M caballe. ✨ Montserrat Caballe: “You don’t have to give up anything in life. Life is the best university in the world.” Got a sentence for tax fraud

Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballe.

Origin and education

Montserrat Caballe ( full name- Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepcion Caballe y Folk) was born in Barcelona on April 12, 1933 in the family of a factory worker. Since childhood, she showed interest in music and was fond of singing. She studied music and vocals at the Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona, ​​where she graduated with a gold medal in 1954.

Music career

After completing her studies, she went to Italy and then to Basel (Switzerland). She made her debut at the Basel Opera as Mimi in Giacomo Puccini's La bohème. In 1958 she sang at the Vienna State Opera, and in 1960 she first appeared on the stage of La Scala (Milan). She became famous for her soprano voice and bel canto technique. Caballe gained world fame in 1965 when she replaced American singer Marilyn Horne in Gaetano Donizetti's opera Lucrezia Borgia at Carnegie Hall (New York). In 1970, she performed one of her best roles - Norma in Vincenzo Bellini's opera of the same name. With this part in 1974 she came on her first tour to Moscow. Subsequently, she performed in Russia several times, last concert singer in Moscow took place in June 2018 as part of a tour dedicated to her 85th birthday.

In total, the singer’s repertoire included over 125 opera roles. She was called "senora soprano" and "great prima donna." She performed at such venues as Covent Garden (London), Metropolitan Opera (New York), Grand Opera (Paris), and also toured with concert programs. She has worked with outstanding orchestras and conductors of our time - Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan, James Levine, Georg Solti. She performed with Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Alfredo Kraus. She contributed to the career of José Carreras, who made his debut in 1970 as Flavio in Norma. The singer took notice of the young tenor, and Carreras became one of her favorite partners; they sang together in more than 15 operas.

In the 1980s, Caballe collaborated with rock musician Freddie Mercury. In 1988, their joint album Barcelona was released. Its title song - Barcelona - became one of the two anthems of the Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona 1992. In 1997, the singer released the disc “Friends for Life,” where she recorded works of rock and pop music. Her partners were Carlos Cano, Bruce Dickinson, Johnny Holiday, Lisa Nilsson and others. In the same year, the rock ballad One Life One Soul was recorded together with the Swiss rock band Gotthard. In addition, she collaborated with Italian singer Al Bano, with Greek composer and performer electronic music Vangelis.

In 2002, after a 10-year break caused by illness, Caballe sang the role of Catherine of Aragon in Camille Saint-Saëns' opera "Henry VIII" (at the Liceu Opera House, Barcelona), in 2004 - the title role in Jules Massenet's opera "Cleopatra" ( Liceu, Barcelona), and in 2007 - the Duchess of Krakenthorp in Gaetano Donizetti's opera "The Daughter of the Regiment" (Vienna state opera). In 2016, Caballe performed a concert in Sofia (Bulgaria).

Charity

Caballe was involved in charitable activities. Thus, the singer donated the entire proceeds from the concert in Paris dedicated to her 60th anniversary to the World AIDS Research Fund. In November 2000, as part of international program“Stars of the World for Children” she performed in Moscow with a concert, the proceeds from which went to help gifted disabled children.

Confession

The singer was awarded orders and medals various countries, including the Spanish Order of Isabella the Catholic, the French Order of Arts and Letters, and the Russian Order of Friendship.

She received several Grammy awards, including Best Vocal Solo (1969).

In 1994 she became a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

Personal information

In 1964 she married tenor Bernabe Marti. The family has two children: son Bernabe Marti and daughter Montserrat Marti, an opera singer.

It is known that relatives of Montserrat Caballe on the maternal side live in St. Petersburg, who were taken to Soviet Union during civil war in Spain in the 1930s.

Montserrat Caballe is a famous opera singer from Spain. She has a beautiful feminine soprano timbre. Collaborated with famous Russian opera and pop singer Nikolai Baskov.

Biography

We must admit that the biography of the singer is quite interesting. Her full name is very long - Maria de Montserrat Vivianna Concepcion Caballe y Volk. As soon as she started performing on stage, the girl replaced her long name to a shorter and more memorable one.

Montserrat Caballe was born in the difficult thirties into a poor working-class family. Her life in her youth cannot be envied. They didn’t live well: their father worked at a factory that produced chemical fertilizers, and their mother worked part-time in a variety of places. In addition to the daughter, there were also boys in the family.

The girl grew up gloomy and withdrawn, had little contact with her peers, and art became her only outlet.

