Ramon Carnicer

Full biography Ramon Carnicer

Ramon Carnicer y Batlle was a Spanish composer, born on October 24, 1789, in Tàrrega, Lleida, and died on March 17, 1855, in Barcelona, Spain. He is known for having composed the second and current version of the Chilean national anthem in 1847, while he was living in exile in England due to his liberal political views. Carnicer was a prolific composer of operas, zarzuelas, and church music, and also worked as a conductor and music teacher.

In addition to his work on the Chilean national anthem, Carnicer composed a number of other well-known pieces, including the opera "El Joven y la Libertad" ("The Youth and Freedom"), which premiered in Barcelona in 1820, and the zarzuela "La Celosa" ("The Jealous One"), which premiered in Madrid in 1836. He also composed a number of hymns and marches, which were popular during his lifetime.

Carnicer began his musical career as a choirboy in the cathedral of his hometown, and later went on to study music in Madrid and Valencia. He worked as a music teacher in Barcelona before becoming the conductor of the Teatro de la Santa Creu in that city in 1827. In 1832 he moved to Madrid, where he worked as the maestro de capilla (chapel master) of the Royal Chapel, and later as the conductor of the Royal Opera.

Although Carnicer's works were popular during his lifetime, he was largely forgotten in the years following his death, and it was not until the 20th century that his music began to be rediscovered and re-evaluated. Today, he is recognized as one of the most important Spanish composers of the 19th century and as a pioneer of the zarzuela genre.