CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

The Most Famous Opera Duets

Search: Tristan und Isolde Act II - O sink hernieder- Nacht der Liebe
from: EMI Classics

Release Date April 12, 1994
Maybe these don't represent absolutely the greatest duets in all opera. But they represent some awfully good ones! The CD begins with a duet from "Les Pecheurs des Perles" (Puccini) and ends with the gloomy Miserere (from "Il Trovatore," by Verdi). In between are many more operas, from Donizetti and Mozart to Strauss and Wagner. Some of the finer singers of the past half century appear in various of these duets.

A bit more detail on a handful of these to illustrate.

"Sull'aria" from Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro." Heather Harper and Judith Blegen sing the parts here. This is a sweet duet from the opera. The singer's voices meld well together and this represents a poignantly sung piece.

"Ah! Verrana a ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
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First Bayreuth Recordings, Vol. 2 (1928): Tristan und Isolde

Search: Tristan und Isolde Act II - O sink hernieder- Nacht der Liebe
from: Grammofono 2000

Release Date June 15, 1999
Maybe these don't represent absolutely the greatest duets in all opera. But they represent some awfully good ones! The CD begins with a duet from "Les Pecheurs des Perles" (Puccini) and ends with the gloomy Miserere (from "Il Trovatore," by Verdi). In between are many more operas, from Donizetti and Mozart to Strauss and Wagner. Some of the finer singers of the past half century appear in various of these duets.

A bit more detail on a handful of these to illustrate.

"Sull'aria" from Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro." Heather Harper and Judith Blegen sing the parts here. This is a sweet duet from the opera. The singer's voices meld well together and this represents a poignantly sung piece.

"Ah! Verrana a ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Tyristan Und Isolde - Live: Munich 1950

Search: Tristan und Isolde Act II - O sink hernieder- Nacht der Liebe
by: Treptow

Release Date January 01, 1997
I first heard Treptow as Siegmund in Furtwangler's Walkure and fell in love with him. He is the most poignant, romantic and vulnerable Tristan I have ever heard. In comparison, I find that Vickers' Tristan sounds like an old irritable soldier. Combined with Knappertsbusch conducting, this rendition is a masterpiece well worth hearing even if you already have your favorite Tristan.

CD-Charts Position 4
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Helen Traubel And Lauritz Melchior Sing Wagner

Search: Tristan und Isolde Act II - O sink hernieder- Nacht der Liebe
from: Sony

Release Date June 29, 1999
Estos discos vienen presentados en un envoltorio no habitual: en lugar del típico estuche de plástico se utiliza una fina funda de cartón (no sin abundantes reseñas). Otra particularidad es que en ninguno de los fragmentos cantan a dúo Melchior y Traubel: siempre son acompañados, el uno o la otra, de un tercer cantante (de un nivel, por lo general, no comparable) que hace pareja con uno de los "protagonistas". Aunque también hay números en solitario y fragmentos exclusivamente orquestales. Dicho ésto hay que afirmar que los dos discos son de un nivel de calidad más que excepcional, de una altura superior a lo mejor de lo que se suele conocer, incluso en los preludios orquestales (magníficos). Hay más de 90 minutos de Tristán e Isolda ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
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Wagner: Tristan und Isolde

Search: Tristan und Isolde Act II - O sink hernieder- Nacht der Liebe
from: Video Artists Int'l

Release Date October 28, 1994
This is a 1936 recording of a live performance conducted by Reiner and featuring Flagstad and Melchior. The sound quality is very good for such an old recording. The conducting is spectacular but the orchestra is not as clearly audible as I would like, given the state of the art of sound recording in that year. Flagstad is simply perfect -- a joy to listen to. Melchior is also outstanding. This is a truly wonderful recording made by a conductor and singers in their prime. It is one of the gems of my opera collection. Highly recommended.