CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 2007

Audio of the Month, DECEMBER 2007

Opera Duets

 

'Now that Christmas is once again just around the corner, it is my chance to wish everyone who reads or contributes, wholly or in part to Grandi-Tenori, a very "Happy Christmas and a successful and prosperous New Year." Grandi-Tenori has its problems just like any other website but it is here to be read by anyone and everyone, including the odd one or two who choose to sneer and criticize from a distance, but no matter. They are still included in my best wishes for Christmas and the future. I've lived long enough to have done with grudges and petty squabbbles which when you come to think on it, are of no consequence in the greater scheme of things. Having got that out of the way, I offer for everyone's enjoyment a few opera duets which naturally enough include tenors. They may not be everyone's first choice but even so, they make pleasant listening.

1. Letter Duet: J'ecris a mon pere...On l'appelle Manon (Manon: Massenet). This is a 1932 recording with Ninon Vallin and Miguel Villabella. Villabella was born in 1892 in Bilbao, Spain, but he was essentially the most elegant of French tenors of his era. He charmed with musicianship rather than power and stupendous high notes and he is a delight to listen to. (r1932)
2. C'est une chanson d'amour (Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Offenbach). A 1928 recording with Emma Luart and Gaston Micheletti. A contemporary of Villabella, Micheletti was born in Corsica. He made his debut at the Opera-Comique in 1925 as Des Grieux in Massenet's 'Manon.' His career was mainly in France although he also sang in England, South America, Belgium and Luxemburg. He retired back to Corsica and died in 1959. (r1928)
3. Gia nella notte densa (Otello: Verdi). a 1952 recording with Eleanor Steber and Ramon Vinay. I first made an acquaintance with this recording, and the voice of Vinay, in 1955. I know that many will not agree with me but Vinay is for me, the greatest of Otellos. This recording does not form part of a complete set more's the pity, because it is one of ( if not the) Vinay's finest performances, well recorded and conducted by Fausto Cleva with Eleanor Steber as an outstanding Desdemona. (r1951)
4. Vogliatemi bene (Madama Butterfly: Puccini). Another 1952 recording which formed part of my early collection, this time coming from a complete set with Renata Tebaldi and Giuseppe Campora, an excellent tenor who inexplicably did not find much favour with the major recording companies. The original Decca recording on LP had a 'fizzy' quality peculiar to Decca at that time, but here it has been re-mastered with more than acceptable sound quality. (r1952)
5. No Pagliaccio non son (Pagliacci: Leoncavallo). A 1954 recording with Maria Callas and Giuseppe Di Stefano. At the time, it was hailed as the definitive 'Pagliacci' and it's hard to think of a complete set that has superceded it. Giuseppe De Stefano, whose career was to be disappointly short turns in a magnificent performance as the raging grief-stricken Canio. (r1954)
6. Parigi o cara (La Traviata: Verdi). This live recording of 28th March 1965 from Munich features the voices of Canadian-born Greek soprano Teresa Stratas singing Violetta for the first time and the irreplaceable Fritz Wunderlich who was to die in a tragic accident within 18 months. Had his career continued, who can say which path he would have trodden? Many feel that he would have become the oustanding Mozartian of his era and that may be so but I like to think that he would have devoted a goodly portion of his career to Verdi and Puccini where he was equally comfortable and quite superb. (r1965)
7. Qual occhio al mondo (Tosca: Puccini). An old favourite but this time in the capable hands of the superb Raina Kabaivanska and Nazzareno Antinori, an extremely good tenor who was active in the 1980's but now seems to have unaccountably slipped toward the ranks of 'forgotten, or soon-to-be.' This would be unforgivable because this fine tenor gives an exceptionally good performance as Cavaradossi. (r1984)
8. Vicino a te ... La nostra morte (Andrea Chenier: Giordano). Recorded in 1929, this is a rivetting performance from Margaret Sheridan and the illustrious Aureliano Pertile who delivers a thrilling open-throated rendition as the doomed Chenier on his way to the guillotine arm-in-arm with a more than capable Margaret Sheridan. (r1929)

That's it, my thanks go to Joern H. Anthonisen, a good friend, for his patience and his presentational skills. Merry Christmas!