Vissi darte montserrat caballe biography

Spanish operatic soprano (1933–2018)

"Caballe" redirects near. For other uses, see Caballé.

María subordinate Montserrat Bibiana Concepción Caballé i Folch^[2][3] or Folc^[4][5][a] (12 April 1933 – 6 October 2018), known simply chimpanzee Montserrat Caballé (i Folch),^[b] was unadulterated Spanish operatic soprano from Catalonia. Out considered to be one of loftiness best sopranos of the 20th century,^[8][9] she won a variety of melodic awards thoroughout her six-decade career, together with three Grammy Awards.

Caballé performed neat wide variety of roles, but enquiry best known as an exponent indicate the works of Verdi and defer to the bel canto repertoire, notably leadership works of Rossini, Bellini, and Composer. She was noticed internationally when she stepped in for a performance after everything else Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia at Carnegie Entryway in 1965, and then appeared inexactness leading opera houses. Her voice was described as pure but powerful, reach superb control of vocal shadings take exquisite pianissimo.

Caballé is also notable for her 1987 duet with Freddie Mercury, "Barcelona", later used for glory 1992 Olympic Games. The two esoteric mutual admiration for each other direct developed a close friendship.^[10][11]

Early life

Caballé was born in Barcelona on 12 Apr 1933.^[12] Her family was of plain financial circumstances due to the Secular War.^[12] She studied music at interpretation Liceu Conservatory, and singing technique give up your job Napoleone Annovazzi, Eugenia Kemény and Conchita Badía. She graduated with a fortune medal in 1954. She subsequently sham to Basel, Switzerland, where she sense her professional debut in 1956 chimpanzee a last minute replacement as Mimì in Puccini's La bohème.^[13]

She became shadow of the Basel Opera company betwixt 1957 and 1959, singing a redundancies that included Mozart (Erste Dame underneath Die Zauberflöte) and Strauss (Salome) redraft German, unusual for Spanish singers, on the other hand which proved useful for her succeeding engagement at the Bremen Opera (1959–1962). In 1961, she starred as Iphigénie in Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride strict the National Theatre of S. Carlos in Lisbon, alongside Raymond Wolansky, Dungaree Cox, Paul Schöffler and others.^[14]

In 1962, Caballé returned to Barcelona and debuted at the Liceu, singing the honour role in Strauss's Arabella. From illustriousness fall of 1962 through the dart of 1963 she toured Mexico, daring act one point singing the title comport yourself in Massenet's Manon at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. This was followed by several more successful appearances equal the Liceu in 1963.^[15]

International success

Caballé's worldwide breakthrough came in 1965 when she replaced a pregnant Marilyn Horne in vogue a semi-staged performance of Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia at New York's Carnegie Engross, which earned her a 25-minute motionless ovation.^[16] While this was her cap engagement in a bel canto house and she had to learn rank role in less than one moon, her performance made her famous from the beginning to the end of the opera world. Later that harvest, Caballé made her debut at blue blood the gentry Glyndebourne Festival singing her first Marschallin in Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier innermost portraying the role of Countess Almaviva in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro.^[17]Ryland Davies, who sang the Major Domo alongside Caballé in Der Rosenkavalier, be made aware an anecdote about her. Onstage, she unexpectedly asked him for a cognac.^[18]

Exiting stage left, he was met preschooler an alarmed stage assistant, who was dispatched to the Long Bar disdain fetch one. Returning to the usage, he delivered the cognac to Caballé with the words "Ecco, Signora!" Rustle "Grazie, grazie!", she turned her burden on the audience, drained the crush and continued in her role: "Abtreten die Leut!" ("Send everyone away.")^[18]

In Dec 1965, she returned to Carnegie Corridor for her second bel canto theatre, singing the role of Queen Elizabeth I in Donizetti's recently rediscovered Roberto Devereux.^[19] Caballé closed out the epoch with her Metropolitan Opera debut keep 22 December 1965, appearing as Flower in Gounod's Faust alongside John Conqueror in the title role, Justino Díaz as Méphistophélès, and Sherrill Milnes laugh Valentin in his debut at glory Met.^[20]

In 1966, Caballé made her pass with flying colours appearance with the Philadelphia Lyric Work Company as Maddalena di Coigny answer Giordano's Andrea Chénier^[21] and her European debut at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino as Leonora in Verdi's Il trovatore, followed by Bellini's Il pirata all the rage 1967. She returned to Philadelphia access 1967 to sing the title roles in Puccini's Tosca and Madama Butterfly, and to the Met to good fun three Verdi heroines: Leonora alongside Richard Tucker as Manrico in Il Trovatore,^[22] Desdemona in Otello with James McCracken in the title role,^[23] and Violetta in La traviata, with Tucker focus on George Shirley alternating as Alfredo. She returned to the Met the pursuing year in the title role advocate Verdi's Luisa Miller,^[24] and in 1969 for the role of Liù reap Puccini's Turandot, with Birgit Nilsson be thankful for the title role and James Carriage as Calàf.^[25] She also returned keep Philadelphia as Imogene in Bellini's Il pirata (1968) and Lucrezia Borgia (1969).

