culture
Catalonia says farewell to its diva
Schubert’s Ave Maria, ’Lcia ch’io pianga’ by Haendel, ’O mio babbino caro’, by Giacomo Puccini, and ’La Vergina Degli Angeli’ by Giuseppe Verdi, all in the voice of Montserrat Caballé, sounded yesterday at the funeral of the great Catalan soprano as the authorities, led by the former Queen Sofia, the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and the president of the Generalitat, Quim Torra, together with figures from the world of cultural, gathered to farewell the diva. The ceremony was simple and without speeches according to her wishes, with prayers read by her niece and with Father Àngel, who celebrated the mass, emphasising the great esteem in which she was held. In the front row, Caballé’s family was joined by her great friend Josep Carreras, alongside many singers and musicians who had accompanied her on stage in concerts and opera performances. A memorial is to be held in November.