Spanish opera singer, famous throughout the world for her bel canto technique.
Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepción Caballé y Volk was born on April 12, 1933 in Barcelona in a family of ordinary workers. The name of the girl was chosen by the parents not by chance, since childbirth was fraught with difficulties. The doctors managed to save the child, whose neck was entwined with the umbilical cord. The girl's mother considered this a sign from above and named her in honor of the Catalan mountain Montserrat, where the Virgin Mary found refuge.
Montserrat loved to sing since childhood. Despite the fact that over the years fame and recognition came to her, she did not consider herself lucky. The childhood and youth of the future favorite of the public were spent in poverty. During her school years, she had to earn extra money as a seamstress, cutter and even a salesman. “If someone knew how many handkerchiefs I made!” she said. Montserrat was demanding and strict, did not like the words "lucky" and "darling of fate", in her opinion, success can be achieved through long and hard work.
Montserrat spent the money received from part-time work on her studies, music lessons and the study of French and Italian. At the same time, labor activity did not affect academic performance in any way. After graduation, she intended to go to Italy for an audition. But the parents did not have the means to send their daughter to another country. Fortunately, a family of patrons Meltran Bata was found, who took on all the expenses and wrote a letter of recommendation to the well-known baritone Raimundo Torres in those years.
In Italy, Caballe got a job in the theater, where she worked for a short time - at one of the performances, the director of the Basel Opera House noticed her and invited her to work in Switzerland. But not everything was so smooth: when the young performer had just arrived in Italy, one of the local impresarios advised her to get married and bake pies for children, saying that there is no place for such fat people on stage. Then she found support in her brother Carlos, who became her personal impresario. Thanks to the family contract, the singer launched an international career.
By the way, Caballe never coped with being overweight during her lifetime. The singer seriously gained weight after a car accident. The part of the brain responsible for lipid metabolism atrophied and, no matter what Montserrat did, the excess weight did not go away.
Unexpected success came to Montserrat Caballe after she was offered to perform the role of Lucrezia Borgia, which was beautifully performed by the American opera singer Marilyn Horn before her. After Montserrat's performance at New York's Carnegie Hall, the audience stood up and applauded her for over half an hour. The performer fascinated not only the audience, but also critics. After this fateful performance, her career began to develop rapidly, and the whole world learned about her.
Bellini's opera Norma, which premiered at the Teatro alla Scala, was the next pinnacle in Montserrat's career. With this and many other leading roles, the singer performed all over the world: in the Great Hall of Columns of the Kremlin, the White House in the USA, in the UN Auditorium and in the Hall of the People in China. Among her stage partners were leading tenors: José Carreras, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavorotti. Throughout her life, she took part in more than 120 operas, hundreds of discs were released with her participation.
Caballe was never afraid of experiments on stage. Her duets with rock artists topped the music charts. One of the most famous duets is with rock star Freddie Mercury, the leader of the Queen group. Caballe and Mercury performed the hit "Barcelona" at the opening of the 1992 Olympic Games.
Despite the tremendous success in musical creativity, the family for Montserrat was above all. She did not hide the fact that if circumstances require, she will leave the stage. They met her husband Martinez Bennabe when he was invited to replace a sick tenor in Madama Butterfly. Having kissed on stage, the young people fell in love with each other for life.
The marriage of Marty and Montserrat took place on the sacred mountain, after which the singer was named. The couple raised two children: a daughter, Montsitu, and a son, Bernabe. Caballe's husband performed with his wife for several years, but then he fell ill and began to spend more time at home. According to Caballe, they never had quarrels in the struggle for creative leadership, because her husband understood that in case of urgent need, she was ready to give up music. She repeatedly confirmed her position with deeds - once her son fell ill, and she canceled all upcoming concerts for a week. The theater tried to sue her, but to no avail.
This is not the last time in the life of Caballe when she was sitting in the dock. In 2015, Montserrat received a suspended sentence and a fine of more than 250,000 euros for avoiding taxes for five years by transferring royalties from performances to Andorran banks. When the scheme was exposed, she was sentenced to six months in prison. Fortunately, she managed to appease the prosecutor, and the prison term was replaced with a suspended one.
Caballe performed on stage until the end of her life, but she never felt like a world-class star. She said that she did not like to portray herself as something, since only complete zeros do this. She believed that one should not be proud of what was given to you from above, because this is the merit of nature and God.
