Montserrat Caballe, who took opera into the pop charts by singing \u201cBarcelona\u201d with Freddie Mercury three decades ago, died aged 85 on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The Spanish soprano, who was born in the Catalan capital, had been in ill health for a number of years and was admitted to hospital in mid-September, a hospital official said. She died in Sant Pau hospital in Barcelona.<\/p>\n
The Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house in Barcelona, where Caballe performed more than 200 times, described her as \u201cone of the most important sopranos in history\u201d.<\/p>\n
Spanish tenor Jose Carreras said she possessed a voice of great range, combined with a flawless technique.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf all the sopranos I\u2019ve heard live in the theater, I\u2019ve never heard anyone singing like Caballe,\u201d Carreras said in an interview with Catalunya Radio.<\/p>\n
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Spain\u2019s royal family called her \u201cthe great lady of the opera, a legend of universal culture, the best among the best\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer personality and her unique voice will always be with us,\u201d the royals said in a tweet.<\/p>\n
Caballe released the song \u201cBarcelona\u201d with the Queen frontman Mercury in 1987 and it was used again during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, a year after Mercury\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe went beyond opera and classical music showing that opera singers are not just limited to the opera houses but go way beyond that,\u201d Christina Sheppelmann, the Liceu\u2019s artistic director, told reporters on Saturday in Barcelona.<\/p>\n
Renowned for her performances of Italian opera, she also worked with the late tenor Luciano Pavarotti.<\/p>\n
The Royal Opera House in London, where Caballe sang on a number of occasions between 1972 and 1992, also expressed its condolences, saying she had \u201cinspired millions\u201d.<\/p>\n
Among other reactions, Spain\u2019s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeted: \u201cSad news. A great ambassador of our country dies, an opera soprano recognized internationally. Her voice and her kindness will always remain with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
A government source said Sanchez would attend Caballe\u2019s funeral, which will be held in Les Corts morgue, in Barcelona, at midday on Monday.<\/p>\n
Caballe was considered one of the finest modern exponents of the \u2018bel canto repertoire\u2019, Spain\u2019s Culture Minister Jose Guirao said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer loss leaves a huge void,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Caballe\u2019s almost 60-year international career took her from Basel to New York and beyond.<\/p>\n
www.reuters.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Montserrat Caballe, who took opera into the pop charts by singing \u201cBarcelona\u201d with Freddie Mercury three decades ago, died aged 85 on Saturday. The Spanish soprano, who was born in the Catalan capital, had been in ill health for a number of years and was admitted to hospital in mid-September, a hospital official said. She […]<\/p>\n