Miguel Fleta was born in Albacete de Cinca, Huesca, in 1897. Following early study of solfeggio, he participated in the Jota-festival of Villanueva de Gállego in 1917, at the age of 20. Entering a singing competition in Zaragoza that year brought early recognition, but not the top prize. Late the same year he moved to Barcelona, where began study with Luisa Pierrick.
After finishing his conservatory studies in 1919, he moved to Milan with Pierrick (the pair had fallen in love, and Pierrick subsequently left her husband for Fleta). Fleta made his debut in Trieste in December of that year in Riccardo Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini. Critics were slightly cool after his debut, but his appearance in Aida in Trieste in January 1920 (in all 13 sessions) completely won the critics over and engagements followed in quick succession. In 1920-21 he appeared with great success in Vienna, Budapest, Monte Carlo, Livorno, Palermo, Napoli, Rome and Bologna.
In 1922 the rising star returned to his native country, Spain, where his success as Don José in Carmen at the Teatro Real in Madrid reputedly triggered a rise of nationalism which spread throughout the Hispanic countries in Latin America.
Fleta returned to Italy for appearances in Genoa and Milan before departing for South America, where he appeared at the Teatro Colón of Buenos Aires in Cavalleria Rusticana and other works. From thence he traveled to Córdoba, Rosario, Montevideo (Uruguay), São Paolo, and Rio de Janeiro. His Latin America successes continued with appearances in Mexico and Cuba.
Fleta made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Cavaradossi on November 8, 1923. The following year he made his La Scala debut in Rigoletto. He continued performing in Italy, Spain, England, the US, and the Latin American houses with great success, culminating in his being chosen by Toscanini to create the role of Calaf in the world premiere of Puccini’s Turandot at La Scala in 1926.
In 1927 Fleta divorced Pierrick and married Carmen Mirat. He combined his honeymoon with the fourth tour of America, appearing in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Rio and New York. He undertook a European tour in 1928, even though he was tired and had slight vocal problems. By the end of the tour, he suffered severe faringiitis and general fatigue and was forced to undergo vocal therapy in order to recuperate. Despite his ill health, he decided to tour the Far East and the American continent, and in 1929 set out on an extremely taxing tour which covered Japan, China, Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Canada, followed by a tour of Central Europe. In 1932 he toured the Scandinavian countries, Greece and Italy, and made appearances in Portugal and Spain.
Fleta had performed Zarzuela roles early in his career, and as his vocal powers faded, he leaned more and more toward that repertory. In 1933 he embarked on a national tour singing Zarzuelas with particular success in Doña Franciscita.
His failing voice and the political upheaval in Spain contributed to the rapid winding down of his career. Fleta gave his last complete opera performance (in Carmen) in Portugal, at the Coliseo dos Recreios in Lisbon on April 27, 1937. The following year he fell ill with what seemed to be an acute renal infection, and he died of uremia on May 29 in his home in La Coruña. He was 40 years old.
From the 1925 Victor catalog:
Fleta’s voice is a pure fresh tenor, clear and bell-like in quality, and he especially delights in music and in musical phrases which exhibit his unusual power of coloring a single long note. This, however, is only one detail of the many he can bring to bear upon a single aria. . . .I concur. In this recording, his voice is indeed sweet, and the decrescendo on “muta d’accento” is breathtaking.
Thanks to Pablo Fernández for sending me this clip and sparking my interest in this short-lived singer.