Vincenzo Bellini Gaetano Donizetti Jacques Offenbach - Great Operatic Duets (7 tracks) +Album Reviews

It doesn't get any better than this.........

Wickie L. Bowman | Pasadena, CA USA | 03/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The opera world is full of singers who have beautiful solo voices, and yet, it seems difficult to find the perfect blend of two or more voices. Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne had that chemistry.......but, can you really instantly bring other names to mind? I was reminded, upon seeing Roberto Benigni's film 'Life Is Beautiful', just how great the combination of the voices of Montserrat Caballe and Shirley Verrett really are. One only has to listen to the 'Barcarolle' from 'Hoffman' or better yet, the 'Mira O Norma' from the Bellini bel canto masterpiece to know what a gem is to be found on this recording............it doesn't get any better than this....."

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

Armindo | Greece | 03/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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!"

Absolutely Magnificent

John Jobeless | Corte Madera, CA USA | 10/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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!"

Glorious singing

Michel | Montreal, Quebec | 06/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Montserrat Caballe and Shirley Verrett had two of the most beau tiful voices in the world. The beauty, richness and flexibility of these voices are much in evidence in the bel canto duets of Semiramide, Norma and Anna Bolena, just as they are in the ex cerpts of Aida, Gioconda, Madama Butterfly and the exquisite barcarolle from Les contes d'Hoffman. Glorious singing by glo rious voices. It is unfortunate that these two singers did not record more often together but for those interested in hearing them in complete opera recordings may I recommend Lucrezia Borgia by Donizetti (RCA) and Don Carlo by Verdi (EMI) in which Shirley Verrett sings an electrifying Eboli."

Top-quality duet singing

V. Chau | San Diego, CA | 03/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

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