmaggiore, Teatro Sociale
(sharing with Caio Carlini) Andrea Chénier in October, with Olga Del Signore, Ciro Patino
1914
Milano, Teatro Verdi
Norma in September
1915
Milano, Teatro Verdi
(sharing with Francisco Granados/Piero Schiavazzi) Pagliacci in August, with Antonietta Ladorini,
Giulio Fregosi, Alessandro Morselli
