MONTSERRAT CABALLÉ
SOPRAN
12. April 1933

‘No diva in memory has sung such an all-encompassing amount of the soprano repertory, progressing through virtually the entire range of Italian light lyric, lirico-spinto und dramatische Rollen, darunter alle Höhepunkte des Belcanto-, Verdi- und Verismo-Repertoires, während sie gleichzeitig eine bemerkenswerte Interpretin von Salome, Sieglinde und Isolde ist.“1^[1]   

Dies fasst kurz und bündig das Talent und die Leistung einer Sängerin zusammen, die sich gegen Ende ihrer Karriere einen weiteren Ruhm erarbeitete, insbesondere unter einer jüngeren Generation von Nicht-Opernbesuchern, als sie das Duett sang Barcelona  mit Freddie Mercury, das im Auftrag des Internationalen Olympischen Komitees in Auftrag gegeben und aufgenommen und zur Eröffnungszeremonie der Olympischen Spiele 1992 ausgestrahlt wurde.

After 12 years of study at the Barcelona Conservatorium, Caballé’s professional career began in Basle in Switzerland in 1956. In the three years she spent at Basle she built a solid repertory of roles, including Pamina, Tosca, Aida, Chrysothemis and Salome.^[2] She was then engaged at Bremen, from 1959-1962, where she sang extensive repertoire in German from Mozart to Richard Strauss. Caballé made her La Scala debut in 1960, yet continued in Bremen and in the words of one noted general manager of an opera house, ‘on a lucky night even in a small house one might hear an extraordinary voice. In 1962, for example you could have walked into the little house in Bremen and heard Montserrat Caballé, not just a promising young talent but already one of the great voices of the time.’^[3]

She attracted international attention and fame in 1965, after a performance of Donizetti’s Lucretia Borgia at Carnegie Hall in New York, standing in for the American mezzo soprano Marilyn Horne which earned her a 25 minute standing ovation.^[4] After this great triumph she became ever more associated with the Italian Bel Canto repertoire including Maria Stuarda, Norma and Amelia. However, such was her versatility, that Caballé sang music almost every era, including popular hits, and her extensive repertoire is available for posterity in numerous recordings. For a time Caballé was one of the ‘two biggest moneymakers before the public’^[5](the other being a certain tenor named Pavarotti).

A consummate performer known for her intelligent and delicate interpretations and musicianship, Caballé combined these in her pure but powerful voice, capable of creating exquisite vocal shadings. She possessed a prized ability to spin the finest and highest gossamer of pianissimo, which led to her be considered one of the best sopranos of the 20th Century.

Throughout her six decade career, Caballé recorded extensively. We are fortunate to have complete opera repertoire performances and recital albums with her exquisite and exceptional vocal art.