Opera singer Caballe dies at 85

‘The Hate U Give’ screenwriter Wells dead

BARCELONA, Spain, Oct 6, (Agencies): Montserrat Caballe, a Spanish opera singer renowned for her bel canto technique and her interpretations of the roles of Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti, has died. She was 85.

Caballe died early Saturday at Hospital San Pau in Barcelona, hospital spokesman Abraham del Moral told The Associated Press. Caballe’s family requested the cause of death not be released, del Moral said, adding that she had been in the hospital since September.

Spanish media said that Caballe entered the hospital last month because of a gall bladder problem.

Condolences poured in from the world of opera and Spain’s highest authorities.

King Felipe VI tweeted that Caballe was “the great lady of opera, legend of universal culture, the best of the best” and that “her personality and unequaled voice will accompany us forever.” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said a “a great ambassador of our country has died.” For tenor Jose Carreras, opera lost its “best soprano” with the passing of Caballe.

“Of all the sopranos that I have heard live, I have never heard anyone like Montserrat,” Carreras told Catalunya Radio.

Carreras praised her “versatility,” saying “she could do everything from the purest bel canto all the way to Wagner’s ‘Tristan und Isolde’.”

Barcelona’s Liceo opera house, where Caballe performed over 200 times, and Venice’s Teatro La Fenice also published tweets lamenting her loss. Madrid’s Teatro Real said it would dedicate Saturday’s performance of “Faust” to the memory of Caballe, lauding the “singular beauty of her voice” and her prodigious technique.

London’s Royal Opera company said it was “saddened to hear “of Caballe’s death and that she “sang with us on a number of occasions between 1972 and 1992 and inspired millions over the course of her career with her stunning voice.”

Born into a working class family in Barcelona, Caballe unveiled her musical talents early on, singing Bach cantatas at the age of 7.

In her almost unlimited repertoire, she starred in 90 opera roles with nearly 4,000 stage performances. Opera singer Maria Callas is once said to have answered “Only Caballe ...” when asked once who she considered a worthy successor.

At 8, Caballe entered the Liceo’s Conservatory in Barcelona with Eugenia Kenny, Conchita Badea, and Napoleone Annovazzi among her first teachers. She won the school’s Gold Medal on graduating in 1954. She went on to study opera in Milan and in 1956 joined the Basel Opera and played her first major role that year in the city’s Staatstheater as Mimi in Puccini’s “La Boheme”. Four years later, she was a principal singer with the Bremen Opera. In 1964, Caballe gave a highly praised performance of Jules Masenet’s “Manon” in Mexico City, but it was a year later in New York that a lucky break launched her on the road to international stardom. On short notice, Caballe stood in for indisposed American soprano Marilyn Horne in a concert performance in Donizetti’s “Lucrezia

Marvin Gaye and others, and his influence cast a long shadow over the genre. (RTRS)

LOS ANGELES:

The goal of Spotify’s Secret Genius program is to shine a light on people behind the scenes – songwriters, producers,

Praised

engineers and mixers – of the world’s most popular and influential songs. And while he’s hardly shy, Quincy Jones has certainly been one of the towering figures behind many classic songs since the 1960s, ranging from Michael Jackson and Ray Charles to Frank Sinatra and Celine Dion Borgia” at New York’s Carnegie Hall and achieved a thunderous success. It opened the doors to all the major opera venues around the world. She produced a highly-acclaimed performance as Elisabetta of Valois in an all-star cast of Verdi’s “Don Carlo” at the Arena di Verona in 1969. The concert became famous for her “la” on the final “ah” at the very end of the opera, which lasted for more than 20 bars up, driving the audience wild with delight.

Caballe was also a noted recitalist, particularly of songs of her native Spain. She was particularly admired for her purity of voice, vocal shadings and exquisite pianissimos.

Excursion

In a brief excursion into pop music, Caballe’s duet “Barcelona” with Freddie Mercury, of the rock group Queen, was a hit single in 1987, accompanied by an album of the same name. The title track later became the anthem of the 1992 Summer Olympics in the city.

Caballe performed the song live, accompanied by a recording of the late Mercury, at the 1999 UEFA Champions League soccer final in Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium.

Caballe, who was born Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepcion Caballe i Folch, dedicated herself to various charities and was a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. She also established a foundation for needy children in Barcelona. In 1964, she married Spanish tenor Bernabe Marti. They had two children, Bernabe Marti, Jr and Montserrat Marti, herself a successful soprano.

Audrey Wells, the screenwriter behind movies including “Under the Tuscan Sun” and “The Hate U Give”, which premieres in limited release on Friday, died on Thursday after a long battle with cancer. She was 58.

UTA announced the news on Friday. In a statement, her husband, Brian, said, “Over the last five and half years, Audrey fought valiantly against her illness and she died surrounded by love. Even during her fight, she never stopped living, working or traveling, and she never lost her joy, wonder and optimism. She was, simply, the most incredible wife and partner imaginable, and she knew always that she was loved by Tatiana, me, and the friends who were her chosen family.

Forward

She said just recently, ‘We’re so lucky, honey. We got to live a love story. Who gets to do that?’ We will carry her forward with us forever – as a mother, as a wife, as an artist and creator, and as a friend. She was irreplaceable.”

UTA co-president David Kramer added in a statement, “Audrey was a beloved client and, far more importantly, a wonderful friend. It was impossible not to fall in love with her and the passion that brought her stories to life. The strong, independent female characters she shaped resonate today more than ever and will be a part of her legacy always. We will miss her amazing, spirit, creativity and the love she gave us. She was truly special.”

– and on Nov 16 he will receive the second “Legendary Genius Honor” at Spotify’s Secret Genius Awards on Nov 16 at The Theatre at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles.

“Big-time love and props to Spotify for taking an important step in the industry by spotlighting the many geniuses behind the scenes,”

Jones said in a statement. “It has been absolutely incredible to have collaborated with so many different artists throughout the last seven decades and it is an absolute honor to have been chosen as a recipient of the Legendary Genius Honor. Thank-Q Spotify, and I hope my work will serve as an inspiration to the next generation of creators.” (RTRS)

LOS ANGELES:

Denzel Washington has been selected as the 47th recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award.

The award will be presented to Washington at a tribute on June 6 in Los Angeles, which will air on TNT at a later date.

“Denzel Washington is an American icon,” said Howard Stringer, chair of the AFI Board of Trustees. “As an actor, he stands tall as a heroic, stoic embodiment of the best in all of us, and he does so with heart, humanity, and one of the brightest smiles to ever light up the screen. Equally formidable as director and producer, he is a creative force to be reckoned with – and one of the most vital, relevant artists working today. (RTRS)