I will write this review objectively, but I will not avoid praising Caballé when praise is due.

First off, this compilation is amazing! I have always thrilled to hearing Caballé's voice and this compilation is no different. I am amazed at Caballé's instrument; such extraordinary purity combined with great power! Even when she sings pianissimo, she can be clearly heard! Her voice literally fills up the room. These arias really show off her remarkable voice. Of special note is her rendition of the hauntingly beautiful "Non so le tetre immagini". Amazing! Her "D'amor sull'ali rosee" is exquisite, but she sings it too softly. Her trill is quite weak. Voices like hers don't respond well to being forced to trill. The tracks from the 1990's show off the remarkable preservation of her voice. The voice retains its purity and beautiful timbre, but is now heavier and darker. "Sempre libera" is not that good. Her coloratura is not up to par with Verdi's demands and she cannot hit the high E-flat at the end. However, she sings the main part of Violetta's aria very well, with supple, gorgeous tone and ravishing pianissimos. "Ah! non credea mirarti" is ravishing, but it is missing its energetic cabaletta. Presumably, it was cut because Caballé could not deal with the coloratura. Caballé's legato lines in this aria are superb. Her version of the "Lucrezia Borgia" Prologue is masterful. Elizabeth's last aria from "Roberto Devereux" is noble and touching. She is not quite Sills, but that aria benefits from a spinto voice instead of a soubrette one. Her aristocratic phrasing is very well used throughout the selections, with a few exceptions. Her "Willow Song" is beautiful, first time on CD. However, she fails to completely show Desdemona's despair. Some parts were good, but the whole thing failed to touch the heart. Her phrasing here is too indulgent. I have to say that I prefer Sutherland's touching version on her "The Art of the Prima Donna" recording. However, I loved "Ave Maria". Caballé sounds most beautiful when singing softly and this selection really shows her in the best light. Her cadenzas are intoxicatingly beautiful. "Caro nome" is not really her aria. The coloratura is suspect and some of the staccati are replaced with upward flourishes. She avoids the last short passage of staccati. Her phrasing in this aria is way too indulgent and she really fails to suggest Gilda's innocence. Even Sutherland is better at portraying Gilda's girlish qualities. Her "Armida" aria has some nice coloratura. She does the runs really well and is fearless in the triplet passages. For some reason, she does not sing the second "fronde" in the first line of the third stanza nor does she sing the last line of this stanza, "i muti abitator". She also does not sing the last line of the fifth stanza, "il tempo vorator". Caballé's first recorded version of "Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore" is included here. This just may be the most beautiful version of this aria ever recorded. It certainly is Caballé's best version of the aria. The climax is handled in one breath by Caballé. She diminuendos the big high note twice in the same breath. Amazing! The rolling of the "r" in "Signor" after the last diminuendo is quite nasal and reminds us that the sound we are hearing is coming from a human throat. It also shows that these diminuendos are natural and not studio produced. She infuses Tosca's aria with real feeling and piety. The compilation ends with a knockout reading of "Arrigo, parli a un core". Caballé is at her best in this aria. She sings softly to stunning effect. This version may be the most beautiful of this particular aria ever recorded. RCA has done Caballé justice with this wonderful collection. Caballé is truly a remarkable artist with a million-dollar voice. Brava!

This is a prime example of the a major recording label being fickle with the goods, in order to force you to continue buying other recitals and full-length studio recordings. Of course, any Caballe fan would already want to own those other recordings anyway, so the point is moot.

Other reviewers here have cried out against the exclusion of one of her most essential and artistic roles, Imogene from Il Pirata. I would like to emphatically express the same. In fact, I would even have settled for the exclusion of Casta Diva, in favor of Col Sorriso di Innocenza.

Some other stellar recordings not represented her are the Sleepwalking Scene from MacBeth, and Pace, Pace Mio Dio from La Forza del Destino. Also worth mentioning is her O Patria Mia from Aida. She might not be Leontyne Price or Martina Arroyo, but she gives a superb reading of this wonderful aria.

Of course, brevity does require some editing- a true "Ultimate" Caballe collection would span four or five CDs, at least- but to include late-career and less-than-best selections at the expense of others is a crime.

Perhaps the major Opera labels should start letting fans put together the track lists for these "best of" collections! We could do a much better job.

While I applaud any compilation that culls from as wide a recording corpus as Montserrat Caballe's, I actually found myself somewhat disappointed in this 2-CD set. But Caballe's singing is a delight and certainly makes the compilation worth the bargain price.

First, the good stuff. This set captures some material that was not commercially available until now, and it is brilliant. Mostly I am referring to Caballe's partnership with Gianfranco Masini and the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra. With this ensemble she recorded the arias from "La Sonnambula," "Il Trovatore," "Adriana Lecouvrer," "Rigoletto," and "Suor Angelica." Here we find Caballe's voice at its richest and most luxurious. "Caro nome," though not written for someone of her vocal type, is nevertheless a delightful suprise, with a trill that is surely the envy of many, and an ability to sustain it that is remarkable. The other arias with Masini fall right into her vocal style and they are magnificent. Other newly released tracks: an estimable "Vissi d'arte" and a solid "Willow Song."

