Classical

Caballé - A Richard Strauss Song Recital (2008)

2009-10-23T18:23:58Z

Montserrat Caballé - A Richard Strauss Song Recital (2008)


01. Ich liebe dich ('Vier adlige Rosse voran unserm Wagen')
02. Ruhe, meine Seele ('Nicht ein Lüftchen regt sich leise')
03. Ich Schwebe ('Ich schwebe wie auf Engelsschwingen')
04. Traum durch die Dämmerung ('Weite Wiesen im Dämmergrau')
05. Zueignung ('Ja, du weisst es, teur Seele')
06. Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten
07. Wiegenlied ('Träume, träume, du mein süsses Leben')
08. Ich trage meine Minne, song for voice & piano, Op. 32-1 (TrV 174-1)
09. Freundliche Vision ('Nicht im Schlafe hab' ich das geträumt')
10. Schlechtes Wetter ('Das ist ein schlechtes Wetter')
11. Morgen ('Und morgen wird die Sonne wieder scheinen')
13. Die Nacht ('Aus dem Walde tritt die Nacht')
14. Cäcilie ('Wenn du es wüsstest')

Montserrat Caballé  -soprano
Miguel Zanetti (Piano), 1967

Caballé, Montserrat (1933-), Spanish soprano, b. Barcelona. After voice study with Eugenia Kemeny and Conchita Badia in Barcelona, she made her operatic debut in Basel, Switzerland, in 1956, singing Mimi in Puccini's La Bohème. She became an overnight success with American audiences in 1965 after singing in Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia at Carnegie Hall in New York City. That same year she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Marguerite in Gounod's Faust. Her voice is noted for its purity, precise control, and power. Remarkably active during her long career, Caballé has sung over 80 operatic roles, including the Marschallin in Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier and the title role in Salomé; recorded more than 30 roles; and sung in all of the world's major opera houses. A superb interpreter of songs, particularly those of her native Spain, she is also noted for her recital performances. --- Columbia Encyclopedia

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Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé - Barcelona (1988)

2018-10-15T08:56:14Z

Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé - Barcelona (1988)


1 	Barcelona 	5:38
2 	La Japonaise 	4:49
3 	The Fallen Priest 	5:45
4 	Ensueño 	4:20
5 	The Golden Boy 	6:04
6 	Guide Me Home 	2:41
7 	How Can I Go On 	3:59
8 	Overture Piccante 	6:40

Vocals - Montserrat Caballé, Freddie Mercury
Backing Vocals – Carol Woods (tracks: 5), Debbie Bishop (tracks: 5), Lance Ellington (tracks: 5),
 Madeline Bell (tracks: 5), Mark Williamson (tracks: 5), Miriam Stockley (tracks: 5), Peter Straker (tracks: 5)
Bass Guitar – John Deacon (tracks: 7)
Cello – Deborah Ann Johnston (tracks: 1)
Horn – Barry Castle (tracks: 1)
Keyboards [All] – Mike Moran
Percussion – Frank Ricotti (tracks: 1)
Piano - Freddie Mercury
Violin – Homi Kanga (tracks: 1), Laurie Lewis (tracks: 1)

With Barcelona, Queen singer Freddie Mercury realized his long-lived dream of performing with an opera singer; in this case, Montserrat Caballe. While it's certainly a treat for any fan of Mercury's to hear this album, it's a difficult record to recommend. Most fans of opera will probably find it far too simplistic and pop-based, while many rock fans are sure to find the record too classical. The first half of the album, however, is deserving of a spin for any open-minded listener. Consisting of semi-operatic melodies with grand production, songs like "Barcelona" and the Eastern-sounding "La Japonaise" are startling in their beauty; the two singers from opposite ends of the music spectrum working surprisingly well off each other. The most classically operatic pieces of the project, "Ensueno" and "The Fallen Priest," are alternately gorgeous and powerfully dramatic. Unfortunately, the second half of the album is less successful as it reverses the formula of the first half. While Mercury can do well in semi-operatic settings, Caballe sounds awkward on the more pop-oriented tracks "Guide Me Home" and "How Can I Go On." "The Golden Boy," largely a gospel track with a full choir, is well-written and performed by Mercury, but Caballe's voice is simply not suited for the genre and the operatic opening sounds jarring against the gospel midsection. Nonetheless, despite its weaknesses, the record contains some beautiful and passionate music that is unlike anything most fans of rock and pop are likely to have heard before. For that alone it should be commended. ---Geoff Orens, AllMusic Review /p>

