Great Operatic Duets

Magic

I remember when this album was first released on vinyl disc so many years ago. Caballe and Verrett had sung and recorded together quite a few times, and there was definately a wonderful chemistry between them. Of the many duets here, I particularly remember "Mira Norma" and the "Barcarolle" as utterly haunting. It is rare for singers to have such a "magical" quality in performance, and RCA wisely captured them in their prime in some of the most wonderful duets of the operatic genre.
As an interesting sideline, your readers might like to know that Caballe and Verrett were engaged to sing Norma at the Paris Opera probably around the time of this recording. Because of a Chorus Union Strike with the Paris Opera Chorus, a performance was cancelled just before they were to go on. Maria Callas, who was retired at that time and lived in Paris, had heard on the radio about the strike and cancellation. She invited Caballe and her husband, tenor Bernabe Marti, and Shirley Verret to dinner at her home that very evening.
After that dinner with Maria Callas at her home, Caballe and Verrett became friends with her and she graciously advised them on their careers. I can't help but feel that they absorbed something of Callas influence to express themselves "more" in the music. Certainly this album in no way copies Maria Callas, but both Caballe and Verrett are at the height of their vocal and expressive powers. Enjoy. This album is Magic. October 2, 2007

Verrett Is a National Treasure

The two tracks of these women singing Rossini and Bellini are more than worth the price of this CD! I have an extensive collection of operatic LPs and CDs and have heard many others sing all the duets on this CD. These two women do it best! If you can recall seeing Olympic ice-skater Scott Hamilton in his prime, imagine TWO perfect voices PRECISELY hitting their "marks" (notes) in a beautifully prancing, rapid succession the way Hamilton's feet used to do! And Diva Verrett, now about 70, is currently passing her craft on to others at U Michigan as a voice professor! I only wish that more of her recordings were available now. If you are new to bel canto singing, this is an excellent CD to begin with. If you are a more experienced listener, this CD belongs in your collection! November 11, 2003

Caballe & Verrett dazzle in bel canto, Verdi AND verismo!

One thing that is enjoyable with this CD is that it includes duets from operas of different styles. Here we have bel canto, late Verdi and verisimo.

It is amazing how exquisitely these two ladies sing all the different styles! Moreover, they feel every word they sing. Other reviewers compared this duo with the Sutherland-Horne one. I admire both Joan and Marilyn but they show little understanding of what they are singing; they are too busy impressing us with their high notes and fast coloratura.

The best moments are the bel canto duets (if only there was more). Caballe is unsurpassed in this area. Try to get her complete recordings (Norma, Il Pirata, Lucrezia Borgia). Verrett too had a big success in this repertoire. Pity they didn't record the Stuarda duet as well. The Barcarolle is ethereal, the best I've ever heard while the Aida duet passionate and moving, just as it should be. Caballe and Verrett don't really have verisimo voices but the two selections on this CD are enjoyable.

I join the praise of the previous reviewers and highly recommend this recording! March 25, 2003

Top-quality duet singing

This recording is fantastic! Both Caballé and Verrett are great. Caballé has her lush, powerful voice. Verrett has her dark, rich, equally powerful voice. The two sing very well and are involved dramatically. The duet from "Semiramide" is great. However, Sutherland and Horne do it better. Their coloratura is cleaner and more spectacular than Caballé's and Verrett's. The duet from "Anna Bolena" is done well. However, I prefer Verrett's version with Sills. Sills is dynamite as Bolena and she has a top register equal to that of Verrett's. The duet from "Norma" is fantastic. In the case of this duet, I find Caballé and Verrett to be every bit as good as Sutherland and Horne. The duet from "Les Contes d'Hoffman" is great. Their voices blend beautifully. The duet from "Aïda" is done very well. Verrett is a subtly menacing Amneris, which is quite effective. The duet from "Madama Butterfly" is terrific. Caballé did not sing Butterfly very well, but here, she is magnificent. Verrett is a sympathetic Suzuki. I don't think she ever sang the role on stage. The last duet is from "La Gioconda". No complaints here. Both singers are in top form. I wish they had included the Confrontation Scene from "Maria Stuarda". All they needed to do was to cut out the lines of the other singers in the scene. Caballé and Verrett were great together on stage as Maria Stuarda and Regina Elisabetta, respectively.

This duet album is the perfect compliment to "Belleza Vocale" with Hei-Kyung Hong and Jennifer Larmore. March 11, 2003

Absolutely Magnificent

Of all the great opera solo and duet recital discs (Jussi Bjoerling singing almost any Verdi or Puccini; Sutherland/Horne in Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti; Fritz Wunderlich, Edda Moser or Margaret Price in Mozart; [name your favorites]), this is probably the most thrillingly beautiful I've ever heard. The gorgeous sound of these 2 great voices and the almost palpable excitement they generate are as glorious now as when I first heard this on LP about 25 years ago. Whenever I'm trying to convince a non-lover of opera what he or she is missing, this is my ultimate weapon when all else has failed -- it always works! October 8, 2002

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