Also commendable are the Donizetti arias (rereleased here from another recording available on RCA), the "Sempre libera" (from her solid full-length recording of "La traviata"), and the Rossini excerpts, in particular a ripping "D'amore al dolce impero" from "Armida" and beautiful duet with the superb Shirley Verret from "Semiramide."

The somewhat forgettable material invloves late-career recordings of selections from Massenet's "Herodiade," Gounod's "Sapho," and Bellini's "Adelson and Salvini." None of these show off Caballe's mature voice to any benefit, though they are a testament to the power of her voice even through the end of her performing career.

What is disappointing about this album is what it leaves out. RCA culled material from two brilliant albums, "Montserrat Caballe Sings Bellini and Donizetti" and "Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi: Rarities" when putting this compilation together, but they omitted some of the best material from each. No "Ultimate Collection" is complete without Caballe's "Il Pirata" Mad Scene and "Casta diva" from the aforementioned "Montserrat Caballe Sings Bellini and Donizetti." The "Casta diva" that was chosen is mediocre at best. From the "Rarities" album, the compilers should have taken the brilliant final aria from "La Dona del Lago," the aria from "Tancredi," or Mina's aria from "Aroldo."

Granted, it is only fair to evaluate an album for what is on it, but RCA goofed by letting some lesser material crowd out these gems. On the whole, however, this collection is certainly worth the having. And the price is unbeatable. But I cannot quite bring myself to call this set an "Ultimate Collection."

I've played this recording ONLY in my truck for 2 months. I now know it like my own hand. Caballe's life-long devotedness to refining her extraordinary gifts to the purest art marks every inch of it. Felicitous technical genius, an achingly Absolute Instrument of rare beauty--these really are but component parts. What makes Caballe's art unique is the pureness of her fidelity to it -- she seems to have incarnated simply TO SING, period - is there another way to express having experienced this artist's affair with destiny except to call it pure, free of affectation, free of calculation, free of artifice --free, living and pure. She's a rigorous musician -rare enough, but almost unheard of in a singer. She makes rhythm, attention and assurance relevant, she can't help it! Her art LIVES in the subtlest nuances -lightening her voice so one SEES her lifting it at the end of 'Io son l'umile ancella' - turning an I Vespri Siciliani aria into a XXIst century-sounding creation with fioriture effects Berio could sign on to - the infinte patience with which she upholds 'D'amor sull'ali rosee' - and on and on. If you know Caballe's art, you'll love this recording. What can disappoint when one is immediately and inextricably linked to the Pure Infinite? If you've never heard this woman sing, you need to fix that right now.

What can I say? Caballé has a beautful voice and this CD is a delight to listen to. Operatic artistry at its best.

This is a mostly wonderful CD, but contains a lot of material previously released on other compilation CDs. That which is new, however, is worth listening to, especially the lyric aria from "La sonnambula", although she does not do the bel canto fireworks cabaletta which usually follows. Was there ever a better recording of "D'amor sull'ali rosee"? Her selection from Rossini's "Stabat mater" will help you see God, if you're in the mood.

I have at least 30 Monse recordings. She was the first opera singer I heard. Wow, what a collection of beauty. Her pianissimos are amazing. Cheryl Struder said in an interview that Monse is the soprano all the others want to learn from. Placido Domingo said that he does not know how she breathes. I do not know either. Her technique is so perfect and the passion she conveys will bring tears to your eyes like it has brought tears to mine. "E strano/Sempre libera" is great. She does not sing the high last note but anyway that ultra high note is optional in the original score. Her performance of the aria is so good you do not need the high last note. She does some tricks to avoid the final stacatti in "Caro nome" but that aria is not for her voice anyway. But she does it beautifully. The "Si mi chiamano Mimi" is electrifying. "Il primo bacio e mio". Wow. Try also "Vissi d'arte" (Tosca) and "Signore ascolta" (Turandot). May God bless you my lovely Monse. I am looking forward to listen to your next 100 compilations.

That RCA put this disc out in the first place is a great thing for Caballe fans like myself, as they have released into general circulation recordings that had not been available before. Particularly thrilling is Caballe's collaboration with Gianfranco Masini and the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra which merit the most praise. But first things first.

This nicely priced two-disc set is somewhat of a hit-and-miss affair, but what is good is very good and worth the purchase of the set. Firstly, what does not work so well. A few quite recent recordings made their way onto the disc but serve little purpose other than they are curiosities that are rarely anthologized. These include selections from Gounod's "Sapho", Massenet's "Herodiade" and Bellini's "Adelson e Salvini" (though this is an exquisitely orchestrated piece of music--one of Bellini's most entrancing). None of them are sung overwhelmingly well, though they are not bad either. They show a voice that has aged though one that still retains a statliness that will seemingly never desert Caballe.