To był projekt, o którym Freddie Mercury marzył od lat. O tym, jak wszechstronnym jest artystą, przekonywały tak jego kompozycje z albumów Queen, jak i solowa płyta wydana w roku 1985. Freddie zawsze podziwiał Montserrat Caballé i przez długi czas nosił się z pomysłem wspólnych nagrań. Gdy wybrano Barcelonę jako miasto letnich igrzysk olimpijskich w roku 1992, ktoś zwrócił się do Freddiego z propozycją skomponowania hymnu otwarcia Igrzysk, czy to jako utworu solowego, czy kompozycji Queen; gdy do tego okazało się, że Montserrat Caballe jest mieszkanką Barcelony i lubi nagrania Freddiego – Mercury od razu się zgodził. Praca szła tak sprawnie, że jesienią roku 1988 ukazał się cały wspólny album. /p>

Z całego zestawu największą popularność zyskało sobie nagranie tytułowe. „Barcelona” to zaaranżowana z iście Królewskim przepychem studyjna superprodukcja, w której jest miejsce na całe mnóstwo różnych elementów: podniosłe orkiestrowe otwarcie i finał, wokalne dialogi, tyleż podniosłe, co chwilami ujmujące subtelnością, potężne popisy Freddiego i Montserrat, nawet – na uzupełniające całość syntezatory. Ale nie tylko utworem tytułowym stoi ta płyta: jest tu przecież choćby „La Japonaise”. Intrygująco skontrastowany z potężnym utworem tytułowym, subtelny, zabarwiony klimatem Dalekiego Wschodu. Jest eklektyczny „The Golden Boy” z wspierającym Freddiego i Montserrat chórem, ciekawie łączący orkiestrowe partie, musicalowe popisy wokalne i fragmenty w stylu gospel (choć można dyskutować, czy operowe partie Caballé rzeczywiście pasują do gospelowych wstawek). Jest potężnie zorkiestrowany, dramatyczny „The Fallen Priest” – w wersji demo nazywało się to „Rachmaninov’s Revenge”, i rzeczywiście, sam początek przypomina dramatyczne otwarcie finałowej części III Koncertu fortepianowego Rachmaninowa, sporo tu wirtuozerskich popisów i kadencji fortepianowych. Jest „Ensueño” – nowa wersja kompozycji Mercury’ego i Morana “Exercises In Free Love”, zaśpiewana przez Freddiego naturalnym barytonem, kameralnie zaaranżowana na fortepian i wokalny duet. Jest jeszcze „Guide Me Home”, kameralne, znów wykonane głównie z towarzyszeniem fortepianu – płynnie przechodzi ten utwór w „How Can I Go On”, najbardziej Królewski fragment płyty, z wykorzystaniem rockowej sekcji rytmicznej i elektronicznych instrumentów klawiszowych, bliski zgrabnym, przebojowym piosenkom, jakie w tym czasie tworzyli panowie z Queen. Jest wreszcie finałowe „Overture Piccante”, zgrabnie sklejone z fragmentów i wątków melodycznych pozostałych utworów na płycie… /p>

Całkiem przyjemnie słucha się po ćwierć wieku tej nietypowej płyty. Przyjemnie, chociaż ze smutkiem. Bo „Barcelona” to płyta, na którą padł po latach wyjątkowo ponury cień. To właśnie w okresie prac nad „Barceloną” w prasie pojawiły się pierwsze informacje o tym, że Freddie jest nosicielem wirusa HIV. Sam Mercury twardo zaprzeczał wszelkim doniesieniom o swojej chorobie. Jeszcze zaprzeczał… ---Piotr „Strzyż” Strzyżowski, artrock.pl

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Montserrat Caballe (†) - The Art of Montserrat Caballe - Vol.2 (2000)

2018-10-08T13:51:43Z

Montserrat Caballe (†) - The Art of Montserrat Caballe Vol.2 (2000)

