The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Tributes pour in for opera world’s ‘best soprano’ Montserrat Caballe
Montserrat Caballe, the opera singer who duetted on Barcelona with Freddie Mercury, has died aged 85.
The collaboration featured at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, after the Queen frontman’s death.
Mercury and the Spanish soprano, who starred in 90 opera roles and has been hailed for “inspiring millions” with her voice, released the anthem in 1987.
She had her first major role, as Mimi in Puccini’s La Boheme, at the Basel Opera in Switzerland, where she stayed from 1956 to 1959 before heading to Bremen in Germany.
The opera star had her international breakthrough in 1965, in a performance of Lucrezia Borgia at the Carnegie Hall in New York.
Caballe had to fill-in for the role at only a month’s notice but won a 25-minute standing ovation from the crowd.
The diva, who was known for the purity of her voice, performed at venues including the Glyndebourne Festival in East Sussex, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, La Scala, Milan, and the Royal Opera House.
In 1964 she married tenor Bernabe Marti and one of their children, Montserrat Marti, is also a soprano.
The Royal Opera House said it was “saddened” to hear of the death of Caballe, who was singing Bach cantatas at the age of seven.
“The Spanish soprano 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,” it said in a statement on Twitter.
Queen guitarist Brian May paid tribute on Instagram, writing: “RIP dear Montsy – inspiration to us all but especially to Freddie. Your beautiful voice will be with us forever.”
Tenor Jose Carreras told Catalunya Radio that the world of opera had lost its “best soprano”, saying: “Of all the sopranos that I have heard live, I have never heard anyone like Montserrat.”
He said that her versatility astounded fellow opera stars, and added: “She could do everything from the purest bel canto all the way to Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde.”
Caballe also performed alongside Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo.
She had been suffering from health complaints for some time and died after being admitted to hospital because of a gall bladder problem, Spanish media said.