Rock Virtuoso Freddie Mercury & Opera Singer Montserrat Caballé United For Olympics Duet To Make Music History

Jan 09, 2023

The pairing of the rock and opera musical genres is not something one comes across very often. Where the former can be said to rely heavily on the spontaneity and unrestrained expression of emotion, opera is guided by the measure and control of robust vocal prowess. However, in 1988, two heavyweights of the genres came together to bless the world with an altogether phenomenal and unexpectedly out-of-this-world live performance that debatably has yet to be equaled.

The pairing of the bombastic frontman of the band Queen, Freddie Mercury, and renowned opera singer Montserrat Caballé was, safe to say, not the most natural idea to have ever been floated. However, when word got around that Mercury was a diehard fan of the Spanish operatic soprano, the idea of their union seemed like nothing short of musical history in the making.

Considered one of the best lead singers in musical history, Mercury was well-known for his theatrical personality and his four-octave singing range. Despite his natural baritone range, he could sing mostly in the tenor range. His live performances never failed to throw the audience into a rapture, with his dynamic moves and engaging personality conveyed seamlessly through his charisma and charm. Caballé, meanwhile, had made a name for herself as an expert in Verdi’s works and of the bel canto repertoire. Finding international fame after stepping in for a 1965 performance of Donizetti's “Lucrezia Borgia” at Carnegie Hall in London, she was a regular and popular feature at leading opera houses, best known for her powerful voice, which she exercised superb control and exquisite pianissimo.

Together, the two took the same stage together for one extraordinary night to thrill the crowd – and the world even decades on – for a once-in-a-lifetime duet.

Born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar on Sept. 5, 1946, Mercury had already made a name for himself as the eclectic frontman of Queen and amassed a dedicated and strong following. At the height of Queen’s popularity in the 1970s, it would’ve been nearly impossible to name another performer who most embodied the zeitgeist of youth culture at the time. His talents weren’t solely restricted to his singing – Mercury is credited with having written 10 of the 17 songs on Queen's “Greatest Hits” album, including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Somebody to Love,” “We Are the Champions,” “Don't Stop Me Now” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” 

Despite his immense fame and popularity, Mercury still retained a high regard for other performers, one of which was Spain’s classically trained Caballé. He made this admiration known during an interview while on tour in Spain, remarking during a radio interview in 1986 that the singer he would most like to collaborate with was Caballé. Word got back to Caballé about what Mercury had said at around the same time she had been tasked with designing something for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. A lightbulb went off, and the opera singer approached the rock legend. Mercury was overjoyed by the offer from one of his idols, according to Express, which reported him saying in one of his last broadcast interviews in 1987:

“She just called up a few weeks ago and said she’d love to work with me. I fell flat on the floor. I thought, ‘My God!’ But I’ve loved her for years. … I’m into opera now. Forget rock n roll. It’s such a challenge, I’ve never thought of writing songs like that. I’m sure the opera critics will slam it but it’s a good challenge at this time in life.”

Unbeknownst then to the world, the pair were working on the anthem for the 1992 Olympics, but their connection grew so strong during the process that a whole album of duets was envisioned and released in 1988 under the title “Barcelona.” The title track of the same name of the album was set to be the anthem to the 1992 Olympics and was released in 1987. It became one of Mercury's highest-charting efforts outside of Queen, topping No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart. However, when Mercury and Caballé finally came together in person to perform the song, things took an extraordinary turn.

In the summer of 1987, at the La Nit festival in Barcelona, Mercury, joined by Caballé, took to the stage together as the audience awaited with bated breath over how the amalgamation of rock and opera would really feel like in reality. What they were left with was nothing short of breathtaking. The pair played to their own strengths – Mercury using his sensational voice to belt out every word with precision as Caballé used her well-honed melodic skills to accompany him – to impressive effect.

In Mercury and Caballé’s performance, the genres of rock and opera found a perfect overlap. As Mercury belted out the words in perfect enunciation, Caballé supported him with her fluid and controlled voice. By the crescendo, the audience was in shreds as fireworks lit up across the sky behind the stage, marking the end of what everyone knew would be a singular experience talked about for years.

While the performance will go down in history as one of music’s most dynamic and revolutionary experiences, it did not have quite the happy ending it deserved. Mercury would not live to see the opening of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, succumbing to AIDS in November 1991. 

What are your thoughts on the epic performance by Mercury and Caballé? Are you a fan of either of their works outside of their duets? Let us know, and pass this along to all the fervent music fans you know.