Montserrat Caballé
Spanish operatic soprano
Died when: 85 years 177 days (1025 months)Star Sign: Aries
Montserrat Caballé i Folch or Folc (full name: María de Montserrat Bibiana Concepción Caballé i Folch (UK: /kəˈbæljeɪ, ˌkæbæ(l)ˈjeɪ/, US: /ˌkɑːbɑːˈjeɪ/, Catalan: [munsəˈrat kəβəˈʎe j ˈfolk]; (12 April 1933 – 6 October 2018), known simply as Montserrat Caballé, was a Catalan Spanish operatic soprano.
She sang a wide variety of roles, but is best known as an exponent of the works of Verdi and of the bel canto repertoire, notably the works of Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti.
She was noticed internationally when she stepped in for a performance of Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia at Carnegie Hall in 1965, and then appeared at leading opera houses.
Her voice was described as pure but powerful, with superb control of vocal shadings and exquisite pianissimo.Caballé became popular to non-classical music audiences in 1987, when she recorded, at the request of the International Olympic Committee, "Barcelona", a duet with Freddie Mercury, which became an official theme song for the 1992 Olympic Games.
She received several international awards and also Grammy Awards for a number of her recordings.