Montserrat died on October 6, 2018 at the age of 86 due to problems with her bladder or gallbladder. At the request of the family, the cause of death will not be released. On October 7, a farewell ceremony with the opera prima took place. The funeral will take place on October 8th. The singer's niece said that Montserrat would be buried next to the graves of her parents.
Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepción Caballe i Folk is a world-famous Spanish opera singer, professional vocal teacher, mother of two children
Date of Birth: April 12, 1933
Place of Birth: Barcelona, Spain
Zodiac sign: Aries
“Music is magic. Anyone who is lucky enough to live with her experiences something unusual. When you hear a melody for the first time, work on the image, sit down at the piano and start playing, you suddenly feel that the music penetrates the blood, passes through the whole body. It's not just a momentary flash. Enjoying music is the best thing in life."
Biography of Montserrat Caballe
The city where the famous singer was born is Barcelona. Father often took little Montserrat for walks along the seashore. The sea is their common passion. She had wonderful parents who taught her and her brother to survive in difficult conditions.
In the house of the worker and day worker - the parents of Montserrat, music always sounded. And little Montserrat also sang at Christmas parties arias from the opera Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini, which she had heard many times. She sang without words or repeated one line: "On a clear day, desired, desired, desired." It was then that she realized that she wanted to make music.
Caballe was a student at the Liceu Theater in Barcelona. For the first eight months, she and the other students were only engaged in physical education - the teacher wanted to develop them physically and musically so that they could easily produce sound.
In difficult times, when there was not enough money, Caballe found a job that she had never done before - she had to cut fabric for scarves. People worked with her who gave her all kinds of support, because they were very sorry. She had to quit her studies due to a difficult financial situation, but she continued to work. However, Mata's family of patrons came to the aid of the talented girl, and Caballe graduated in 1954.
She was 23 years old (in 1956) when she first appeared on the stage of the opera house in Switzerland, in Basel. Her whole family moved there from Barcelona. Colleagues helped her in everything, the theater had a strong, friendly team. For example, since Caballe did not know German, the staff translated the role for her into Spanish.
Then she went to the musical heart of Europe - to Germany. At the Bremen Opera, she was offered a role, she began rehearsing Giuseppe Verdi's operas La Traviata and Il trovatore. It was a new school. Caballe learned a large repertoire during this period and received a base not only technically, but also musically. True, at that time she was thinking about leaving the profession, but her brother Carlos convinced her. By the way, it was Carlos Caballe who discovered Jose Carreras to the world.
Caballé returned to the stage of her native Liceo Theater in Barcelona only in 1962 with Strauss' Arabela.
The world learned about Caballe in 1965 when she replaced the American singer Marilyn Horne as Lucrezia Borgia in Gaetano Donizetti's opera of the same name. Horn was pregnant, so the leadership of Carnegie Hall decided to invite Caballe. Her performance delighted the audience so much that Caballe was not allowed to leave the stage for 20 minutes and applauded the diva. Horn herself recalled this triumph:
“It was one of the most brilliant successes. She took New York by storm! Not everyone can do it, especially in this country.”
In 1965, Caballe was invited to sing the part of Marguerite in Faust. On this stage, Carnegie Hall Montserrat performed more than once until 1988.
On January 24, 1970, the singer made her debut at the La Scala theater, in the already familiar part of Lucrezia Borgia. In subsequent years, she performed at the La Scala Theater Mary Stuart, Norma, Louise Miller, Anne Boleyn.
Spanish opera singer Placido Domingo about Montserrat Caballe:
“I saw the performance of Montserrat at La Scala. It was an unforgettable "Norma", which went down in the history of this theater. I saw the reaction of the public after the aria "Casta Diva". This happened not only at Norma, but also at other performances: the audience gave a standing ovation for about 40 minutes after Norma's exit part.
“We worked together for several years and each time we made some kind of discovery. And everything around us was filled with magic.”
In 1972, the artistic director of the London Opera, Danny Davis, asked the singer to take part in the play Lucrezia Borgia. Most of Caballe's discs were recorded in London. She took part in several performances at once: these were the terms of the contract.
In 1987, a significant event took place that changed the attitude of the whole world towards classical opera music. It was a duet of two great people: opera singer Caballe and rock singer Freddie Mercury with the composition "Barcelona".
In November 2000, Caballe was invited to Moscow to participate in a charity concert-action of the World of Art Foundation "Stars of the World for Children".
