Insieme: Opera Duets

by Jonas Kaufmann, Ludovic Tezier, Antonio Pappano

Overview

Jonas Kaufmann is the reigning operatic tenor of the day; his fans will lap this album up, and it is indeed notable that even in this all-Italian program (there are three Verdi pieces in French), there probably is not an Italian singer who could manage similar commercial impact at this point. His rageful work in "Tu? Indietro! Fuggi!" is probably worth the price of admission by itself here. Ludovic Tezier is not a household name in the same way, but he is undoubtedly a top baritone presence in the operas of Verdi and can consistently deliver high-quality performances. So Insieme ("Together") achieves the high baseline one would expect, but it also exceeds them and has something to offer besides star quality. The tenor-baritone duet by singers who perform together often and know each other well was a common format during opera's 20th century golden age; one thinks of Placido Domingo and Sherrill Milnes. Yet such recordings are not so common these days, and Kaufmann and Tezier revive it in fine style with this program of mostly Verdi, a strong suit for both singers, and one piece each by Puccini (from La boheme) and Ponchielli (from La Gioconda). The program begins with these, and that was probably a mistake; Kaufmann and Tezier wouldn't be first picks for the youthful friends in the Puccini, but when the pair tears into Verdi, things quickly get very exciting. Sample the tension in "Le voila! C'est l'enfant!" from Act Two of Don Carlo; one almost wants to see the characters leap onto the stage (and they have, often, in the past). The pair achieve the feeling of spontaneity throughout, which is the key to this kind of project. Antonio Pappano and the Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia are a key cog in this entertainment machine, leaving the singers room to do their thing but contributing expressivity of their own. This will be a major holiday gift item for opera lovers in 2022 and beyond. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	10/07/2022
Label:	Sony Classical
UPC:	0194399870020

Tracks

1. La Boh¿¿me~Quadro IV: In un coup¿¿?...O Mim¿¿, tu pi¿¿ non torni
2. La Gioconda~Atto I: Enzo Grimaldo, Principe di Santafior, che pensi?
3. Les v¿¿pres siciliennes~Acte I, Duo: Quel est ton nom?...Punis mon audace!...T¿¿m¿¿raire!
4. Les v¿¿pres siciliennes~Acte III, Duo: Je n'en puis revenir!...Quand ma bont¿¿ toujours nouvelle...Comble de mis¿¿re!
5. Don Carlos~Acte II: Sc¿¿ne et duo: Le voil¿¿! C'est l'infant!...Dieu, tu semas dans nos ¿¿mes
6. La Forza del Destino~Atto III: Duettino: Solenne in quest'ora
7. La forza del destino~Atto III: Scena e duetto: N¿¿ gustare m'¿¿ dato.. No, d'un imene il vincolo
8. La forza del destino~Atto IV: Scena e duetto: Invano Alvaro, ti celasti al mondo... Col sangue sol cancellasi...Le minacce, i fieri accenti
9. Otello~Atto II: Tu?! Indietro! Fuggi!!...Ora e per sempre addio... Era la notte, Cassio dormia...S¿¿, pel ciel marmoreo giuro!

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ludovic Tezier   Primary Artist,Baritone (Vocal)
Jonas Kaufmann   Primary Artist,Tenor (Vocal)
Antonio Pappano   Primary Artist,Conductor
Accademia di Santa Cecilia Orchestra   Orchestra

Technical Credits

Giuseppe Giacosa   Librettist
Giacomo Puccini   Composer
Arrigo Boito   Librettist
Jakob Haendel   Engineer,Producer
Tobia Gorrio   Librettist
Eugene Scribe   Librettist
Camille du Locle   Librettist
Alexander Buhr   Executive Producer
Jean-Claude Poyet   Liner Note Translation
J. Bradford Robinson   Liner Note Translation
Eva Reisinger   Booklet Editor
Thomas Voigt   Associate Producer
Giacomo De Caterini   Assistant Engineer
Francois-Joseph Mery   Librettist
Francesco Maria Piave   Librettist
Charles Duveyrier   Librettist
Bjorn Woll   Liner Notes
Dirk Rudolph   Design
Amilcare Ponchielli   Composer
Ruediger Sturm   Liner Notes
Luigi Illica   Librettist
Giuseppe Verdi   Composer