With the help of family friends - wealthy patrons of the arts - young Montserrat managed to get a job at the local conservatory. As she grew older, she began performing in the best Barcelona theaters and on leading concert venues. Her charming voice quickly brought her to the first roles in the theater, and they began to give her many solo roles.

In the seventies, the popularity of Montserrat Caballe in Spain, Italy, and throughout the world reached unprecedented, cosmic heights. The fees quickly made her rich, and aspiring singers were ready to tear each other to pieces for the opportunity to perform a duet with her.

The singer was awarded many orders and medals, for example:

• Order of Friendship (from the government of the Russian Federation).
• Order of Arts and Letters (from the French government).
• Order of Princess Olga (from the government of Ukraine).

This list is far from complete. In total, the singer has about ten different awards and titles.

Also, the great opera diva had some problems with the law: in particular, she was tried for fraud (tax evasion) in home country. In court, the singer admitted her guilt, and, most likely, she will have to serve a suspended sentence (after all, the woman is over eighty years old). The opera actress may also have to pay a large fine to the state.

Montserrat Caballe was married and has two children. I wonder what her daughter Montserrat's choice life path followed in her mother's footsteps: she is also a popular opera singer in her native Spain.

Contribution to art

Montserrat Caballe is fluent in the technique of performing “bel canto”, thanks to which she was able to take part in many performances of the classical repertoire.

According to numerous listeners, her voice sank deep into the soul as soon as she began to sing.

The singer’s contribution to art is incredibly great:

• During her life, she played more than 88 roles in operas, operettas and musical performances.
• She performed approximately 800 chamber works.
• She released the album “Barcelona” together with Freddie Mercury, the famous lead singer of the group “Queen”.

The last fact is especially interesting, since it is clear that rock was not the most convenient and familiar style for the Spanish singer. Nevertheless, the album sold out very quickly and almost immediately brought both outstanding musicians big money.

Nikolai Baskov also sang with the singer.

Montserrat's song, which is dedicated to her " small homeland", Barcelona, ​​became one of the two official anthems of the Olympic Games held there in the summer of 1992.

Montserrat Caballe can rightfully be called a great man; a woman who changed the world through her songs and music. This singer has become a kind of singing symbol of her native Spain, glorifying her homeland throughout the world. Author: Irina Shumilova

On Saturday, October 6, the world of opera suffered a heavy loss - the great Montserrat Caballe died at the age of 86. Her biography, family, husband and children - everything was connected with art; there is not a person on Earth who would not hear her amazing singing and would not recognize the artist in the photograph.

According to journalists, the woman was admitted to a Barcelona clinic on September 19, complaining of bladder problems. It should be noted that the owner of the magnificent bel canto began to experience health difficulties in her early youth. Once upon a time, Caballe fell into terrible accident and received a severe traumatic brain injury, as a result of which a certain part of the woman’s brain atrophied.

He was responsible for burning fat, and now Caballe began to gain weight even from a glass of water. But neither painful obesity nor deteriorating health forced the opera Diva to give up her favorite activity - she shone on stage until the very last day.

Biography facts

The real name of the artist is difficult for a completely uninitiated person to pronounce - Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepcion Caballe y Folk. The girl was named after the sacred mountain located near the home of the future star.

Montserrat Caballe

Montserrat Caballe died: cause of death, biography, last news

In the most difficult moments, Montserrat worked part-time in a weaving factory, a haberdashery store and a sewing workshop. At school, her classmates teased her for her aloofness and outdated clothes. Meanwhile, the talented girl spent every centime she earned on additional classes in Italian and French.

Happy meeting

Beltran Mata, a local patron of new talents and a great lover of classical music, accidentally learned about the younger Caballe’s magnificent talent. It was he who paid for Maria’s further education at the famous Liceo Conservatory, from which the girl brilliantly graduated 4 years later.

Armen Dzhigarkhanyan: latest news 2018

Personal life

For a long time, in the biography of Montserrat Caballe there was no place for a family, husband, or children. Your first and only love the woman met at the age of 30, when she had long ago given up on her dream of finding a life partner. Quite unexpectedly for herself, the woman fell in love with the voice and only then with the man himself.

Montserrat Caballe and Bernabe Marti

The celebrity's chosen one was baritone Bernabe Marti. They met at a concert that traditionally accompanies bullfighting, and subsequently Caballe invited the artist to replace her colleague, who fell ill the day before the performance.

