Not truly a duet, not really, but a great moment sung by great singers: the "miserere" from Verdi's Il Trovatore. Great singing from Giannina Arangi-Lombardi and Francesco Merli, pre-WWII.
So how about a great trio?
The same tenor and soprano, joined by the great baritone, Carlo Galeffi, in a trio from Trovatore. Great stuff for an opera that actually made it into a Marx Brothers film (Night at the Opera).
How's about another trio?
Another Verdi trio, with Elizabeth Rethberg, the legendary Ezio Pinza, and the one and only Beniamino Gigli, from I Lombardi.
Something a little different, perhaps?
This one is from Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia- a wonderful opera that is often overlooked. Alas, the performance is far from what I would like to post, but one quickly gets the idea from hearing that that there are voices out there, but where is the style, and where are the refinements? Alas that is something for considerable discussion. We are in an age where mediocrity reigns supreme- but hey, everyone LOOKS good. This is the problem with audiences who are too used to TV; this is also the problem with modern directors and opera management: fucked up casting.
We all love to look at hot young attractive people. Nothing wrong with that- but Opera is about great singing. My blog is all about what makes great singing- not just technique, but the right voice for the right role, and having the vocal equipment and technique to express the music beautifully and appropriately. These singers in the example above aren't attrocious singers, but they don't sing well enough to truly be able to do justice to this remarkable trio.
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