This EMI collection, The Very Best of Montserrat Caballé, could indeed be considered a "very best" of what Caballé has left in terms of a recorded legacy. Drawn from Caballé's EMI performances from the period 1970-1980, this collection captures her in the full bloom of her artistic prime. In regard to repertoire, this generous, two-disc set is heavily weighted toward Italian opera, in particular Verdi, Puccini, and Bellini; as a matter of fact, the whole second disc is devoted to the latter two names in toto. This should ...
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This EMI collection, The Very Best of Montserrat Caballé, could indeed be considered a "very best" of what Caballé has left in terms of a recorded legacy. Drawn from Caballé's EMI performances from the period 1970-1980, this collection captures her in the full bloom of her artistic prime. In regard to repertoire, this generous, two-disc set is heavily weighted toward Italian opera, in particular Verdi, Puccini, and Bellini; as a matter of fact, the whole second disc is devoted to the latter two names in toto. This should not be too surprising, as in these years, Caballé's London-based performances were mostly devoted to appearances in Italian opera productions. In order to provide contrast, EMI has wisely chosen to include a small number of songs by Joaquín Turina and Xavier Montsalvatge, where Caballé is sympathetically partnered with pianist Alexis Weissenberg. If you are looking for a "best of" or merely an introduction to the vocal art of Caballé, you can hardly go wrong here. The Spanish songs are...
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