Also, a huge quibble I have with RCA concerns what they left out. Why they did not include her recording of the Mad Scene from "Il Pirata" that she made for RCA in the early 1960's or the "Casta Diva" from the same period (both found on the recital disc "Montserrat Caballe Sings Bellini and Donizetti") is beyond me. They are two of the greatest aria performances caught on record. Ever. The "Casta Diva" they use instead is woefully sub-par for Mme. Caballe (even if the coloratura is astounding). And the exclusion of "Il Pirata" altogether is a head-scratcher as it was one of her signature roles. They also could have taken more impressive selections from the RCA "Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi Rarities" set than they did.

But on to the good stuff. From that "Rarities" album they did cull magnificent recordings from Rossini's "Armida" (simply awesome) and the Stabat Mater (also impressive). Caballe was actually a great interpreter of Rossini, which perhaps gets lost amid her great triumphs in Verdi, Donizetti, and Bellini. The "Semiramide" duet with the wonderful and underrated Shirley Verrett is a delight.

Puccini also fares well with a sparkling account of "Vissi d'Arte" and a solid "Mi chiamano Mimi" (off her brilliant full-length recording of "La Boheme"-- a must-have) and a super "Suor Angelica" (with Masini).

Verdi also fares really well. She offers a strong "Traviata", and her accounts of the arias from "Il Trovatore", "I Vespri Siciliani" and "Rigoletto" are marvels. These are some of the pieces she did with Masini and they are truly finds. She is in peak form here. "Caro Nome" is a master class in singing even if the aria is probably not intended for her vocal type.

Also with Masini are arias from "La sonnambula" and "Adriana Lecouvereur" which are equally brilliant. Wow!

The Donizetti also impresses even if they are not my favorite pieces. But Caballe's mastery cannot be denied. Rounding out the disc is a decent "Pagliacci".

All in all, this is a frustrating disc for the exclusions, but a thrilling one for the Masini recordings. These make buying the discs worth it for me. I do not think Caballe devotees will be disappointed!

This double-CD compilation album does very well in presenting a representative and comprehensive selection of Montserrat Caballe's encyclopedic repertoire. Both arias and scenes are included in this collection of some of the greatest operatic works. It is both representative of Caballe's work as well as the history of opera.

Caballe is one of a handful of the greatest sopranos who can lay claim to the title of Prima Donna Assoluta and with this album, it cannot be denied that she can lay claim to being THE greatest soprano in history. Her repertoire is unrivalled for its breadth and genre and her recorded legacy is unmatched for its comprehensive and exhaustive scope. Her technique is faultless, her breath control legendary and her voice a paralysingly beautiful combination of molten gold laced with honey and alcohol

This album earns top grading for its selection of scenes. My particular favourite is the Weeping Willow scene from Otello. As Desdemona, Caballe is perfectly in sinc with the character and her passion and feelings. Recorded in 1964, a year before she earned world-wide acclaim, this recording shows us just what it was that had been denied the world for almost a decade before being discovered.

Already, Caballe displayed most of the qualities that made her the star that she is today. Plangency of tone, matched with a real sense of urgency and the unmistakably poignent limpid tone with which she fleshed out the character are the foundation by which this Desdemona is based. As the scene progresses, Caballe is not only singing the role but is living the character. Her artistic conviction is so strong that we are held spellbound by her and are also involved. She could not have bettered herself when she ended the scene with a liltingly beautiful held pianissimi that thrilled and chilled.

Other arias are no less spectacular. Hear her career-making role, Lucrezia Borgia in which her voice is perfectly suited to the bel canto strains of the melody. She is matchless in Vissi d'arte when she climaxes and strings the three top notes in a single breath. Simply must be heard to be believed.

This features many obscure works as well as well as previously unreleased recordings. Get this as a starter to your Caballe library or get this to supplment your current collection.

One of the most (if not the most) versatile soprano I can think of! She has successfully performed from Verdi and Puccini to Mozart and Rossini, from Donizetti and Bellini to Wagner and....The list is long! Among the most beautiful soprano voices, an amazing breath control (I've once timed her pianissimo sustained for 25 sec!) and almost flawless technique (listen to her endings!).

This set contains some of her great moments. I especially admire her Traviata (you also get to hear my favourite Bergonzi), her Norma, her Lucrezia Borgia and her Suor Angelica but she is not less memorable in the other moments. A wonderful tribute to a great artist and woman! Strongly recommended!

THAT is a great cd!!! Or better TWO CDS!!! The sound is great, the collection is great and the PRICE is great!!! I would buy it even if it were more expensive! Si, mi chiamano Mimi, Casta Diva..... What else could you ask!?? When i saw this cd i wasn't even thinking on buying anything, but there were TWO cds, the price was very good, and what a collection! like, the best cd(excluding complete operas) that you could have on this diva! If u buy it you won't regret!!!!!

As a great fan of Montserrat Caballe's I loved this collection! Highly reccomended!