Entertainment

Spanish opera star, Montserrat Caballe, dies at 85

Published

6 years ago

October 6, 2018

Spain ’ s world – famous opera singer Montserrat Caballe has died in Barcelona on Saturday , a source at the hospital where she was being treated said .The 85 -year – old singer , who was known as one of the world ’ s greatest voices during a career spanning half a century , had long suffered from ill health and was hospitalised in mid -September due to a gallbladder problem , local media reported .

“ She died overnight at the Sant Pau hospital , ” the hospital source told AFP .

A service for the singer will be held on Sunday at 2 pm local time ( 1200 GMT ) , with a funeral the following day , Barcelona authorities said .

Caballe made a global splash when “ Barcelona ” , her song with Queen singer Freddie Mercury , became the anthem for the 1992 Olympic Games.

Born in April 1933 to a humble family in Barcelona , Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepcion Caballe i Folc studied music at the Liceu Conservatory in the Catalan capital.

Caballe ’ s big break came in 1965 when she stepped in for another singer in the notoriously difficult role of Lucrezia Borgia in Donizetti ’ s opera in New York .

Her debut went down in opera history as one of the greatest overnight successes ever .

She went on to tour the world in a career spanning 50 years , garnering international acclaim for her creamy voice and dramatic power .
Career highlights included a triumphant performance in Bellini ’ s “ Norma ” at La Scala in Milan in 1972 .

Her vocal versatility meant she was as at home with Rossini and Donizetti as well as Mozart and Dvorak , while her energetic performance with Mercury showed her ability to break with tradition .

Spanish President Pedro Sanchez paid tribute to Caballe on Saturday , saying on Twitter that Spain had lost “ a great ambassador of our country, a soprano recognised internationally ” .

“ Montserrat Caballe , her voice and her tenderness , will always stay with us , ” he added .

( AFP )