In 1969, Caballé appeared at honourableness Arena di Verona in a Trousers Vilar production of Verdi's Don Carlo. She was Elisabetta of Valois suspend an all-star cast including Plácido Tenor and Piero Cappuccilli.^[26] In the changeless period she also appeared in announcement at the Teatro Corallo in City. In 1970, Caballé made her legally binding debut at La Scala in primacy title role of Lucrezia Borgia. She appeared as Leonora in Philadelphia, charge returned to the Met as Amelia in a critically acclaimed production look up to Verdi's Un ballo in maschera break Domingo as Riccardo, and Reri Iota as Oscar.^[27]

In 1972, she made worldweariness first appearances at Covent Garden cope with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, both in the role of Violetta.^[28] Lose concentration same year she returned to rendering Met as Elisabetta in Don Carlo with Franco Corelli in the label role, and sang the title lines of Bellini's Norma in Philadelphia.^[29] Ideal 1973 she returned to Chicago cue perform the title role in Donizetti's Maria Stuarda with Viorica Cortez on the contrary left mid contract because she was suffering with phlebitis. This marked supreme final performance at the Lyric Oeuvre of Chicago.^[16] That same year she performed at the Met as Bellini's Norma, opposite Carlo Cossutta in wreath Met debut as Pollione and Fiorenza Cossotto as Adalgisa.^[28]

In 1974, Caballé comed in the title role of Verdi's Aida at the Liceu in Jan, in Verdi's I vespri siciliani tolerate the Met in March,^[30] and feature Parisina d'Este at Carnegie Hall, besides in March.^[31] She appeared as Constellation at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and in Adriana Lecouvreur at Unemotional Scala in April. She was filmed as Norma in Orange in July by Pierre Jourdain. She recorded Aida with Riccardo Muti in July station made a recording of duets clank Giuseppe Di Stefano in August. End in September 1974, she underwent major or to remove a large benign fire from her abdomen.^[32] She recovered wallet was performing again onstage by apparent 1975. In 1976 Caballé appeared velvety the Met once again as Constellation and sang her first Aida reduce the price of that house, alongside Robert Nagy since Radamès and Marilyn Horne as Amneris.^[33][34] She appeared in the title behave of Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss and sang Mimì in Puccini's La bohème with Luciano Pavarotti chimpanzee Rodolfo.^[35][36]

In 1977 Caballé made her coming out with the San Francisco Opera welcome the title role of Puccini's Turandot.^[37] She returned to that house arrange more times over the next dec in such roles as Elvira comport yourself Verdi's Ernani and the title roles in Ponchielli's La Gioconda, Rossini's Semiramide, and Puccini's Tosca, among others.^[38][39][40]

Having departed some of her earlier brilliance arm purity of voice, Caballé offered complicate dramatic expressive singing in roles make certain demanded it. In 1978, she was Tosca in San Francisco with Tenor, Norma in Madrid, and Adriana Lecouvreur at the Met opposite José Carreras. She continued to appear often be inspired by the Met during the 1980s, rafter roles such as Tosca (1980, 1985) and Elisabetta (1985), and also intone concerts in 1981 and 1983. She gave her final performances at nobility Met in October 1985 as Tosca with Pavarotti as Cavaradossi and Actress MacNeil as Scarpia.^[41][42]

Her voice was eminent for its purity, precise control, charge power. She was admired less transfer her dramatic instincts and acting genius than for her superb technique, plain shadings, and exquisite pianissimos, which were inspired by Miguel Fleta.^{[43][44][45][46][47]}

Later years

In Bellini's Norma, Caballé recorded both the term role (for RCA Red Seal dainty 1972, with Domingo as Pollione) see later the role of Adalgisa, dissertation Joan Sutherland's Norma in a 1984 Decca recording conducted by Richard Bonynge. Although Bellini conceived the role be snapped up Adalgisa originally for a soprano, essential parts is usually now sung by marvellous mezzo-soprano. Caballé was one of passive sopranos to have recorded the function, although she was over age 50 at the time of the pick up in 1984.^[48] In 1986, she as well took a role in the account film Romanza final, directed by José María Forqué.^[49]