Indian conductor Zubin Meta about Montserrat Caballe:
"Monserrat has set me and many other singers, such as Placido Domingo, the bar, the level that is very difficult to achieve."
Personal life
In 1964, Caballe became the wife of the Spanish opera singer Bernabe Marti, with whom she first kissed on stage in the opera Madama Butterfly. Montserrat later joked:
"I'm probably the only Madame Butterfly who ever married a Pinkerton."
"I will never forget the feeling of happiness that I experienced on my wedding day."
They were much more than husband and wife, they were friends and colleagues. Two years after the wedding, the son of Bernabe was born, and in 1972, the daughter of Montserrat.
Almost the entire life of the singer was devoted to work. My husband remembers the old days like this:
“I know how she was worried, how she wanted to be with the children for a while after work, but this is our profession: we must be the best in it.”
CABALE MONTSERRAT
(born in 1933)
The most famous Spanish opera singer, performer of 125 opera parts. Cavalier of the Catholic Order of Doña Isabel and the Cross of the Commander of Arts and Letters. He is the Ambassador of Peace, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO. For charitable activities and assistance in solving environmental and humanitarian problems, she was awarded the title of Honorary Doctor of the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the Russian University of Chemical Technology. D. I. Mendeleev.
Montserrat is located in one of the most picturesque regions of Spain - Catalonia. According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to people here. In memory of this event, a monastery was founded right in the very stone of the mountain. In 1933, a girl was baptized in his church, who in 32 years was destined to become an unsurpassed opera singer.
The Caballe couple, who were afraid of losing their long-awaited firstborn even before birth, made a vow to name their child in honor of the monastery with the hope that the Most Holy Mother of God would save and protect him from troubles. Parents kept this promise, and the sky still protects their daughter.
The family lived in poverty, and little Maria de Montserrat did not really like to go to school. Not so much because she did not shine with her mind, but because her classmates laughed at her reticence and timidity (and especially at her only old dress) and scoffed in every possible way. But when, after the birth of her brother Carlos, her father became seriously ill, the girl, with the maximalism inherent in children, convinced her desperate mother: “I will definitely become famous. And we will have everything you want!” Montserrat believed this at the age of seven, having first entered the opera for the famous Madama Butterfly. Her young charming voice required only a little polishing. But there was no question of any teaching to sing: there was post-war devastation around, and poverty in the house.
Montserrat went to work in a handkerchief factory in order to somehow help her mother support her family. She was ready to say goodbye to the dream of a career as an opera singer, but the spouses-patrons Bertrand paid attention to her talent. To finally decide whether the girl is worthy of help, a professional commission was convened. After the opera arias and folk songs performed by Montserrat, the answer was unequivocal: “Yes!” Later, one of the participants in this test said about Caballe: "She is able to turn even a sigh into a clean note." As a result, Montserrat began her studies at the Barcelona Liceo Conservatory, where she was given a voice that now delights the whole world.
Having conquered the Spanish public, the girl went to conquer the Italian stage. But there she was initially disappointed. Some impresario said that with such a full figure (Montserrat got into a car accident, as a result of which the part of the brain responsible for burning fat atrophied), she did not belong in the opera, and advised her to get married and have children. Then Brother Caballe took over all the work of concluding contracts and organizing performances.
Caballe made her debut on the professional opera stage on November 17, 1956, performing the role of Mimi in La bohème at the Basel Theater. Listeners were delighted with her soft, but very strong soprano. The dream of professional success was turning into reality, but excessive weight seemed to forever block her path to female happiness. Detractors slandered that "Montserrat must marry an opera." But fate smiled at the singer: at 31, she fell in love with tenor Bernabe Marty, and he reciprocated her. They have been together for almost four decades: the wedding took place on August 14, 1964 in the church of the monastery, whose patroness brought good luck to Caballe. They also baptized their daughter, Montserrat Marti, who later became an opera singer, like her mother.
And on April 20, 1964, the finest hour of Montserrat Caballe came. The singer who performed the main part in the opera Lucrezia Borgia fell ill. The performance at Carnegie Hall could not be canceled, and the soloist of the Basel theater was offered to sing, whose impresario Carlos lied that she was familiar with the party. The arias were learned in a minimal amount of time, and Montserrat's star rose on the American stage. Soon after that, she was invited to the Metropolitan Opera - and the voice of Caballe shone in Marguerite from Faust. Montserrat's childhood dream of becoming famous came true.
