Pilar Lorengar

Though internationally her career was somewhat overshadowed by the other lyric sopranos of her day, perhaps due to an often understated presentation, her silvery voice, not large but focused enough to carry through even a Verdi and light Wagner orchestra, and her charm, winsome but not overly kittenish, made her a favorite in many European houses, particularly in Germany. She studied music at the Barcelona Conservatory, and like many Spanish singers, she began her career in zarzuela, making her stage debut (as a mezzo) in 1949. While she left the zarzuela stage fairly soon, s...