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Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballe

BARCELONA, Spain — Montserrat Caballe, a Spanish opera singer re­nowned for her bel canto technique and her interpretations of the roles of Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti, has died. She was 85.

Condolences poured in from the world of opera and Spain’s highest authorities.

King Felipe VI tweeted that Caballe was “the great lady of opera, legend of universal culture, the best of the best” and that “her personality and unequaled voice will accompany us forever.” Span­ish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said “a great ambassador of our country has died.”

Born Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepcion Caballe i Folch and to a working class family in Barcelona, Caballe unveiled her musical talents early on, singing Bach cantatas at the age of 7.

In her almost unlimited repertoire, she starred in 90 opera roles with nearly 4,000 stage performances. Opera singer Maria Callas is once said to have answered, “Only Caballe …” when asked once whom she considered a worthy successor.

At 8, Caballe entered the Liceo’s Conservatory in Bar­celona. She won the school’s Gold Medal upon graduating in 1954. She went on to study opera in Milan, and, in 1956, she joined the Basel Opera and played her first major role that year as Mimi in Puccini’s “La Boheme.”

Caballe was also a noted recitalist, particularly of songs of her native Spain. She was particularly admired for her purity of voice, vocal shadings and exquisite pianissimos.

In a brief excursion into pop music, Caballe’s duet “Barcelona” with Freddie Mercury, of the rock group Queen, was a hit single in 1987, accompanied by an album of the same name.

Caballe dedicated herself to various charities and was a UNESCO Goodwill Ambas­sador. She also established a foundation for needy children in Barcelona. In 1964, she married Spanish tenor Bernabe Marti. They had two children, Bernabe Marti, Jr. and Montserrat Marti, herself a successful soprano.

Caballe’s funeral will be held on Monday in Barcelona.

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