José Lacalle
Real name José María Lacalle García
Life 17 November 1859 – 11 June 1937
Pseudonyms
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• Joseph Lacalle
Occupation
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• composer
• clarinetist
Instrument
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• clarinet
Place of birth Cadiz
Country of birth Spain
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Joseph Lacalle (1860 – 1937) was a Spanish-born clarinetist, composer, conductor, and music critic. He is best known as the composer of the romantic song Amapola (1920), which became widely popular in both classical and popular music circles.
Born in Cádiz, Spain, Lacalle pursued a career as a clarinetist, performing in various orchestras before turning to composition, conducting, and musical journalism. He later emigrated to the United States, where he worked as a music critic for the New York Herald and remained active in the classical music scene.
His most enduring work, Amapola (Spanish for "poppy"), was originally written with Spanish lyrics and later adapted with English lyrics by Albert Gamse. The song became an international hit, notably through renditions by the Andrews Sisters and Jimmy Dorsey during the 1940s. It has since become a standard, performed by numerous vocalists and instrumentalists worldwide.
Notable Work
- Amapola (1920)
External links
Source
This entry is based on content from the English Wikipedia article on Joseph Lacalle, as of May 2025.
Orchestras
No known group memberships.
Recordings
No recordings found.