Amici e Rivali -- friends and rivals (not "frenemies," but generally one or the other) -- are terms that suffice to describe the contents of
Rossini's rather slender output of tenor duets, in general not a common form in 19th century opera. Tenors Lawrence Brownlee and Michael Spyres don't have a lot to work with to put together an entire program, and one of the attractions of this Warner Classics/Erato release is how well they do at this: the sequence of pieces feels something like an opera. It lacks a slam-bang finale, but Brownlee and Spyres bring in other singers (mezzo-soprano
Tara Erraught and tenor
Xabier Anduaga) just often enough to allow the addition of material that keeps things flowing. The paucity of tenor duets has an advantage: although "Il barbiere di Siviglia" is here, and the moderately popular "Otello," there are some very rarely performed pieces present, including those from the underrated (musically, at least) "Ricciardo e Zoraide." The combination of Brownlee's and Spyres' voices, lighter and fuller, respectively, is attractive. They are not interchangeable, but both get a chance to shine in the macho "Otello" material.
I Virtuosi Italiani under Corrado Rovaris keep out of the way of the singers, as is proper, and the sound is clear. An enjoyable release that will also fill a few holes in Rossini collections.
