I don’t know whether to call this collection,
which derives from previous Naxos issues of complete operas and
duets, a pot-pourri, a mélange or a trifle! Not a trifle
in the sense of something of trite value. All the music here is
among the finest composed and some of the performances are of
merit, but this is, so to speak, an edible trifle where one has
to penetrate tasteless custard and jelly before reaching the fruit,
and hopefully the sherry. Given the singing of the tenor it is
an insult to one of the most popular duets in all opera to give
this collection the title it has. In THE famous recording of the
work we all know and love, Björling isn’t perfect in respect
of the French language and style, but he sings with beautiful
plangent tone and elegant phrasing, skills that are beyond Janez
Lotric’s throaty emission (tr.1). Disgusted, I tried the same
duo in the duet from Verdi’s Otello (tr.14) and found the tenor’s
voice more suited to the declamatory style. In both duets the
baritone, Morozov, fields good tone and a reasonable sense of
style.
Tenors are so often the ‘bodies in the woodpile’
in recordings, and this issue fields no fewer than six. Jonathan
Welch, in the duets taken from the complete Naxos Bohème,
is smooth but it is the soprano Luba Orgonasova who is the star
(trs. 2 and 8). Yordi Ramiro is adequate in the Traviata
and Butterfly love duets (trs. 4 and 6), whilst the more
recognized name of ‘Jamie’ Aragall, often Decca’s fall back tenor,
provides a very mixed experience with reedy heavy tone in Donizetti
(tr. 7), strain in Verdi’s ‘Solenne in quest’ora’ (tr. 10), and
only giving a glimpse of his known better self in the duet from
Don Carlo (tr.12). In each case the baritone, Tumagian,
is superior in tone and phrasing. Perhaps the best tenor singing
on the disc, and with the duet from Lakmé (tr.3),
one of the most enjoyable performances, comes from Ramon Vargas
in the duet ‘All’idea di quell metallo’ from Rossini’s Barber
(tr.13). Of course his quality has been recognized and he has
gone on to great things being much in demand by the world’s great
opera houses. Naxos picked a winner there and if this disc is
meant to be a sampler then that is an issue to go out and buy;
the complete opera recording from which the duet is taken has
been widely and justifiably praised.
Good notes on each duet are given, as are full
texts and English translations. I was not enamoured ofy the premature
phasing out of the Tosca duet (tr.9) or the abbreviation
of the Butterfly love duet (tr. 6), whilst the L’Elisir
d’Amore (tr.7) is listed as ‘Venti scudi’ the extract starts
well before; the printed libretto, page 17, is correct. The sound
on all the tracks is good and although individual recording dates
are not given the disc is denoted DDD.
Comparatively priced duet CDs with more starry
names are available. However, their booklet presentation is often
very poor. If you want starry names and the standard of booklet
presentation and information accompanying this disc, you will
pay twice or three times as much. Despite the criticisms this
disc has many moments of enjoyment.
Robert J Farr
see also review
by Paul Shoemaker
NAXOS 8.555797 [77.59]