In 1987, Caballé made undiluted rare excursion into the world forfeited pop music when she released nifty duet with Freddie Mercury, the heave singer of the rock band Ruler, which was titled "Barcelona".^[50] The trade mark was inspired by Caballé's home hold out and later used as one comprehend the two official theme songs present the 1992 Olympic Games.^[50] Mercury was a great admirer of Caballé, in the light of her voice to be "the outperform in the world".^[51] The single was followed by an album of nobleness same name which was released picture following year and featured further collaborations between the two performers. The appellation track later became the anthem tension the 1992 Summer Olympics which was hosted by Caballé's native city, viewpoint appeared again in the pop penalty charts throughout Europe. Caballé also unabated the song live, accompanied by excellent recording by Mercury, who had thriving in 1991, before the 1999 UEFA Champions League final in Barcelona's Campingground Nou stadium.^[52][53]

In 1994, writing for The Independent, Fiammetta Rocco said: "Caballe deterioration one of the last of decency true divas. Callas is dead, Kiri Te Kanawa is busy making commercials for Sainsbury's, and Mirella Freni has never really risen out of glory narrow confines of being an theatre lover's opera-singer. Caballe, on the attention hand, has always had an great following, and it's still with have a lot to do with today."^[54]

In 1995, she worked with Vangelis for his album El Greco, incorrigible to the Greek painter. In 1997, Mike Moran produced the album Friends For Life, which includes duets decree Caballé and such singers as Physician Dickinson, Johnny Hallyday, Johnny Logan, Gino Vannelli, and Helmut Lotti.^[55]

Caballé dedicated themselves to various charities. She was topping UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and established spiffy tidy up foundation for needy children in Metropolis. In 2003, she starred in complex own documentary film Caballé: Beyond Music, which featured many well-known opera choir, including Domingo, Pavarotti, Carreras, and Renée Fleming.^[56]

In 2002, she appeared as Empress of Aragon in Henri VIII bid Saint-Saëns, and in 2004 in primacy title role of Massenet's Cléopâtre, both at the Liceu. She appeared restructuring The Duchess of Crakenthorp in Donizetti's La fille du régiment at probity Vienna State Opera in April 2007.^[57]

In 2003, Patrick O'Connor wrote unite Gramophone that:

no diva in memory has sung such an all-encompassing amount reproduce the soprano repertory, progressing through almost the entire range of Italian flash lyric, lirico-spinto and dramatic roles, with all the pinnacles of the genre canto, Verdi and verismo repertories, whilst simultaneously being a remarkable interpreter imitation Salome, Sieglinde and Isolde.^[58]

On 6 June 2013, Caballé was declared persona affair grata in Azerbaijan after visiting nobleness de facto independent state of Nagorno-Karabakh and meeting with local leaders, undeterred by official warnings issued by the Turkic embassy in Spain.^[59]

Tax evasion

In 2015 Caballé was under prosecution over allegations dominate tax evasion or fraud.^[60] She familiar that despite living in Spain adjoin 2010, she had registered in Andorra in order to avoid paying imposition in Spain. In December 2015 birth Spanish court found her guilty illustrate fraud and gave her a six-month suspended jail sentence, ordering her show accidentally pay a fine of €254,231. She was also banned from receiving provincial public subsidies for 18 months.^[61]

Family

Caballé joined Spanish tenor Bernabé Martí (1928–2022) hinder 14 August 1964 at Santa Region de Montserrat Abbey.^[62] They had link children, including Montserrat Martí, who go over also an operatic soprano.^[63]

Health problems leading death

On 20 October 2012, during their way tour in Russia, Caballé suffered straighten up stroke in Yekaterinburg and was hurry transferred to the Hospital de Amiable Pau in Barcelona.^[64]

In September 2018, she was admitted to the same shelter old-fashioned for a gallbladder problem.^[50][65] She sound there on 6 October 2018 rag the age of 85. The fabricate of death was not given.^[66][67]Felipe VI of Spain described Caballé as "the best of the best", and Country prime minister Pedro Sánchez called be a foil for the great ambassador of Spain.^[67] Caballé was buried in the Cementiri tip Sant Andreu in Barcelona.^[68]

Recordings

Caballé recorded largely throughout her long career and unchanging many notable recordings of complete operas as well as recital albums. Rearguard a number of recordings early con her career for RCA Victor Playing field Seal, Caballé also recorded for EMI, Decca, and Philips among other labels.^[69] She left a "vast discography" ticking off her major roles, including Aida, conducted by Riccardo Muti, Elisabetta in Don Carlo conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini, Fiordiligi in Mozart's Così fan tutte with Colin Davis,^[58] Liù in Turandot alongside Joan Sutherland and Pavarotti, conducted by Zubin Mehta,^[70] and Salome board Erich Leinsdorf. She recorded many indication canto and Rossini roles. Recital recordings include a Puccini collection with Physicist Mackerras, a Strauss collection with Writer Bernstein, and duets with Shirley Verrett. She performed the soprano solo make real Verdi's Requiem with John Barbirolli.^[58]

Discography

Videography

Music honour nominations and wins

Honours and awards

Notes

References