Disc 1

Georg Friedrich Handel - Joshua, oratorio, HWV 64 	
1 	Act III, Oh had I Jubal's lyre	3:35 	
Georg Friedrich Handel - Ezio, opera, HWV 29 	
2 	Act III, Misera, dove son..., Ah, non son lo che parlo	5:58 	
Georg Friedrich Handel - Atalanta, opera, HWV 35 	
3 	Act I, Care selve	3:06 	
Gaetano Donizetti - Maria de Rudenz, opera 	
4 	Part 3, Eccomi!..., Mostro iniquo, tremar tu dovevi... Al misfatto eno	4:56 	
Gaetano Donizetti -	Fausta, opera 	
5 	Act I, Ah! Se d'amour potessi	6:52 	
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Don Giovanni, opera, K. 527 	
6 	Act I, Ah, del padre in periglio in soccorso voliam!... Fuggi, crudele	6:41 	
7 	Act I, Don Ottavia, son morta!... Or sai chi l'onore	5:51 	
8 	Act II, Calmatevi, idol mio... Non mi dir	7:33 	
9 	Act II, Ch'io mi scordi di te... Non temer, amato bene K 505	8:05 	
10 	Act II, Nehmt meinem Dank K 383	3:59 	
Ludwig van Beethove - Scene & Aria	Op. 65
11 	Ah! perfido! . . . Per pieta, non dirmi addio	14:23 	
 
Disc 2

Carl Maria von Weber - Oberon, opera, J. 306 	
1 	Act II, Ozean, du Ungeheuer!	8:11 	
Richard Wagner - Tannhäuser, opera, WWV 70 	
2 	Act II, Dich teure Halle	5:09 	
Claude Debussy - L' Enfant prodigue, scène lyrique for voices & orchestra, L. 57 	
3 	L'année en vain chasse l'année... Azaël! Azaël! Pourquoi m'as tu quitt	6:02 	
4 	L'année en vain chasse l'année... Azaël! Azaël! Pourquoi m'as tu quitt	5:51 	
Savwrio Mercadante - Le Due Illustri Rivali 	
5 	Dove sono	6:58 	
Giacomo Puccini - Tosca, opera 	
6 	Act I, Ah, quegli occhi...	5:41 	
Giacomo Puccini - Manon Lescaut, opera 	
7 	Act IV, Sola, perduta, abbandonata	5:34 	
Jules Massenet - Manon, opera in 5 acts 	
8 	Act III, C'est lui!... Toi! Vous!... Oui, c'est moi, moi!	8:24 	
Giuseppe Verdi - Don Carlo, opera 	
9 	Act I, Io Vengo a domandar	10:48 	
Jules Massenet - Manon, opera in 5 acts 	
10 	Act III, Ecoute-moi! Rappelle-toi!	5:33 	

Montserrat Caballé - Primary Artist, Soprano
Giacomo Aragall - Tenor

Montserrat Caballé's career, which began with a legendary lucky break, would eventually make her one of Spain's greatest sopranos -- equaled in status and reputation only by her fellow Barcelonian, Victoria de los Angeles.

Her full birth name is Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepción Caballé i Folch. She is named after the famous Catalan monastery of Montserrat. It is said that her parents feared that they would lose her and vowed that if she were born alive and well they would christen her with the monastery's name.

She learned singing at her convent school; at the age of eight, she entered the Conservatorio del Liceo in Barcelona. Her most important teachers were Eugenia Kenny, Conchita Badea, and Napoleone Annovazzi. When she graduated in 1954, she won the Liceo's Gold Medal.

Caballé made her professional debut in Madrid in the oratorio El pesebre (The Manger) by the great Catalan cellist Pau (Pablo) Casals. She then went to Italy, where she received a few minor roles at various houses.

In 1956, she joined the Basle Opera; she was working her way through the smaller roles when one of the principal singers took ill and she took over the role of Mimì in Puccini's La Bohéme. Her unqualified success in that part led to promotion to starring roles, including Pamina (The Magic Flute), Puccini's Tosca, Verdi's Aïda, Marta in Eugene d'Albert's Tiefland, and the Richard Strauss roles of Arabella, Chrysothemis (Elektra), and Salome.

She steadily gained a European reputation, singing in Bremen, Milan, Vienna, Barcelona, and Lisbon, taking such diverse roles as Violetta (La Traviata), Tatiana (Yevgeny Onegin), Dvorák's Armida and Rusalka, and Marie in Berg's Wozzeck. She debuted at La Scala in 1960 as a Flower Maiden in Parsifal. She sang in Mexico City in 1964 as Massenet's Manon.

