Background and career
Margarita Xirgu Subirá (Spanish pronunciation: [maɾgaˈɾita ˈxiɾɣu suβiˈɾa] Catalan: Margarida Xirgu i Subirà [məɾɣəˈɾiðə ˈʃiɾɣu j suβiˈɾa]; 18 June 1888 – 25 April 1969) was a Spanish stage actress, who was greatly popular throughout her country and Latin America. A friend of the poet Federico García Lorca, she was forced into exile during Francisco Franco's dictatorship of Spain, but continued her work in the Spanish-speaking Americas. Notable plays in which she appeared include Como tú me deseas, La casa de Bernarda Alba, and Mariana Pineda.
An opera, Ainadamar, by the composer Osvaldo Golijov and playwright David Henry Hwang, based on Xirgu's life and her association with Lorca, was premiered in 2003. A recording of the work released in 2006 on the Deutsche Grammophon label (Catalog #642902) won the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition and Best Opera Recording.
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