Elena Armanda Nicolasa Sanz y Martínez de Arizala (1844–1898) was a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

opera singer from the 19th century and the mistress of

Alfonso XII of Spain Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo de Borbón y Borbón; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as ''El Pacificador'' (Spanish: the Peacemaker), was King of Spain from 29 D ...

Biography

Elena Sanz was born on 6 December 1844, in

Castellón de la Plana Castellón de la Plana (in ), or simply Castellón (), is the capital city of the province of Castellón, in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is located in the east of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Costa del Azahar by the Mediterranean Sea. Th ...

(España). She was educated mainly at the Girls' School in Leganes along with her sister. At the age of ten, she entered the institution to learn singing, and joined a choir. She was a student of Baltasar Saldoni in the

Madrid Royal Conservatory The Madrid Royal Conservatory () is a music college in Madrid, Spain. History The Royal Conservatory of Music was founded on July 15, 1830, by royal decree, and was originally located in Mostenses Square, Madrid. In 1852 it was moved to the Roy ...

. She met

in Vienna in 1872. In 1875, she had her first child from an unknown father. Later during the years, she had two sons more with

King Alfonso XII Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo de Borbón y Borbón; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as ''El Pacificador'' (Spanish: the Peacemaker), was King of Spain from 29 D ...

of Spain. The King of Spain died at the age of 28 without recognizing his two sons, Alfonso and Fernando. In 1876, she was hired by the Paris Opera for two years, and she played her most important and influential roles there – Maddalena of Rigoletto and Brangäne in

Tristan and Isolde Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Of disputed source, usually assumed to be primarily Celtic, the tale is a tragedy about ...

. During the same years, she also made a premiere at the

Teatro Real The Teatro Real () is an opera house in Madrid, Spain. Located at the Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace, and known colloquially as "''El Real''" (The Royal One). it is considered the top institution of the performing and musical arts ...

in Madrid.

Appearance

Her contemporaries often considered her one of the best opera singers in Spain. Elena travelled all across Europe to display her set of singing skills. She was most valued in the Paris Theater.

Castelar Castelar is a city in Morón Partido (county), Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, some 30 km west of the nation's capital, the autonomous city of Buenos Aires. It is part of the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area. Castelar is the west ...

described her as a red-lipped, brown-skinned, white-teeth, black hair woman, shining like a star.

Literature appearances

Elena Sanz was often portrayed in fictional texts in Spain. In 2013, the writer Tomás Gismera Velasco featured Elena Sanz in his work "Elena Sanz: Tu serás mi reina". She was also featured by

Benito Pérez Galdós Benito María de los Dolores Pérez Galdós (; 10 May 1843 – 4 January 1920) was a Spanish Spanish Realist literature, realist novelist. He was a leading literary figure in 19th-century Spain, and some scholars consider him second only to Mi ...

in his narratives concerning Sanz's relations with the monarch

Alfonso XII Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo de Borbón y Borbón; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as ''El Pacificador'' (Spanish: the Peacemaker), was King of Spain from 29 D ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanz, Elena 1844 births 1898 deaths 19th-century Spanish women opera singers People from Castellón de la Plana