In April 20, 1965, on extremely short notice, she substituted for the indisposed Marilyn Horne in a concert performance in Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia, achieving a thunderous success and "overnight" super-stardom. She became one of the leading figures in the revival of interest in the bel canto operas of Bellini and Donizetti, many of which were staged especially for her. Caballé's performances as Elizabeth I (Roberto Devereaux) and that monarch's rival Mary Queen of Scots (Maria Stuarda) are legendary. In 1971, she sang a memorable concert performance of Maria Stuarda in which her fellow Barcelonian José Carreras made his London debut, and after that she helped advance his career. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1965 as Marguerite in Faust.

Caballé's career has centered around Verdi's important dramatic roles, but has also embraced the Marschallin (Rosenkavalier), the Countess (Marriage of Figaro), and Queen Isabella (in the premiere of Leonardo Balada's Cristobál Colón in Barcelona in 1989).

Caballé has had unusual crossover success. In addition to singing on two tracks on an album by New Age composer Vangelis, she is famous for collaborating with the late Freddie Mercury of the rock group Queen, who wrote Exercises in Free Love for her. She appeared on his hit album Barcelona. That album and its primary single rose high on the pop charts.

In 1964, she married Spanish tenor Bernabé Marti. They have two children, Bernabé Marti, Jr. and Montserrat Marti, who is herself a succesful soprano. In 1997, Caballé co-founded an important annual vocal competition in the Principality of Andorra, the Concurs Internacional de Cant Montserrat Caballé. She conducts master classes in conjunction with that competition. ---Joseph Stevenson, allmusic.com

Montserrat Caballé (Montserrat Caballé Folch; Barcelona, 1933 - 2018) Cantante española. Formada en Barcelona, destacó por su voz de soprano lírica, con bello pianissimo en el registro agudo. Especialista del repertorio del bel canto, fue una de las primeras voces del mundo por su calidad vocal, inspiración y perfecto dominio de la técnica.

Apadrinada por José Antonio Bertrán, estudió en el Liceo con Napoleone Annovazi, que le enseñó el secreto del canto. También fueron sus profesoras Conchita Badía y Eugenia Kemény, de quien aprendió a sostener la voz en las frases más largas.

Debutó oficialmente en 1956 con la representación de La flauta mágica de Mozart. Ese mismo año cantó la Mimí de La Bohème de Puccini por indisposición de la titular; el éxito obtenido le supuso numerosas ofertas. En 1964 representó Madame Butterfly con Bernabé Martí, cantante con el que terminó casándose.

Su amplísimo repertorio superó las cien obras y abarcó desde el barroco hasta el verismo. De gran renombre internacional, cantó en escenarios multitudinarios, como en el Estadio de Montjuïc de Barcelona, con motivo de la inauguración de los Juegos Olímpicos de 1992, donde compartió el escenario con Plácido Domingo, Alfredo Kraus y José Carreras. En 1995 apareció su biografía y en 1998 se le concedió el galardón Logros de una Vida en los Cannes Classical Awards. ---biografiasyvidas.com

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Montserrat Caballe (†) - The Art of Montserrat Caballe Vol.1 (2000)

2018-10-07T11:32:41Z

Montserrat Caballe (†) - The Art of Montserrat Caballe Vol.1 (2000)

Disc 1

Gaspare Spontini - La Vestale, opera 	
1 	O Nume, tutelar	5:32 	
Luigi Chrubini - Démophoon, tragédie-lyrique in 3 acts 	
2 	Ahi! Che forse ai miei di	5:10 	
Vincenzo Bellinoi -	Adelson e Salvini, opera 	
3 	Romance: Dopo l'oscuro nembo	7:08 	
Gaetano Donizetti -	Sancia di Castiglia, opera 	
4 	Sola son io	9:09 	
Gioacchino Rossini - Tancredi, opera 	
5 	O patria!...Di tanti palpiti	6:06 	
Giuseppe Verdi - Otello, opera 	
6 	Mi parea...Piangea cantando nell'erma landa...Ave Maria, piena di graz	18:55 	
Francesco Cilea - Adriana Lecouvreur, opera 	
7 	Ecco...Io son l'umille ancella	4:03 	
Arrigo Boito - Mefistofele, opera in prologue, 4 acts & epilogue 	
8 	Romance: L'altra notte in fondo al mare	7:21 	
Giacomo Puccini - Gianni Schicchi, opera 	
9 	O mio babbino caro	3:09 	
Gustave Charpentier - Louise, opera 	
10 	Depuis le jour....	6:24 	
 
