Only Caballe

Only Caballe is a slightly schizophrenic, but still worthwhile, collection of excerpts from Montserrat Caballe's career,mostly from her spectacular days of the 1960s and 1970s, but also from as late as 1998 and 2000; these latter recordings will likely be of interest only to her most ardent fans. Caballe produced enough gorgeous recordings during her career to fill an anthology of any size, and some of her best stuff is represented here, including arias from La boheme, La Traviata, Norma, Rossini's Stabat Mater, and even Salome; the unique timbre, suppleness, and strength of her voice, and the sureness of her delivery, are unmistakably great. This excellence makes the inclusion of her limply delivered "Habanera" from Carmen, her sloppy and self-indulgent "Pa-pa-pa" duet from Mozart's The Magic Flute (with Thomas Quasthoff), and her bland "Belle nuit" from Offenbach's Tales of Hoffman (with her daughter Montserrat Marti), frustrating; recorded very late in her career, and with little of the style or beauty one should expect from her, they simply don't hold up. Nevertheless, there is a lot of great singing to be had on this collection, and a few less-than-stellar tracks shouldn't deter interested buyers. Her "Addio del passato" from La Traviata is a study in great singing, showcasing Caballé's trademark floating high notes, as well as the body and warmth of her middle voice. "Io son l'umile Ancella" from Adriana Lecouvreur shows her negotiating a larger orchestral texture without sacrificing an ounce of beauty, as does "Avea nel Guardo!" from I Pagliacci.