Search - R. Strauss, Caballe, Milnes :: Salome

Do people not know...?

Darla's Boy | New York City | 01/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Reading the previous 2 reviews as well as a lot of other comments regarding Caballe, a lot of people must not know that Caballe started her career singing mostly Strauss (Salome and the Marschallin, for example), French opera as well as some standard Italian roles, including Verdi, Puccini and Mozart. Her repertoire was quite inpressive even before she was known internationally. She only became the "Queen of Bel Canto" several years into her career after her "international debut" in '65 singing Lucrezia Borgia at Carnegie Hall. She then started to take on many other Bel Canto roles -- but was reluctant to take on Norma for several years - ironically becoming the leading Norma of her day after Callas and Sutherland stopped singing it. In fact, it was Sutherland who finally convinced her to sing it. She continued to sing her German and French roles throughout her career along with the Bel Canto and Italian roles. She just sung them primarily in European and South American houses. So this isn't a case of the studio companies getting a major singer to sing a role she or he isn't suited for just for financial intentions.



There is a also live recording on the Opera D'Oro label of her singing this role in 1971. I'm sure there are other pirate recordings of her singing it.



Now, about my opinion on this recording, I love it. But then I love everything she does!"