Disc 2

Umberto Giordano - Andrea Chénier, opera 	
1 	La mamma morta..	5:41 	
2 	Vicino a te...	7:41 	
Manuel de Falla - Atlántida, scenic cantata, G. 102 (unfinished, completed by Halffter 1961, rev. 1976) 	
3 	Il sogno di Isabella	10:30 	
Richard Wagner - Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b 	
4 	Schläfst du, Gast?...Der MännerSippe...Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemo	11:24 	
Gaetano Donizetti -	Roberto Devereux (Il Conte di Essex), opera 	
5 	E Sara, in queste orribili momenti potè lasciarmi?...Vivi, ingrato	7:23 	
Gioacchino Rossini - Tancredi, opera 	
6 	O patria!...Di tanti palpiti	6:52 	
Vincenzo Bellini - Norma, opera 	
7 	Sediziose voci...Casta Diva...Fine al rito...Ah! bello a me ritorna	17:03 	
Giuseppe Aroldo - Aroldo, opera 	
8 	O Cielo! Dove son io...Ah, dagli scanni eterei...Ah, dal sen di qualle	10:26 	

Montserrat Caballé - Primary Artist, Soprano 
+
José Carreras - Tenor 
Richard Cassilly - Tenor

Opera singer Montserrat Caballe, best known for her duet with Freddie Mercury on the song “Barcelona”, has died at the age of 85. Caballe had been in poor health and was admitted to hospital in Barcelona last month because of a gall bladder problem, according to Spanish media. A spokesman for Hospital de Sant Pau announced her death early Saturday.

In a career spanning five decades, she starred in 90 opera roles with nearly 4,000 stage performances. The Spanish soprano had spells with the Basel Opera and Bremen Opera, and performed alongside Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo.

Renowned for her bel canto vocal technique, Caballe’s breakthrough performance came in 1965 when she took on the title role of Lucrezia Borgia in the opera by Gaetano Donizetti at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Caballe’s most famous performance, her duet with the Queen frontman, was originally released in 1987 and reached number eight in the UK charts. It was re-released following Mercury’s death for the 1992 Olympics in the Catalan capital and charted at number two in the UK.

The star was awarded the International Medal of the Arts in Madrid in 2013.

In 2015 she ran into trouble with the Spanish treasury. Caballe was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence for failing to pay tax on earnings, but did not go to prison after paying a £236,000 fine.

The opera star married the Spanish tenor Bernabe Marti in 1964. The couple had two children and her daughter, Montserrat Marti, also became an operatic soprano. ---Adam Forrest, independent.co.uk

Montserrat is best known for her roles in Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti operas. Her superb voice, breath control, exquisite pianissimos, and infamous technique overshadow her acting and dramatic abilities.

Caballe Beginnings:Montserrat began her studies at a prominent school and college of music, Conservatorio del Liceo, in Barcelona with Eugenia Kenny and later studied with Napoleone Annovazzi and Conchita Badía. In 1956, Montserrat made her operatic debut in Basel, Switzerland, singing Mimi in Puccini's La Bohème. Her career-defining breakthrough came in 1965 when she substituted for Marilyn Horne in Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia at New York's Carnegie Hall.

At the Height of Caballe's Career:Since her performance in 1965, in Carnegie Hall, Montserrat quickly became one of the world's leading bel canto sopranos. Montserrat debuted at opera houses and concert halls all over the world, singing roles from Bellini to Verdi and Donizetti to Wagner. At the height of her career in 1974, Montserrat performed Aida, Vespri, Parisina d'Este, 3 Norma's in one week in Mosco, Adriana Lecouvreur, another Norma (her favorite performance) in Orange, and recorded several albums.

The Age of Retirement: Montserrat Caballe has never officially retired. At the age of 73, you can still find her on stage, albeit in far fewer performances, mostly in concert halls in Germany, singing recitals alone and with her daughter Montserrat Marti. Apart from opera, Caballe serves as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. She also created a foundation for the underprivileged children in Barcelona. Montserrat gives annual concerts and donates the proceeds to charities and foundations she supports. ---Aaron Green, thoughtco.com

Słynna hiszpańska diva operowa Montserrat Caballe zmarła w nocy z soboty na niedzielę w szpitalu Sant Pau w Barcelonie – poinformowały źródła w tym szpitalu, na które powołuje się agencja AFP. Śpiewaczka miała 85 lat.

Montserrat Caballe przez publiczność i krytyków określana była jako „La Superba” – zdumiewająca – ze względu na wyjątkowe możliwości głosowe.

