Romantic Caballé

The Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé—one of the greatest voices of the 20th century—had a chance breakthrough. She stepped in for Marilyn Horne in Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia in New York in 1965, and her career was launched. Though she was often associated with the bel canto repertoire, the range of the roles she sang was extraordinary, from Bellini (a heart-stopping “Casta diva” from Norma), Verdi and Puccini to Mozart, Wagner and Richard Strauss. There was also the small matter of a duet with Freddie Mercury, which became the anthem for the 1992 Olympic Games, held in Caballé’s home city of Barcelona. Her recorded catalogue was vast, but this compilation lets us dip into her Tosca, a little of her bel canto home ground and some of the Spanish repertoire she loved to sing. You’ll also hear her exceptional control and beauty in Richard Strauss’ poised lullaby “Wiegenlied”.