Freddie Mercury duet with an opera singer. The story of one song: how Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe created their immortal hit Barcelona

The greatest creative union of two geniuses of world music, the result of which was the album "Barcelona", released on October 10, 1988.

It all started in March 1987 when Freddie met Montserrat in Barcelona. Then he gave her a cassette with several of his new songs. Caballe liked these works, and she even performed one of them at a concert in London, at Covent Garden, to Freddie's great surprise.

The start of collaboration, which took place in April, did not take long to arrive. The release of the album was preceded by two performances by Freddie and Montserrat in a duet, the first time on the island of Ibiza, in the famous “Ku-Club”, where they appeared as guests of honor at a major music festival and performed Barcelona. Freddie dedicated the song to his hometown of Caballe.

The second performance took place on October 8, 1988 at another festival, "La Nit", in Barcelona. Three songs were performed there: "Golden Boy", "How Can I Go On" and "Barcelona". Co-author of these songs Mike Moran performed the piano parts for these songs. "Barcelona" combines elements of folk music and opera.
Many music critics were not sure what to do with the album, what assessment to give it, but everyone unanimously called it “the most bizarre CD of the year.” However, Montserrat Caballe herself believes THIS ALBUM WAS THE GREATEST SUCCESS OF MY CAREER. (considered the album to have been one of the great successes of her career)

This performance was Freddie Mercury's last.

The album's title track, "Barcelona", became one of two anthems for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. At the opening of the Games, the song was supposed to be performed by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe, but this was prevented by Freddie's death on November 24, 1991.Ms. Caball sang it live at the opening of the Olympics with Mercury"s part played on a screen. Ms. Caballé sang live on stage, and Mercury performed his part on a screen stretched on the wall of the hall.

Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caball - Best Of

FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH FREDDIE MERCURY A 1987 interview given to Rudy Dolezal:

"...Dolezal - Freddie, in recent days and weeks you have been working on a solo project. Could you tell us more about it?

Freddie - Yes, I've been working with an amazing woman these last weeks. She is an opera star from Barcelona, her name is Montserrat Caballe. She called me herself and said that she would like to sing with me. I almost dropped the phone and thought: “Lord, really?” After all, I'm practically in love with her. Then I went to Barcelona and we liked each other. I once performed on a TV show and admitted that she is the best singer on Earth and I would be happy to sing with her. She must have seen it - she called my agent and said she wanted to try it. Yesterday Montserrat sang one of my songs at the Royal Opera. This is something amazing... Goodbye rock and roll, I'm going to the opera...

Dolezal – Surely this is an unusual experience for you?

Freddy - Definitely. And, I must say, not easy. I'm really intrigued because I've never written songs like this. Montserrat wants us to sing a duet, so we need appropriate lyrics. I'm sure opera critics will rip us to pieces, but it's worth a try at least once.

Dolezal – Are you really going to record a whole album with Montserrat?

Freddy - Yes. We met a week ago. I thought that we were talking about recording one song as a duet, but Montserrat asked: “How, why only one song? Why one?” I answered - “Let's try. But if you like my music”... Montserrat asked: “How many songs are usually in a rock album?” - “About ten” - “Well, that means it will be ten!” And she added: “Tomorrow write ten songs!”

Dolezal – Will it be something in Spanish?

Freddy - Quite possibly. I replied, “Okay, I’ll write the songs, and you come to the studio and we’ll try to sing.” Then she checked the tour schedule and chose three free days in May. Montserrat is going to come and record everything at once. Apparently, this is their custom... Sing the whole thing material in three days, can you imagine? So I need to seriously prepare. Although three days is hardly enough.."

Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caball "How Can I Go On" / How can I continue to live..

Like a sea devoid of salt water,
I have nothing left -
I am defenseless and helpless.
But even if your words are so cruel -
Is there anyone who will believe in me,
Will he hear my prayers and take care of me?
How can I continue to live?
Day after day?

On any path?
Where I can be myself
Where can I find my home

How can I forget
Our beautiful dreams?
How can I continue to live?..

Sometimes I'm in pitch darkness
I can't see the people who hurt me
I'm trying to get away from the crowd.
Is there anyone who will support me?
Lord, take care of me...

