María de Montserrat Bibiana Concepción Caballé i Folch or Folc, known simply as Montserrat Caballé, was a Spanish operatic soprano from Catalonia. Widely considered to be one of the best sopranos of the 20th century, she won a variety of musical awards thoroughout her six-decade career, including three Grammy Awards.
Caballé in Milan, 1971
Caballé in 1969
Caballé in 1975
Caballé in 1982
Bel canto —with several similar constructions —is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing.
Bel canto–era composer Gioachino Rossini
Hand-written note by contralto Marietta Alboni about the decay of bel canto in the late 19th century. The French text reads: "The art of singing is going, and it will only revert with the sole real music of the future: that of Rossini. Paris, 8 February 1881." (signature)
Mathilde Marchesi (1821–1913), a leading Paris-based teacher of bel canto sopranos