Fermín María Álvarez

Fermín María Álvarez (Zaragoza, 1833 – Barcelona, 1898) was a Spanish lawyer, composer, and amateur pianist from the region of Aragon. He is famous for his compositions of música de cámara, or chamber music–especially for solo piano and for voice and piano–as well as for the salon gatherings he held, particularly on the Calle de Fuencarral, Madrid. He concentrated mainly on salon songs, which were often performed along with zarzuela excerpts by other composers. Biography Although he was born in Zaragoza, his family moved to Palamós (Gerona) when he was a boy. There, he began regular musical training. At one point, he took a trip to Cuba, where he was able to meet musicians like Nicolás Ruiz Espadero and Teresa Carreño. After his trip to Cuba, Álvarez moved and settled down in Madrid, where he married aristocrat and skilled amateur singer Eulalia Goicoerrotea. From the moment he settled in the Spanish capital, he was dedicated to the promotion of young artists. He would offer large sums of money to this end. In a similar way he contributed to the monetization of the musical life of Madrid, holding philharmonic salon-like gatherings that became famous at the time. Álvarez’s salons