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

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

·35 min·3 clips

A last-minute Carnegie Hall substitution in 1965 turned Montserrat Caballé into an overnight international opera sensation.

The episode opens by introducing Montserrat Caballé's full name and birthdate, April 12, in Barcelona. It describes her early education at the Barcelona Conservatory, where she won a gold medal despite cheating on age limits. Her training under conductor Napoleone Annovazzi and soprano Eugenia Chiamini developed her technical and musical foundation. Caballé began her professional career in 1956 at the Basel Opera, performing varied roles from Tosca to Aida. She later specialized in bel canto roles, with a key moment in Bremen interpreting 'La Traviata' and Rossini's 'Armida'. Her major breakthrough came in 1965 when she substituted at Carnegie Hall for 'Lucrezia Borgia', instantly elevating her to international stardom. The episode attributes her exceptionality to reinterpreting Maria Callas's legacy with extraordinary breath control and pianissimo. It notes her recovery of forgotten Rossini pages and her distinctive lyrical sensitivity. A turning point in the late 1970s saw her take on more dramatic roles like 'La Forza del Destino'. The episode details her 1967 debut in Florence with Bellini's 'Il Pirata', a role previously dominated by Callas. It contrasts Caballé's interpretation, emphasizing fragile femininity and passive delirium, against Callas's neurotic fervor. The analysis highlights Caballé's lunar luminosity and sense of suspension in phrasing. It mentions the 1967 recording from the Teatro Comunale di Firenze, conducted by Erasmo Ghiglia. The episode concludes by recommending a listening of Caballé's performance of 'Il Pirata', praising her originality in Bellinian expression.

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