How can I continue to live?
Day after day?
Who can make me strong
On any path?
Where I can be myself
Where can I find my home
In this huge world full of sadness?
How can I forget
Our beautiful dreams?
They are lost forever and will never come true -
How can I continue to live?..

How Can I Go On

When all the salt is taken from the sea
I stand dethroned
I"m naked and I bleed
But when your finger points so savagely
Is anybody there to believe in me
To hear my plea and take care of me?

How can I go on
From day to day
Who can make me strong
In every way
Where can I be safe
Where can I belong

How can I forget

How can I go on?..

Sometimes I tremble in the dark
I cannot see when people frighten me
I try to hide myself so far from the crowd
Is anybody there to comfort me
Lord... Take care of me.

How can I go on
From day to day
Who can make me strong
In every way
Where can I be safe
Where can I belong
In this great big world of sadness
How can I forget
Those beautiful dreams that we shared
They"re lost and they"re no where to be found
How can I go on?..

"Barcelona, Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe"

The Golden Boy

The young man could sing so well,
so insightful!
he moved gracefully and easily
and he saw the road in bright light,
didn't doubt it for a moment
and conquered his heights
and the spectator idolized the young man,
he was a creator, great, loud...

The girl had a heart of stone
her selfish and greedy desires,
was hidden by a mask of kindness
and gave herself to the young man for flowers,
for being famous, popular,
for fame, for riches and dreams,
confident that he
only the one she needs, and he sang to her in silence:

I love you for your silence
I love you for your peace,
Peace, tranquility, bring me relief,
They penetrate my soul, taking over everything I am.

I love you for your passion,
and for the fire of ardent desires
and I burn in my flame...
“love” - I don’t dare say a word.........

Experiments with classical music and a symphony orchestra were not in vain for the members of QUEEN. And in 1987, one of the most unusual creative tandems in the history of music emerged - the tandem of rock vocalist Freddie Mercury and opera diva Montserrat Caballe. What Mercury himself considered a big surprise, for me, as a listener, looked quite natural - it was not for nothing that Freddie flirted with opera for so many years?

It would seem that fate itself brings these two people together. Mercury attended Caballe's performance back in 1983 and simply fell in love with her voice. During a tour of Spain, he spoke admiringly of the singer on Spanish TV. And in March 1987, his dream came true - they met and he gave her a cassette with his songs.

On the other hand, somewhere at the same time it was decided that the next capital of the Olympics would be Barcelona, Caballe’s hometown. On this occasion, the mayor of Barcelona invited his eminent countrywoman to participate in the creation of the anthem of the future Olympic Games. Montserrat logically decided that for this largely youth event it would be inappropriate to once again sing pure opera. And then the singer’s brother, Carlos, remembered Freddie...

Montserrat Caballe:
“...Freddy has arrived. He received me at the hotel where he was staying, in a huge salon, there were three grand pianos and a large modern console for recording music. He asked me what I would like. I say, I don’t know, I only know that I don’t want opera, you have to tell me what’s fashionable now. And surprisingly - because you never think that a pop musician can be so musical - he sits down at the piano and begins to improvise. Here, as always, I got in with my opera snobbery. I ask in surprise: do you play the piano? He looked at me, of course, with a completely destroying look and began to play Chopin’s keys - tarara-tarara. I was simply dumbfounded. I say: you play very well. He laughed and said, in my youth I seriously studied music, studied composition, piano, and vocals. I ask: what kind of vocals did you have? I only heard him sing rock. He speaks baritone. And he begins to sing scales to me. I think - and indeed he has a baritone voice. Then I ask: why don’t you sing in such a beautiful baritone? And he says: because then my fans won’t come to my concerts. Ha-ha-ha..."

Freddie Mercury:
“My voice has been through a lot, and it’s too late to learn anything. My voice is what it is. I just have my range, and its limits depend on the mood I'm in. But this was exactly the voice she needed. She didn't want me to imitate anyone, you know. She needed my natural voice.
...She even thought that I would offer her to perform rock and roll, but I protested: “No, no, I’m not going to force you to sing Brian May’s guitar parts - that’s what I don’t want at all!”

