Isabella Colbran

Isabella Angela Colbran (2 February 1785 – 7 October 1845) was a Spanish opera singer known in her native country as Isabel Colbrandt. Many sources note her as a dramatic coloratura soprano but some believe that she was a mezzo-soprano with a high extension, a soprano sfogato. She collaborated with opera composer Gioachino Rossini in the creation of a number of roles that remain in the repertory to this day; they were married on 22 March 1822. She was the composer of four collections of songs.

Colbran, born in Madrid, studied under Girolamo Crescenti in Paris. By the age of twenty she had achieved fame throughout Europe for her voice. She moved to Naples, a hub of European music during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Teatro di San Carlo, built during the Bourbon dynasty, had been home to famous singers like the castrato Farinelli and represented a destination venue for talented singers.

Colbran became the prima donna of the Teatro di San Carlo company, where she counted among her admirers the King of Naples as well as an adoring public. In time she became the mistress of the theater's impresario, Domenico Barbaia. Barbaia also managed gaming parlours and Colbran, materially well off as the result of her professional success and family fortune, developed a fondness for gambling.

To complement Colbran's talents Barbaia signed Gioachino Rossini to a seven-year contract as a composer of operas for the company. Upon his arrival in Naples in 1815 Rossini composed the title role of Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra (Elizabeth, Queen of England) especially for her. His next Neapolitan opera was Otello, ossia il Moro di Venezia in which Colbran sang the role of Desdemona. This opera proved to be immensely popular and found Colbran at the height of her powers. Her popularity led to demand for performances. Though her voice soon began to show signs of strain, Colbran continued to have a fertile career, creating the roles of Armida (Armida), Elcia (Mosè in Egitto), Zoraide (Ricciardo e Zoraide), Ermione (Ermione), Elena (La donna del lago), Anna (Maometto II), and Zelmira (Zelmira), all written by Rossini for Naples.