Musical critics are unanimous: the singer is recognized as a master of bel canto, no one leads pianissimo like her, she is considered the best soprano, performing opera parts by Donizetti and Verdi. Caballe performs on the world's largest stages in the most famous operas and with the best conductors. Her repertoire is 125 opera parts. There are also favorites: Butterfly, Manon, Lucrezia Borgia, Aida, Traviata. 80 albums have been released, recorded by Montserrat alone or in collaboration with other singers, which are aimed at attracting young people to classical music. It is generally recognized that in the 400 years of the life of opera there are few singers who have done as much to develop this genre of music as Montserrat Caballe did.
However, at the very peak of her fame, the singer, unexpectedly for everyone, almost completely stopped performing in the opera, and if she sang, it was only in small chamber halls. The reason for this lay in the inexorable diagnosis of doctors - cancer. Montserrat refused the operation and underwent a difficult course of treatment. Experts recommended that she avoid stressful situations and not overstrain, which is unrealistic with a full-fledged opera activity. From 1992 to 2002, Caballe limited herself to solo and charity concerts around the world. Often she came to Russia, with which she is connected by blood ties. Her maternal relatives were taken out of Spain in the 1930s. as political emigrants and now live in St. Petersburg. Every time she is in the city, the singer certainly visits the Hermitage, which she considers to be the best museum in the world. And she herself draws well: “I draw for myself, I just like to depict color and light.”
But the most important thing during Montserrat's visits to Russia is the charity event "Stars of the World for Children". The singer has always been socially active, for many years a center for children with Down syndrome has been opened on her estate in Ripoll, where poor children from Barcelona come to relax and gain strength. And in 1986, at the opening of the XXV Olympic Games, together with the leader of the Queen group, Freddie Mercury, Montserrat sang a song about her native Barcelona (although some attribute this event to the fact that the singer is a passionate football fan). When Caballe, at the time of awarding her the title of Honorary Doctor of the Russian University of Chemical Technology. D. I. Mendeleev was asked if she agreed to give all her strength for the happiness of children, she replied: “Only for this it was worth being born and being needed by people.” It is to her that opera fans owe the birth of the genius Jose Carreras and the appearance of Nikolai Baskov on world stages. But "Stars of the World - to Children" occupy a separate place in the heart of the singer. She says: “This project is special: the funds received go to help gifted disabled children… I feel as if I am obliged to these children and needed by them. I believe in man-made miracles." After all, Caballe herself reached extraordinary heights thanks to the patronage of the Holy Virgin, human kindness, incredible love of life and constant work. About 45 years of her work, the Morena Films film studio made a film based on the memoirs of Montserrat and documentary filming.
In 2002, Señora Soprano finally returned to the big stage, performing the part of Catherine of Aragon in Saint-Saens's Henry VII at the Liceo Opera House. As usual, the singer was greeted with a standing ovation, her voice is still beautiful. And let someone say that Caballe's career is heading towards decline, but Maya Plisetskaya is right when she said about Montserrat: “Such stars do not go out. Never".
Spanish opera singer (soprano) Montserrat Caballe (full name Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepcion Caballe i Folch, cat. Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepcion Caballe i Folch) was born in Barcelona on April 12, 1933.
The name of the future singer was given in honor of the local sacred mountain, where the monastery is located, named after Our Lady, which the Catalans call St. Mary of Montserrat.
In 1954, Montserrat Caballe graduated with honors from the Philharmonic Drama Lyceum of Barcelona. During her studies, she helped the family, which was in a difficult financial situation, and worked as a saleswoman, cutter, seamstress, while studying English and French.
Thanks to the patronage of the Beltran family of patrons, Mata Montserrat was able to pay for her studies at the Barcelona Lyceum, and then this family recommended that the singer go to Italy, paying her all the expenses.
In Italy, Montserrat Caballe was accepted into the Maggio Fiorentino theater (Florence).
In 1956 she became a soloist with the Basel Opera House (Switzerland).
In 1956-1965, Montserrat Caballé sang at opera houses in Milan, Vienna, Barcelona, and Lisbon. There she performed many roles in operas of different eras and styles.
In 1959, Caballe joined the troupe of the Bremen Opera House (FRG).
In 1962, the singer returned to Barcelona and made her debut in Arabella by Richard Strauss.
International recognition came to Montserrat Caballe in 1965 when she replaced American singer Marilyn Horne as Lucrezia Borgia at New York's Carnegie Hall. Her performance became a sensation in the world of opera. The audience applauded the unfamiliar singer for 20 minutes.
