Search - Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, Ricciarelli :: Domingo Opera Duets with Milnes and Ricciarelli

Great duets sung by great voices.

09/21/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD contains some fabulous male singing! The duets for baritone & tenor are reason enogh to purchase this CD, because they were recorded when both men were in their prime (early 1970's). The male duets of Verdi, Bizet and Ponchielli are the jewels of that genre. For the price, you should definately snatch this CD for your collection."

Duel of the Tenor and the Baritone

Rudy Avila | Lennox, Ca United States | 11/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Placido Domingo was a big star in the RCA label and on this Golden Seal recording (the best) he is prominently featured in various operatic duets with baritone Sherill Milnes and in two duets with the beautiful soprano Katia Ricciarelli. Especially impressive are the duets between Milnes and Domingo, who were paired quite frequently for the magnitude of their combined voices. Sherill Milnes may be criticized for lacking enough character in his renditions of baritone roles but he could never be accused of singing with technical vocal brilliance. His loud, unsubtle voice was perfectly matched with the dramatic top of Domingo's tenor voice. In their duets, we get fiery, intense and furious duels for voice, each trying to beat the other, two alpha males in fearsome vocal combat. When Domingo sings with Ricciarelli, it is lovemaking! Their voices are rich, beautiful and colorfully textured.



Excerpts from La Forza Del Destino: Domingo and Milnes sang a sensational Forza for RCA opposite Leontyne Price. In this recording we are treated to their duets "Solenne in quest'ora" and "Invano Alvaro tu celaste al mondo", truly wonderful! Milnes and Domingo put down their vocal weapons and sing with luxurious abandonment in the more restrained, less tense duet from Bizet's Les Percheurs the ravishing "Au Fond Du Temple Saint". They once again resume the passionate duel of voices in the more dramatic duet in Ponchielli's La Gicanda. With Ricciarelli, he sings a romantic duet from the turn of the century opera Francesca Da Rimini, about the doomed adulterous lovers in Dante's Inferno. Their voices are beautifully meshed. Ricciarelli worked mostly with Jose Carreras, whose chemistry was stronger but I wish she had sung more recordings with Domingo (they would have made stunning Toscas, Trovatores, Madame Butterfly and Traviatas). The love scene at the end of Act 1 of Madama Butterfly is exceptionally sung. Their voices rise and fall with the tide of passion in the music. It's sublime. And this truly golden album culminates with perhaps the most thrilling tenor/baritone duet "The Oath Scene" from Otello "Giuro Per Mare" in which Otello and Iago swear to make justice for the supposed dishonor committed by Desdemona. Their voices are bombastic and inspirational, crowning this recording on a very high note.













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