By that time, the more or less completed melody was precisely the melody of the song “Barcelona”. But Montserrat, to Freddie’s surprise, said that she would not limit herself to one song and could record a whole album with him. With trepidation and responsibility, Mercury began work on a new release. Due to the singer’s busy schedule, recording the album lasted almost 9 months. By the time she arrived, Freddie had already recorded his parts, and Montserrat only had to add her voice (usually in one take).

The first song to be completed was “Barcelona,” which the duo first performed at the closing of the festival on the island of Ibiza in May 1987. In September of the same year, a single with the song was released in Spain and the first 10 thousand copies were sold in literally 3 hours.
However, most saw the performance of “Barcelona”, which took place on October 8, 1988 at a celebration dedicated to the arrival of the Olympic flag from Seoul to Barcelona. There was no time for rehearsals, and Mercury was very afraid of ruining the performance, as a result of which the song was performed to a soundtrack.

Freddie Mercury:
“I had to remember that here I can’t do my ballet stuff - no tricks, nothing like that. No, I should have just walked out in a damn tuxedo and just sung.”

No one could have imagined that the performance of “Barcelona” would be the last public performance of the QUEEN singer. However, Freddie already knew that he was terminally ill, and after recording the album with Caballe, he exclaimed: “What do I still have left to accomplish!”

Dedicated to the memory of the great opera singer

World famous singer Montserrat Caballe left on October 6, 2018. An amazingly pure soprano, dramatic talent, famous bel canto technique, charm and strength - this is how she will be remembered by millions of her fans. Music lovers who are far from opera know Montserrat Caballe as a performer of the composition “Barcelona” in a duet with Freddie Mercury. Read our article about how this unique duet came together.

Bold idea

In May 1983, Freddie Mercury saw Montserrat Caballe in London in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera. The beauty and power of her voice amazed the singer. He became a fan of the diva, followed her work and dreamed of working together, collected her CDs and came to a concert in New York, where she performed Wagner. When Freddie announced his desire to sing with Montserrat, his friends and Queen musicians considered it a crazy idea.

First meeting. Inspired by the Olympics

At the end of 19 In the 1980s, preparations were underway for Barcelona to participate in the 1992 Olympics, and the mayor of the city offered to help the singerwith musical accompaniment. Olympic Games in spirit– youth celebration, and Montserrat wanted to do something modern that could appeal to young people. Montserrat's brother Carlos advised to seek help from Freddie Mercury, who sincerely loved opera and the singer's work. All that remained was to understand whether the musician would like the idea of creating a joint work, because Queen by that time was already a world-famous group.

And here's Freddie flies to Barcelona for acquaintance. The meeting took place in March 1987 in the huge salon of the hotel where he was staying. There were three grand pianos and a remote control for recording music. Freddie asked Montserrat what style of music she would like to hear for the Barcelona anthem. Sitting down at the piano, he began to improvise.

It was an extraordinary event: a meeting between two musicians of the highest professionalism, gaining amazing experience and able to blur the boundaries between opera and rock music.

The emergence of Barcelona

Freddie sketched out a few tunes, and when Montserrat came to London to perform at Covent Garden, they listened to these compositions. One of the melodies the singer liked became “Barcelona”. There were no words yet, but the music was so beautiful that Montserrat decided to present it to the mayor of Barcelona and then received permission to perform it as the official anthem of the Olympics.

Work on the album has begun. The first joint performance took place in May 1987on the island of Ibiza at the famous Ku Club, where they were guests of honor and performed the song Barcelona. Freddie wrote the lyrical text of the anthem himself, dedicating the poems to his hometown of Montserrat. The song talks about a wonderful romantic place where two loving hearts met. The song became somewhat autobiographical for the musicians.

Work and friendship

The album "Barcelona" was released on October 10, 1987. The friendship of people so different in every sense has become a legend. While working in 1987– In 1988, the artists exchanged kisses. One day, when Montserrat, as usual, wanted to hug Freddie, he moved away from her with a gesture, thus warning that he had been diagnosed with HIV. At that time, it was not yet known exactly how the infection was transmitted.

Montserrat cared for her friend’s feelings, respected him as a professional and a person, loved his music and his voice, which went so well with hers. Freddie was not only a rock singer, but also an excellent musician and a very modest person. Once, over dinner at his house, Monserrat said that she adores Chopin’s impromptu fantasy. Freddie immediately sat down at the piano and began to improvise on the theme of the work of the Polish composer. They spent time like this until the morning.

