No Tenors Allowed

Famous Italian Duets for Baritone and Bass

Miguel Gómez-Martínez

Thomas Hampson, Samuel Ramey

I recently purchased this CD and I don't think I've stopped listening to it. Each of the 8 duets presented is performed beautifully. Both Hampson and Ramey are in fine voice and were obviously having the time of their life recording this - the whole CD is just brimming with energy.

I'm ashamed to admit that I'm not familiar with any of these arias (except "Cheti, cheti immantinente") in their original context, although I will definitely be looking into some of these operas in the near future. For now I'll just give a kind of general review; without more background I can't give a really in-depth analysis. I will say that I think I have listened to the first selection, "Se fiato in corpo avete" from Cimarosa's Il Matrimonio Segreto, about a zillion times already. I'm starting to wonder if it's possible to wear out CDs because if it is I'm certainly about to do so.

Track 2, "Cheti cheti immantinente" is hilarious; this is the one duet I'd previously heard in context and I have to say that of the two or three Don Pasquale recordings I've sampled this is the best performance of this piece I've heard so far. Both the second Donizetti track ("Israele, che voi?" from Marino Faliero) and the one Bellini selection (I Puritani, "Il rival salvar tu dei") are brilliant as well.

The four Verdi selections are exquisite, particularly the lively final track "Tutte l'armi" from Un Giorno di Regno. Oddly enough, although the CD is subtitled "Famous Italian Duets for Baritone and Bass" the French version of the Don Carlo duet ("Restez!") is included rather than the Italian. I suppose the piece is technically Italian in origin, having been written by Verdi. I'm not familiar with Don Carlo except to know that that opera has both a French and an Italian version, but anyway the duet is beautiful.

Both performers do some really fantastic work on this CD. One thing I find fascinating is that there is never any doubt who is singing; Ramey's darker, seemingly bottomless bass is easily distinguished from Hampson's equally rich but lighter, more youthful baritone. Both mix beautiful singing with very animated (but never forced or exaggerated) vocal acting, bringing out each character as a unique personality. Miguel Gómez-Martínez seems to have a good sense of tempo for each of the duets - though I don't know what is usual for these pieces I can say that his tempi definitely work musically. The singers are supported by fine playing from the Münchner Rundfunkorchester.

My only criticism of this CD is the insert, which contains only the Italian excerpts without any translations; my grasp of Italian covers only what I have picked up from listening to opera so an English (or even a French) translation would have been helpful. A brief summary of the context of each song is included, so I was able to figure out what was going on, but it was difficult. The only explanation I can think of is that translations would have made the booklet too thick to stick in the CD cover.

As I said, I don't have the familiarity I'd need to really analyze the performance of each track as an excerpt from its parent opera, but I can tell you that this CD succeeds where it counts - I enjoyed it immensely. Isn't that the point, after all? Anybody who loves Italian opera should run out and get this CD now. Period.

Originally Reviewed:

30-Nov-03