Debiutowała w latach pięćdziesiątych w Bazylei jako Mimi w Cyganerii Giacoma Pucciniego.

Światową sławę zyskała jako odtwórczyni sopranowych partii w operach Belliniego, Donizettiego, Verdiego i Pucciniego. Miała w repertuarze ponad sto partii operowych, liczne utwory oratoryjne i kameralne, w tym około 800 pieśni.

Wiele czasu poświęcała pomagając młodym śpiewakom. Wypromowała między innymi José Carrerasa, który potem przez wiele lat był jej partnerem scenicznym. Ostatnio promowała swoją córkę, Montserrat Martí. ---tvp.info

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Montserrat Caballe – Puccini Arias (1990)

2009-10-23T18:25:28Z

Montserrat Caballe – Puccini Arias (1990)


01. Turandot - Signore, ascolta!
02. Turandot - Tu che di gel sei cinta
03. Madama Butterfly - Un bel di vedremo
04. Madama Butterfly - Tu, tu piccolo iddio! (Death of Butterfly)
05. Manon Lescaut - In quelle trine morbide
06. Manon Lescaut - Sola, perduta, abbandonata
07. Gianni Schicchi - O mio babbino caro
08. Tosca - Vissi d'arte
09. La Boheme - Mi chiamano Mimi
10. La Boheme - Donde lieta usci (Mimi's Farewell)
11. Le Villi - Se come voi piccina
12. La Rondine - Chi il bel sogno di Doretta

London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Charles Mackerras - conductor

For the sheer pleasure of enjoying one of the most beautiful soprano voices ever, this disc is hard to beat... This may not be the best operatic recital on disc but it definitely enters the finals.

Having made her debut at the Basle Opera in Switzerland in 1956 as Mimi, Montserrat Caballé went on to sing at several other opera houses including the Vienna State Opera and La Scala. However it was not until 1965 that her great breakthrough came in New York, where she sang Lucrezia Borgia with the American Opera Society. It was “a smashing success”. After that she conquered the operatic world. Recordings, both complete operas and recitals, were released in a never-ceasing stream. The current anthology appeared on LP in 1970 when she was at the height of her powers. The booklet and the jewel-case give 1987 as the publication year, which refers to its first release on CD. This was quite early in the Compact Disc era and there is a metallic edginess to the sound that afflicts both the voice and the orchestra – typical of early transfers to the new digital medium. This can be tamed and once the appropriate settings have been found one is in for practically unalloyed listening pleasure.

Caballé’s trademarks included her ravishing pianissimo, her velvety tone in the mid-register and a ringing top that was powerful enough to allow her to sing even dramatic roles. Among her early parts in Vienna was Salome. She was a great Aida and Norma and even sang Turandot. On this disc she sticks to the lirico and lirico-spinto roles that suited her best of all in this all-Puccini programme. The parsimonious playing-time is evidence of the early provenance of the recording but during these 45 minutes we are treated to soprano singing of a kind that few - past, contemporaneous or latter-day – have been able to muster. Some singers, notably Callas, have penetrated deeper into the individual characters, but even though Caballé’s Tosca, Mimi and Butterfly could be musically identical triplets, there is dramatic truth and insight in her readings. Several of these roles she recorded complete within a few years – Liu, Manon Lescaut, Tosca, Mimi and also Madama Butterfly – with ravishing results and possibly even deeper identification. However for the sheer pleasure of enjoying one of the most beautiful soprano voices ever, this disc is hard to beat.

After this general panegyric I can identify some features that will prove my point better than any deep analysis:-

* the final pianissimo in Signore ascolta! – like a long, thin silver thread that disappears into the distance
* the exquisite shadings in Un bel di vedremo, heartfelt and no playing to the gallery
* the deep involvement in the two Lescaut arias
* the caressing of every phrase in O mio babbino caro and the final note again ethereal
* the inwardness of her conversation with the Lord in Tosca’s prayer
* the innocence of Mi chiamano Mimi, and
* the weightless floating of the pianissimo in the lovely aria from La rondine

This may not be the best operatic recital on disc but it definitely enters the finals.

The booklet has a short biography and a longer essay on the music, the latter by Gramophone’s legendary W.A. Chislett. If I remember correctly they were each culled from the original LP sleeve. The sung texts for each aria are preceded by a short description of the dramatic situation in the opera. Splendid. For the last aria, Doretta’s Song from La rondine the text could not be reprinted owing to copyright difficulties. --- Göran Forsling, MusicWeb International

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