- Period: Romantic (1820-1869)
- Born: January 20, 1809 in Sauciego, Alava
- Died: December 06, 1865 in Brussels, Belgium
Biography
Sebastián Yradier has gone down in history as one of a very few Basque composers of note, and his tune "La Paloma" just might be the most popular Spanish song of all time. Born in the Basque town of Lanciego, Yradier enters history as an organist, winning the post through a competition as organist to the church of San Juan in Salvatierra (Agurain) in 1827. In 1833, Yradier dropped out of this position and does not turn up again until 1839, where he was listed as an instructor at the Madrid Conservatory, a position he held for the next 12 years. Afterward, Yradier traveled widely, based both at Madrid and in Paris but ranging as far as Cuba, where Yradier discovered the rhythm of the habanera, working it into his song "La Paloma" (1859). By the time Yradier died at age 56, "La Paloma" was known all over the world, but Yradier himself was already forgotten.His given name was Iradier, and he changed it at the request of a French publisher who sought to internationalize him. As is the case with many Spanish composers, the work of Yradier has yet to submit itself to diligent scholarship, and the extent of his output is not known. Yradier collaborated on the zarzuela La pradera del Canal (1847) and published the song collection Fleurs d'Espagne (1864) in Paris. Georges Bizet believed one of Yradier's songs, "El arreglito," a folk melody, and adapted it into the famous "Habanera" featured in the opera Carmen. Ultimately, Bizet did discover the source of the tune and revised his score to incorporate mention of Yradier as author of the melody. ~ Uncle Dave Lewis, All Music Guide
