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Caballé was born Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepción Caballé in Barcelona. She studied music at the Liceu Conservatory. She joined the Basel Opera in 1956, where she made her professional operatic debut operatic debut in 1957 as Mimě in La Bohčme. For the 1960-61 season, she was engaged by the Bremen Opera , where she specialized in bel canto roles. In 1962 Caballé returned to Barcelona and made her debut at the Liceu. In 1964, she married the tenor Bernabé Marti.
Caballé's international breakthrough came in 1965 when she substituted for an indisposed Marilyn Horne in a concert performance of Lucrezia Borgia at New YorkNew York is a state in the northeastern United States whose U. postal abbreviation is NY . It is sometimes called New York State when there is need to distinguish it from New York City. History See: History of New York New York was one of the thirteen col's Carnegie HallCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Manhattan, New York City. It is one of the most significant venues for classical as well as popular music in the US, known not just for its beauty and history but also for its fine acoustics. Form Carnegie Hall is actua; her peformance created a sensation and made her famous throughout the opera world. Later that year, Caballé made her debut at Glyndebourne and at the Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is located at Lincoln Center in New York, New York. It was founded in April, 1880. The first Metropolitan Opera House opened on October 23, 1883, and was located between 39th and 40th Street on Broadway. The original Metropolitan Op as Marguerite in Gounod's FaustFaust Charles Gounod's operatic retelling of the Faust legend, debuted at the Theatre-Lyrique on 19 March 1859. It was adapted by Jules Barbier and Michel Carre from Carre's play Faust et Marguerite in its turn loosely based on Goethe's Faust, Part I''.. In 1972, she made her La ScalaThe Teatro alla Scala (or La Scala for short), in Milan, Italy, is one of the world's most famous opera houses. The current edifice is the second theater on the site. A fire destroyed the first, the ancient Teatro Ducale, on 25 February 1776, after a carn debut in Bellini's NormaNorma is an opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani. It was first produced at La Scala on December 26, 1831. The title role is generally considered the most difficult in the soprano repertoire. During the 20th century, only a and her Covent Garden debut as Violetta.
Although best known for her bel canto roles, Caballé eventually sang over eighty operatic roles, from baroque opera to Verdi, Wagner, and Puccini, including the Marschallin in Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier and the title role in Salome.
Caballe is also a noted recitalist, particularly songs of her native Spain.
Her voice is noted for its purity, precise control, and power. She is admired less for her dramatic instincts and acting skills than for her superb technique, vocal shadings, and exquisite pianissimos.
In one of her brief excursions to the world of pop music, Caballé's duet with rock singer Freddie Mercury, Barcelona, became the anthem of the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Since retiring from the stage, Caballé has dedicated herself to various charities. She is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and she established a foundation for needy children in Barcelona.
Her daughter, Montserrat Martí, is also a singer and the two occasionally perform together.
Despite courageous investigations, many times carried out in the most extreme of circumstances, no one has yet managed to reveal her weight. It remains a mystery to this day.