One of the most popular Spanish tenors, Emilio (or Emili, in Catalonian) Vendrell Ibars was born on 13 January 1893 in Barcelona.
He was not very fond of formal studies, so his father Joan Vendrell, who was a building contractor, made him work at his side, as a mason,
at a very early age.
At seven years old, his mother put him in the "Escolanía de Santa María del Mar", where he was given the first notions of music
that later increased and improved in the "Orfeó Català" choir, where he became the favourite student of the famous maestro
Lluís Millet, and a soloist tenor. As such he sang in Joseph Haydn's Schöpfung on 27 January 1918, and again in 1919. In
1921, he sang the role of the Evangelist in Matthäuspassion by J. S. Bach at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona. He became
so well-known in that part that even Albert Schweitzer, who played the organ, declared that his singing was "magnificent and wonderful".
During this first period of his career he sang not only the "Passions", but also all the other baroque oratorios, and was an admired
interpreter of Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Wolf and Brahms lieder.
He started his theatrical career on 9 July 1922, when the composer Enric Morera accepted him in the short part of "a shepherd" for the first
performance of his new zarzuela La font de l'Albera at Céret (in the French part of Catalonia). After that, Enric Morera chose
him for the premiere of another zarzuela, Don Joan de Serrallonga, that took place at the Teatre Tívoli in Barcelona on 7 October
1922. He sang the role of "Fedri de Sau", with the young soprano Josefina Bugatto and the already famous baritone Emilio Sagi-Barba in the
other roles. The zarzuela was sung in Catalonian, and Vendrell obtained an enthusiastic success. A few months later, the premiere of the
zarzuela Pel teu amor by the composer Josep Ribas took place, containing a romanza "Rosó, llum de la meva vida" (Rosó,
light of my life), which Vendrell recorded several times – it justly became his "visiting card".
The composer Jacinto Guerrero chose him for the role of Gustavo in the first performance of his zarzuela "Los gavilanes" that took place at
the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid on 7 December 1923, and some months later (February 1924), he sang for the first time the role of Fernando
Soler in Doña Francisquita by Amadeo Vives, with Josefina Bugatto (Francisquita) and Mercedes Melo (Aurora), at the Teatro Nuevo
in Barcelona. This role became his "war horse" for all his artistic life (the world premiere of Doña Francisquita had been at
the Teatro Apolo in Madrid on 17 October 1923, and the role of Fernando had been sung by the tenor Juan de Casenave. Mary Isaura was Doña Francisquita and Cora Raga was Aurora).
In July 1924, he sang an opera for the first time. It was Lohengrin in the Catalan translation by Joaquim Pena, at the Teatre
Tívoli in Barcelona. It was the only "standard" operatic role in his entire career. (Some sources claim that he also sang Massenet's
Manon, but this has not been confirmed).
The zarzuela composers called him again and offered new titles, like La bien amada (The beloved) by José Padilla, first
performed in October 1924. This work is now completely forgotten, except for the beautiful romanza known as "Valencia", a "hit" in the
repertoire of Tito Schipa.
On 29 October 1924, he sang the role of Octavio in the first performance of the new zarzuela Por una mujer (For a woman) by
Juan Bautista Lambert (1884–1945) with the soprano Rosario Calzado (Estrella) and the baritone Emilio Sagi-Barba (Fernando),
premiere at the Teatre Tívoli in Barcelona; followed, on 19 December 1924, by La gaviota by Rafael Millán, at the Teatro
Nuevo.
In March 1925 and in Barcelona he sang in another new work, Dios salve al rey (God save the king), a world premiere and by the way,
though it had a good composer, Pablo Luna, it was a flop. On 25 September 1925, he sang in the first performance of La joven
turquía, also by Pablo Luna, at the Teatro Pavón (Madrid). On 23 December 1925, he sang in another premiere at the Teatre
Tívoli in Barcelona: La severa by Rafael Millán, with Emilio Sagi-Barba.
On 29 January 1926, he created another zarzuela in Catalonian, Baixant de la font del gat by composer Enric Morera, at the Teatre
Tívoli again.
Emili Vendrell made his first Latin American tour in 1926 and he sang Doña Francisquita in Mexico at the Teatro Olimpia, with
Mary Isaura and Cora Raga. These ladies had also participated in the Spanish premiere of that zarzuela. He further sang in Argentina, Uruguay,
Brazil and Cuba.