Their relationship at first was far from the most romantic - the woman was irritated by the timidity of the man, who showed his temperament only on stage. She ended up provoking Marty and then reprimanded him for his indiscreet behavior. Gradually he fell in love with this unpredictable and great woman so much so that after his marriage he left touring, devoting himself entirely to his family and children.

The beloved paid Bernabe in return, and soon the couple had 2 children:

Montserrat Caballe and daughter

Now the daughter of the opera diva is considered a worthy heir to her talent; she is in demand among the most prominent producers and organizers of performances.

Cause of death of the artist

IN Lately the singer often found herself a client of various hospitals. Age, high weight and a whole bunch of concomitant diseases took their toll.

Until her departure, on October 6, 2018, Montserrat Caballe considered herself happy woman in the world, having a magnificent, friendly family, loving husband and children and a stunningly vivid biography.

The date of birth of Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepcion Caballe y Folk (full name of the singer) is April 12, 1933. Montserrat's father was a simple worker at a chemical fertilizer production plant, and his mother did not have a permanent job at all, and she was forced to earn extra money for a pittance salary.

When little Montserrat went to school, the children immediately disliked her for her silent and secretive character; moreover, they laughed at her for always going to class in one modest dress. The Caballe family was already living on the brink of poverty, and now the father had to leave his job due to a serious illness. However, no everyday difficulties not only did not frighten Montserrat, but on the contrary, they strengthened her character. In order to somehow help the family, the girl went to work at a handkerchief factory.

Introduction to Montserrat opera art happened when she was only seven years old. The little girl was so amazed by what she heard and saw that she cried bitterly over the whole way back from the theater. fatal fate Madame Butterfly. Little Montserrat really liked the opera: while listening to an old gramophone record, she learned the aria main character, and, as a seven-year-old child, vowed that she would definitely become a rich and famous opera singer.

And, a few years later, fate smiled at Montserrat, introducing the Beltran Mata philanthropist spouses into her life, helping young talents. It was thanks to them that the girl ended up at the famous Barcelona conservatory Liceo, with the Hungarian teacher Eugenia Kemmeni, who turned a rare nugget into a priceless diamond. By the way, even now the great Montserrat Caballe begins her day with special breathing exercises, once developed by her teacher Kemmeni.

The path to the opera

Montserrat studied at the Philharmonic Dramatic Lyceum of Barcelona for 12 years and graduated with honors in 1954. Patrons Beltran Mata advised future singer to begin her career in Italy: they paid all travel expenses and provided her with a letter of recommendation to the famous opera singer Raimundo Torres, who, in turn, recommended Montserrat to the director of the Florentine theater "Maggio Fiorentino" - Siciliani. After the audition, Siciliani accepted Caballe into his theater.

Her first performance at the Maggio Fiorentino Theater in Montserrat brought her another piece of luck in the person of the director of the Basel Opera, who came to the performance - he was so fascinated by the debutante’s voice that he offered her a contract for three years.

Montserrat accepted the offer and left for Switzerland. The date of the singer's professional debut is considered to be November 17, 1956, when she performed the role of Mimi in Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème on the stage of the Basel Theater. The success was stunning!

When, in 1959, Caballe was already working at the Opera House in Bremen, she received an invitation to perform at her native Barcelona Lyceum. Montserrat happily agreed and captivated the audience with the role of Arabella Strauss.

The singer gained international fame in 1965, and quite unexpectedly. She was offered to perform in New York at Carnegie Hall instead of the ill American singer Marilyn Horne as Lucretia Borgia.

The American public, spoiled by the performances of real opera stars, listened to Montserrat's first aria with bated breath, after which it exploded with a 20-minute ovation. In the morning, the front pages of all newspapers were devoted to the incredible performance of the Spanish singer - this was the ticket to world recognition.

From that day on, Caballe's theatrical fate was sealed: all her performances on the most famous stages of the world's capitals were a stunning success. Wherever she performed: in the Great Hall of Columns of the Kremlin, and in the White House in Washington, and in the New York Auditorium of the UN General Assembly, and in the Hall of the People in Beijing, and in many other famous places.

In 1974, Montserrat Caballe received the status of Honorary UN Ambassador and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

Life in Montserrat off stage

As a true Catholic, opera diva always put her family first. In 1964, she became the wife of Bernab Marti, who at that time was a fairly famous opera singer, and Montserrat has been happily married for decades. The singer has two, now adult children - son Bernabe Marty and daughter Montserrat Marty, who also chose a career opera singer.

