LA MATTINA ALL’OPERA, BUONGIORNO CON…. · Paolo Pellegrini

La Mattina all'Opera Buongiorno con ... Montserrat Caballé

April 11, 2026·35 min·3 clips

In 1965, a last-minute substitution at Carnegie Hall made Montserrat Caballé an overnight star in the opera world.

The episode opens by introducing Montserrat Caballé's full name and birthplace in Barcelona. It notes her early entry into the Barcelona Conservatory, where she excelled and won a gold medal despite being underage. Her training under conductor Napoleone Annovazzi and soprano Eugenia Chiamini is mentioned as foundational. The narrative describes her initial career struggles, including her time at the Basel Opera starting in 1956, where she took on varied roles from lyrical to dramatic. A key turning point occurred in 1965 when she substituted at Carnegie Hall in 'Lucrezia Borgia,' leading to overnight fame. The episode analyzes Caballé's vocal exceptionality, attributing it to her interpretation of Maria Callas's lessons, exceptional breath control, and musicality. This made her a premier interpreter of Bellini and Donizetti roles, as well as early Verdi. Her repertoire expanded to include Rossini works, such as 'Armida.' The discussion highlights her 'pearly' phrasing and 'hyperboreal' singing style, which created an ecstatic, suspended illusion for audiences. Caballé's approach to Norma in the 1970s is contrasted with Callas's dramatic and Sutherland's virtuosic interpretations, emphasizing Caballé's lunar, feminine sensibility. The late 1970s saw her shift to more dramatic roles like Luisa Miller and 'La forza del destino,' testing her vocal purity. Despite vocal decline in the 1980s, she is affirmed as a century-defining artist. The episode concludes with a focus on her 1967 Florence debut in Bellini's 'Il pirata,' where her fragile, celestial interpretation opposed Callas's neurotic, dramatic version, showcasing Caballé's originality in bel canto revival.

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