In 1928, Vendrell performed in another zarzuela, La manola del portillo by Pablo Luna and Federico Moreno Torroba, first performed at
the Teatro Pavón. On 21 January 1929, it was the turn of a Catalonian opera, at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona: El
giravolt de maig by Eduard Toldrà.
Emilio Vendrell was the first Rafael in the world premiere of La Dolorosa by José Serrano, on 24 October 1930, with the soprano
María Badía and the baritone Pablo Hertogs at the Teatro Victoria in Madrid. (La Dolorosa was one of the greatest
triumphs of our tenor, only second to Doña Francisquita. He sang it more than 800 times.)
During the Civil War years he sang in several performances of Doña Francisquita at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, and
in a revival of El giravolt de maig. He made a concert tour of Switzerland, France, the
Netherlands and other European countries, hoping to gain sympathy (and money) for the leftist Republican government of Catalonia that fought
against Franco and his fascists. Two years after Franco's victory, he was denounced, arrested, and convicted (the trial was of course biased
and far from trying to reveal anything resembling truth) to 20 years exile from Catalonia, then reduced to four years, which he actually had
to serve in Madrid and later in Valencia. After his 1945 return, he tried to go on a concert tour of central Spain, but had to terminate it
soon because he was mobbed as a "Red and Freemason".
In the following years, he was able to appear in several revivals and some premieres like La Duquesa del Candil by Joaquín
García León (Madrid, 17 March 1949). Pablo Luna adapted the musical score of the role of Captain Alberto in his Molinos de
viento from baritone to tenor. Needless to say that Vendrell scored a triumph in this zarzuela.
He prepared his son Emili (born in 1924) for his debut on the lyrical stage. Father
and son appeared together in El Duque de Montal by José María Torres Ventura, for which Vendrell wrote the libretto;
first performed at the Teatre Calderón in Barcelona, on 23 November 1950.
His last public performance took place on 14 January 1953, at the Teatre Calderón in Barcelona, singing his 1315th performance of
Doña Francisquita, with the soprano Emilia Aliaga (Doña Francisquita) and the mezzosoprano Cora Raga, the "creator" of
the role of Aurora la Beltrana. Vendrell's son Emili also took part, in the role of "el novio" (the bridegroom). The conductor was Francisco
Palos.
He finished his artistic career as a soloist and humbly returned to the Orfeó Català of his youth, now just as a chorister. The
last work in which he sang was Beethoven's Missa solemnis.
From time to time, however, he appeared in song recitals. He sang at the Palau de la Música Catalana, a cycle of songs
Cançons de mar i de montanya by his friend, the composer Elisard Sala.
On 13 May 1961, he received a huge homage at the Municipal Palace of Sports, organized by Radio Barcelona. Some of his greatest
colleagues were present, like tenors Hipólito Lázaro and Cayetano Renom, and sopranos María Espinalt and Cecilia Gubert.
Vendrell wrote two books: "El mestre Millet i jo; memòries" (Maestro Millet and I) published in 1953 and "El canto, libro para el
cantante y para el aficionado", an instruction on vocal technique, published in 1955.
Emili Vendrell died in Barcelona on 1 August 1962, at 69 years old after a long disease. The funeral ceremony exceeded all possible
expectations and became a mass event. The traffic on the streets adjacent to the Church of the Concepción had to be closed. When the
coffin was taken out of the church, an anonymous choir of thousands of voices sang Amadeo Vives' "L'emigrant" (one of Vendrell's most popular
Catalan songs), and handkerchiefs were waved as a farewell to the great artist.
His son, Emili Vendrell jr., published his father's biography in 1965 in Catalan, under the name of "El meu pare, Emili Vendrell".
Catalonia has been a land of great tenors (Francisco Viñas, Hipólito Lázaro, José Palet, Pau Civil, Piero Pauli,
Tino Folgar, Juan Raventós, Juan Rosich, Ricardo Mayral and Cayetano Renom, just to mention a few), but only Emili Vendrell was given
the title of "Cantaire de Catalunya" (Catalonia's singer).
Juan Dzazópulos, April 2008