Freddie's last performance

In October 1988, during the ceremony of handing over the Olympic flag to Barcelona festival La Nit Freddie and Montserrat performed three new compositions. One of them, the touching How Can I Go On? (“How can I continue to live?”) about the frailty of human existence was the last one he sang in front of the public. When he performed this song, tears of parting sparkled in his eyes. Freddie squeezed and kissed Montserrat's outstretched hand. He probably felt that fate was taking him very far...

Parting

About a year before Freddie's death, their last meeting took place.

And in 1991, Montserrat came to London to work in a recording studio and called Freddie. The disease progressed. “He wasn’t feeling well, but I really wanted to see him.” Freddie replied: “No, no. Don’t come, I don’t look very presentable right now.” Then, especially for him, Montserrat recorded the Phantom’s aria, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again (“Oh, if only you could be here again”) from “The Phantom of the Opera.” Hearing her magical voice over the studio speakers, Freddie said: “It was wonderful. I wanted you to perform the aria exactly like this. Will you send me the recording?" This was their last conversation. At the end of the song there is a poignant sound: “Help me say goodbye.”

After the departure of her unique duet partner, Montserrat refused to sing “Barcelona” at the opening of the Olympic Games, and the composition was performed in the recording. Montserrat never performed it again. "Nobody can replace Freddie"– she spoke in a firm voice, filled with sadness from an irreparable loss.

At Freddie's house, her costume from Donizetti's opera Lucrezia Borgia, in which Montserrat sang in 1965 at Carnegie Hall in New York, was kept under glass, like a museum exhibit. This dress was returned to her after the death of her friend.

Care

On November 24, 1991, he passed away. Freddie died in his London home from pneumonia progressing against the background of AIDS. Heartfelt friendship bound Freddie and Montserrat to the end. To the aria of D"amor Sull"ali Rosee about a prisoner awaiting execution from operas Verdi's "Il Trovatore" performed by Caballe, the great musician Freddie Mercury left this world.

In his last interview, Freddie said: “I don’t want to change the world, the main thing for me is– happiness. If I'm happy, it shows in my work. No amount of apologies will help... later. I have a feeling that I was myself, and this is the main thing in life– have happiness and joy. Everyone should strive for this as much as possible. But, of course, it depends how it turns out.”

These words can fully be attributed to the musical and human talent of Montserrat Caballe. She was always herself, she was happy, she explored joy and energy, and her wonderful voice filled the hearts of listeners with love and inspiration and, perhaps, still helped the world change at least a little for the better.

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“Barcelona” is the second and last lifetime solo album by the lead singer of the rock band Queen, Freddie Mercury. It was recorded with the participation of opera diva Montserrat Caballe and was released on October 10, 1988.

One might say that fate itself brought these two talented people together. Mercury attended Caballe's performance back in 1983 and simply fell in love with her voice. During a tour of Spain, he spoke admiringly of the singer on Spanish TV. And in March 1987, his dream came true - as it happened, Montserrat Caballe tells:

“In the 80s, the mayor of Barcelona invited me to participate in the preparations for the 1992 Olympic Games. And on the day when Barcelona was chosen as the capital of the future Olympics, I asked to be given the opportunity to do something modern, something that could appeal to young people, but not opera. After all, the Olympic Games in spirit and essence are a youth festival.

Freddie was a man who truly loved opera. And besides, he was my fan. Freddie admitted to me that he collects all my discs, and even came to my concert in New York when I sang Wagner, which greatly surprised me, because only very discerning and professional people can understand such music.

Here, as always, I got in with my opera snobbery. I ask in surprise:
— Do you play the piano?
He looked at me, of course, with a completely destroying look and began to play Chopin’s keys - tarara-tarara. I was simply dumbfounded. I say:
- You play very well.
He laughed and said:
— In my youth, I seriously studied music, studying composition, piano, and vocals.
I'm asking:
— And what kind of vocals did you have?
I only heard him sing rock. He says:
- Baritone.
And he begins to sing scales to me.

