Montserrat Caballe

[+ Italiano]

Yesterday it would have been her 90th birthday. She was the absolute queen of breath control and pianissimi.

Here a glimpse from 50 years ago, where she sings 18 seconds of ethereal sound from a high A to a high C, like drinking a glass of water.

 

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxMsfCR7mNW4qwbwJmGMfZQWjlKfqu8Kyy

[sydneyboy]

The thing that impressed me about this artist was her astonishing versatility. The bel canto repertory, Verdi, Puccini, the French repertory including some extreme rarities, Mozart, Richard Strauss, Wagner (including Isolde), need I go on? A great singer.

[+ nycman]

Anyone not afraid to stand on stage and belt next to Freddie Mercury, is a Queen in my book. 
 

 

[+ Pensant]

I was exposed to TOO much opera by my father, but I do remember her! I think I loved her name before I loved her voice.

[Bargara Leatherboy]

an absolute operatic treasure 

[BSR]

3 hours ago, nycman said:

Anyone not afraid to stand on stage and belt next to Freddie Mercury, is a Queen in my book. 
 

 

The greatest popera performance of all time.

[MscleLovr]

On 4/21/2023 at 5:31 AM, nycman said:

Anyone not afraid to stand on stage and belt next to Freddie Mercury, is a Queen in my book. 
 

 

I saw their debut recital of this one evening at the Royal Opera House. She’d sung several arias solo earlier. 
 

On 4/21/2023 at 7:20 AM, Bargara Leatherboy said:

an absolute operatic treasure 

I agree (and I was lucky enough to see her perform on stage many times). Certainly she was viewed as that in Catalonia. I was once at Barcelona airport when she came off a flight, and I was staggered by the public response on sighting her.

[sutherland]

It was the steely quality of Caballe's voice that never appealed to me.  Also in the Bel Canto repertory she lacked the notes above High-C. She made studio recordings of Lucia di Lammermoor and I Puritani without the High-Ds and High-E flats that we got from Callas, Sutherland, and Sills.  Yes, I do love the thrill of sustained high notes.

That said, I can appreciate the elegance of her phrasing, the phenomenal breath control, and the high pianissimo notes. The ease with which she ascends to the High-C in "O patria mia" from Aida has never been matched.

Her daughter tried a singing career but didn't get very far.

[Callas]

My fav: Com’e Bello

 

 

[sydneyboy]

11 hours ago, Callas said:

My fav: Com’e Bello

 

 

Breathtaking. This was the role that catapulted Caballe into stardom. I heard Joan Sutherland sing the role in Sydney in 1977. She hit a note at the end of this aria that alone was worth the price of admission. The bravos and cheers nearly blew the sails of the roof of the Opera House.

[sutherland]

16 hours ago, sydneyboy said:

IShe hit a note at the end of this aria that alone was worth the price of admission. The bravos and cheers nearly blew the sails of the roof of the Opera House.

I heard Dame Joan sing this aria in a recital, with her husband at the piano. Yes, the final note was so refulgent and beautiful, and it just floated throughout the theater.  During the cadenza that preceded it she did one of her signature long trills, with the two notes bouncing back and forth in a way that no other soprano has matched.