Jonas and Dmitri sing together from "Pearl Fishers"

[Belle]

I still find it upsetting to watch Dmitri as it's only comparatively recently that this wonderful artist left us:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2MwnHpLV48

Which is your favourite combination for this duet?

[Holden Fourth]

Robert Merrill and Jussi Bjorling. Brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. This has to be one of the greatest opera performances of all time. I don't use the word definitive often but this has to be it.

[John F]

Many beautiful recordings in various languages - Caruso and Ancona, Gigli and De Luca, Bjoerling and Merrill, Wunderlich and Prey. If not for this duet and Nadir's "Je crois entendre encore," the opera would be forgotten, as indeed most of it is. For pure singing, I'd say Gigli is outstanding; for purity of style, Bjoerling.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXudzIAA5pU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PYt2HlBuyI&t=171s

[maestrob]

I grew up with the Merrill/Bjoerling, but later bought the complete opera on CD with Leopold Simoneau and his lovely wife, Pierrette Alarie, and realized that there were massive cuts in the Merrill/Bjoerling. There was a celebratory concert telecast from Carnegie Hall during which Sherrill Milnes sang the duet with Placido Domingo (IIRC), which made some cuts in the intro, but not in the crucial dialogue in the middle section, where the two men vow to remain friends forever.

I presented this scene several times in my competition with those mild cuts, and it works splendidly. I still treasure the Simoneau/Alarie CD as an example of extraordinary French singing.

[Lance]

This was a wonderful clip to watch. Hvorostovsky worked long and right, apparently, right to the end. Such a tragic end to such a glorious singer and career. Thankfully, I have a wide variety of his Philips and Delos recordings. It is hard to believe the man, at such a young age, is no longer amongst us.

[Rach3]

Nicolai Gedda and Ernest Blanc , 1960 :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbAKWOemzjg

[Belle]

Nicolai Gedda and Ernest Blanc , 1960 :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbAKWOemzjg

Very moving!!

[Belle]

JohnF, when Pavarotti was once asked who his favourite singer was he nominated Gigli!! I have that recording of Jussi Björling with Merrill. All these singers seem to use more vibrato than their modern counterparts. Or am I hearing things?

[Lance]

I heard a story about Gigli once (whose voice I adore). When it was stated Gigli was the "second Caruso," he corrected the statement and said he was the "first Gigli!"