I think - and indeed he has a baritone voice. Then I ask:
- Why don’t you sing in such a beautiful baritone?
And he says:
- Because then my fans won’t come to my concerts. Ha ha ha...
So he played some more improvisations and we decided that Freddie would mock up a few tunes and we'd discuss it when I came to London to sing at Covent Garden. This was at the end of 1987..."

Freddie Mercury:
“My voice has been through a lot, and it’s too late to learn anything. My voice is what it is. I just have my range, and its limits depend on the mood I'm in. But this was exactly the voice she needed. She didn't want me to imitate anyone, you know. She needed my natural voice.
...She even thought that I would offer her to perform rock and roll, but I protested: “No, no, I’m not going to force you to sing Brian May’s guitar parts - that’s what I don’t want at all!”

By that time, the composition “Barcelona” was almost completely completed. But Montserrat, to Freddie’s surprise, said that she did not want to stop there and was ready to record an entire album with him. Due to the singer’s busy schedule, the recording lasted almost 9 months. By the time she arrived, Freddie had already recorded his parts, and Montserrat only had to add her voice (usually in one take).

The first song to be completed was “Barcelona,” which the duo first performed at the closing of the festival on the island of Ibiza in May 1987. In September of the same year, a single with the song was released in Spain and the first 10 thousand copies were sold in literally 3 hours. However, most saw the performance of “Barcelona”, which took place on October 8, 1988 at a celebration dedicated to the arrival of the Olympic flag from Seoul to Barcelona. There was no time for rehearsals, and Mercury was very afraid of ruining the performance, as a result of which the song was performed to a soundtrack.

Freddie Mercury:
“I had to remember that I couldn’t do my ballet stuff here—no tricks, nothing like that. No, I should have just walked out in a damn tuxedo and just sung.”

The performance of "Barcelona" was the Queen singer's last public performance. He left on November 24, 1991...

I stand, dethroned,
Completely defenseless, bleeding.
Now, when the finger of fate is adamant,
Will there be someone who will believe in me,
Will he support and listen to prayer?

Montseratt Caballe: “In the 80s, the mayor of Barcelona invited me to take part in the preparations for the 1992 Olympic Games. And on the day when Barcelona was elected the capital of the future Olympics, I asked to be given the opportunity to do something modern, something... something that could appeal to young people, but not opera. After all, the Olympic Games in spirit and essence are a youth festival. It occurred to my brother Carlos to think about Freddie. He was a man who sincerely loved opera. And besides, he was mine a fan. Freddie admitted to me that he collects all my discs, and even came to my concert in New York when I sang Wagner, which greatly surprised me, because only very discerning and professional people can understand such music. That's why we thought about Freddie. All that remained was to understand whether he himself would like this idea - to create something together...

Freddy has arrived. He received me at the hotel where he was staying, in a huge salon, there were three grand pianos and a large modern console for recording music. He asked me what I would like. I say - I don’t know, I only know that I don’t want opera, you have to tell me what is fashionable now. And surprisingly - because you never think that a pop musician can be so musical - he sits down at the piano and begins to improvise. Here, as always, I got in with my opera snobbery. I ask in surprise: do you play the piano? He looked at me, of course, with a completely destructive look and began to play Chopin’s keys - tarara-tarara. I was simply dumbfounded. I say: you play very well. He laughed and said, in my youth I seriously studied music, studied composition, piano, and vocals. I ask: what kind of vocals did you have? I only heard him sing rock. He speaks baritone. And he begins to sing scales to me. I think - and indeed he has a baritone voice. Then I ask: why don’t you sing in such a beautiful baritone? And he says: because then my fans won’t come to my concerts. Ha ha ha... Anyway, he played some more improvisations and we decided that Freddie would mock up a few tunes and we'd discuss it when I came to London to sing at Covent Garden. This was at the end of 1987. In London at his house we listened to four or five melodies, of which the more or less complete line was the one that later became “Barcelona”. I liked her the most. There were no words yet. But the melody itself seemed very beautiful to me. When everything was ready, we received approval and permission from the mayor of Barcelona to perform it as the official anthem of the Olympics. It was a huge event for me. Not only was it a meeting and work with a real musician of the highest professionalism, but also an amazing experience when the boundaries between such different genres - opera and pop music - were blurred."