Wednesday, June 4, 2008

MONTSERRAT CABALLE / MANON LESCAUT: "SOLA, PERDUTA, ABBANDONATA"

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, which were inspired by Miguel Fleta. Her voice was also quite agile, although she did not possess a trill. Caballe is one of the most exemplary examples of the preservation of the Ancient Vocal Method.
In this final aria in the Puccini opera, Manon Lescaut, Manon (the kept lady) recalls her past and muses about her fatal beauty and her fate. It is one piece that has always moved me the most. R

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