Montserrat Caballe is an excellent car driver and loves swimming and walking. Another long-time hobby of the singer, which has grown into a real passion, is painting. According to Montserrat herself, at first she painted in watercolors, then in pencil, and as she acquired skill, she even dared to paint in oils. And although the singer herself calls her works “naive painting,” she still wields a brush no worse than her magical voice.

The majestic Montserrat has learned to “get along” with her solid physique. Once she received a serious head injury in an accident, as a result of which the part of the brain responsible for normal metabolism in the body atrophied, therefore, no matter how little the singer ate, she could not lose weight. The same accident also strengthened Montserrat’s will: even being in a cast and on crutches, the singer continued to perform.

Caballe has a broad soul and is not indifferent to the grief of others - opera star quite often gives charity concerts on various “non-prestigious” stages. Despite world fame, the singer is convinced that the main thing is not the hall in which she performs, but the people for whom she sings.

Montserrat Caballe considers faith in God to be the basis of his work. This faith helps her to be above all behind-the-scenes passions and intrigues, to be wise and strong, and to serve people, giving them her magical voice and her talent.

Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé

Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepcion Caballe y Folk is a world-famous Spanish opera singer, professional teacher vocalist, mother of two children

Date of Birth: April 12, 1933
Place of Birth: Barcelona, ​​Spain
Zodiac sign: Aries

“Music is magic. Anyone lucky enough to live with her experiences something unusual. When you hear a melody for the first time, work on an image, sit down at the piano and start playing, you suddenly feel that the music penetrates your blood and passes through your entire body. This is not just a second flash. Enjoying music is the best thing in life."

Biography of Montserrat Caballe

City where I was born famous singer- 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 a worker and a day laborer - Montserrat's parents, music was always playing. 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 conservatory of the Liceu Theater in Barcelona. In the first eight months, she and other students did only physical education - the teacher wanted to develop them in physical and musically so that they can easily produce sound.

IN Hard times, when money was short, Caballe found a job that she had never done before - she had to cut fabric for scarves. People worked with her who provided her with 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, to the rescue talented girl the Mata family of philanthropists came, and Caballe graduated in 1954.

She was 23 years old (in 1956) when she first appeared on stage opera house in Switzerland, in Basel. Her whole family moved there from Barcelona. Her colleagues helped her in everything; there was a strong, friendly team at the theater. For example, since Caballe did not know German language, the staff translated the role into Spanish for her.

Then she left for the musical heart of Europe - Germany. She was offered a role at the Bremen Opera and began rehearsing Giuseppe Verdi's operas La Traviata and Il Trovatore. It was new school. Caballe unlearned large repertoire During this period, she 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.

Caballe returned to the stage of her native Liceu Theater in Barcelona only in 1962 with Strauss's Arabella.

The world learned about Caballe in 1965, when she replaced the American singer Marilyn Horne in the role of Lucrezia Borgia in Gaetano Donizetti's opera of the same name. Horne was pregnant, so the management 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 role of Margarita in Faust. Montserrat performed on this stage of Carnegie Hall more than once until 1988.

On January 24, 1970, the singer made her debut at La Scala in the already familiar role of Lucrezia Borgia. In subsequent years, she performed Mary Stuart, Norma, Louise Miller, and Anne Boleyn at the La Scala Theatre.

Spanish opera singer Placido Domingo about Montserrat Caballe:

“I saw the play Montserrat at La Scala. It was an unforgettable “Norma”, which went down in the history of this theater. I saw the audience's reaction after the "Casta Diva" aria. 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 artistic director The London Opera's Denny 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 it happened significant event, which changed the whole world's attitude towards opera classical 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 take part in a charity concert-action of the World of Art Foundation, “Stars of the World for Children.”

Indian conductor Zubin Mehta about Montserrat Caballe:

“Montserrat set me and many other singers, such as Placido Domingo, that bar, that level that is very difficult to achieve.”

Personal life

In 1964, Caballe became the wife of a 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 actually married Pinkerton.”

“I will never forget the feeling of happiness I felt on my wedding day.”

They were much more than husband and wife, they were friends and colleagues. Two years after the wedding, a son, Bernabe, was born, and in 1972, a daughter, Montserrat.

Almost the singer's entire life was devoted to work. My husband remembers the old days like this:

“I know how worried she was, how she wanted to spend some time with the children after work, but this is our profession: we have to be the best at it.”