In the same 1965, Caballe performed at the Glyndebourne Festival and made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera, and since 1969 she has repeatedly sung at La Scala. Montserrat's voice was heard in London's Covent Garden, the Paris Grand Opera, and the Vienna State Opera.
In 1970, on the stage of La Scala, Montserrat Caballe sang one of her best parts Norma from the opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini. In 1974, the singer toured with La Scala in Moscow with the opera Norma.
Montserrat has performed with such conductors as Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan, James Levine, Zubin Mehta, Georg Solti, as well as famous singers José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Marilyn Horne, Alfredo Kraus and Luciano Pavarotti.
She sang in such historical places as the Great Pillar Hall of the Kremlin, the White House in Washington, the UN General Assembly Auditorium in New York, the Hall of the People in Beijing.
Montserrat Caballe virtuoso bel canto singing.
The singer's repertoire includes operas by Verdi, Donizetti, Rossini, Bellini, Tchaikovsky and others. She has performed about 125 opera parts and released more than 100 discs.
Montserrat Caballe was known not only as an opera singer. In 1988, she collaborated with rock musician Freddie Mercury, the leader of the band Queen, to record the album "Barcelona". The song Barcelona, created for the 1992 Olympic Games, eventually became the symbol of Barcelona and all of Catalonia.
Montserrat also collaborated with the Greek composer, electronic music artist Vangelis on two pieces of music (March with me and Like a dream), which were included in her album "Friends for life" (Friends for life), where she sang a duet with various famous pop stars including Johnny Holiday and Lisa Nilsson.
Caballe is one of the few opera singers whose pop recordings have hit the charts.
The singer is actively involved in charity work. She was an Honorary Ambassador for the United Nations and a Goodwill Ambassador for UNESCO. Established a fund to help sick children under the auspices of UNESCO.
Montserrat Caballe celebrated her 60th birthday with a concert in Paris, the entire proceeds from which went to the World AIDS Research Foundation.
In 2000, she took part in a Moscow charity concert as part of the international program "Stars of the World for Children", organized to help gifted disabled children. She gave charity concerts in support of the Dalai Lama, as well as José Carreras when he began to have health problems.
The singer has many prestigious international awards. She was awarded orders and medals from various countries, including the Spanish Order of Isabel, the French Order of the Commander of Arts and Letters, the gold medal of the Italian Academy of Literature, Science and Art.
In 2013, the singer was the Honor of Armenia.
Montserrat Caballe was married to opera singer Bernabe Marty. They have two children: a son, Bernabe Marty, and a daughter, Montserrat Marty, who also became an opera singer.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources
(full name - Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepcion Caballe i Folch, cat. Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepcion Caballe i Folch) was born in Barcelona on April 12, 1933.
The name of the future singer was given in honor of the local sacred mountain, where the monastery is located, named after Our Lady, which the Catalans call St. Mary of Montserrat.
In 1954, Montserrat Caballe graduated with honors from the Philharmonic Drama Lyceum of Barcelona. During her studies, she helped the family, which was in a difficult financial situation, and worked as a saleswoman, cutter, seamstress, while studying English and French.
Thanks to the patronage of the Beltran family of patrons, Mata Montserrat was able to pay for her studies at the Barcelona Lyceum, and then this family recommended that the singer go to Italy, paying her all the expenses.
In Italy, Montserrat Caballe was accepted into the Maggio Fiorentino theater (Florence).
Montserrat Caballe organizes projects for young vocalists: he holds his own vocal competition, patronizes the Voices of Montserrat Caballe project.
The singer is actively involved in charity work. She is a UN Honorary Ambassador and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Established a fund to help sick children under the auspices of UNESCO.
Montserrat Caballe celebrated her 60th birthday with a concert in Paris, the entire proceeds from which went to the World AIDS Research Foundation.
In 2000, she took part in a Moscow charity concert as part of the international program "Stars of the World for Children", organized to help gifted disabled children. She gave charity concerts in support of the Dalai Lama, as well as José Carreras when he began to have health problems.
The singer has many prestigious international awards to her credit. She has been awarded orders and medals from various countries, including the Spanish Order of Isabel, the French Order of the Commander of Arts and Letters, and the gold medal of the Italian Academy of Literature, Science and Art.
Montserrat Caballe is married to opera singer Bernabe Marty. They have two children: a son, Bernabe Marty, and a daughter, Montserrat Marty, who also became an opera singer.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
