Customer Reviews

Katia Ricciarelli & José Carreras in Concert

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This is a compilation of actually two recitals in 1975 and 1976. The sound is consistent. It's not first rate, but it has been edited by Gala, so coughing and other noises don't intrude into performances. After each number there are applause, but that's pretty much all we hear of the audience.
The singing itself though is beyond compare. Both singers were at their youthful prime, they have performed and recorded together by that point, and they have an easy rapport and their interpretative instincts are spot-on.
What amazed me is the difficulty of the programme itself. While the artists do perform a couple of "staples", the bulk of it is consists of numbers rarely performed in recital settings. In fact, some of the excerpts they picked are from operas seldom recorded or performed altogether, like Rossini's "La pietra del paragone", Bellini's "La Straniera", Verdi's "I Due Foscari" or Mercadante's "Il Giuramento".
As "wow" things go, Carreras sings "Angelo Casto e Bel" from Donizzetti's "Il Duca d'Alba" with an optional high C at the end, and Ricciarelli manages to sound like two different people singing such different Puccini's roles as "Tosca" and "La Rondine".
Their duets are the highlight of this CD. I don't think I heard a more ardent passionate "O Soave Fanciulla" ever (and that duet IS recorded and performed many a time).
Both singers have switched to much heavier repertoire in the 80's, some argue that this caused vocal issues for them. (I, for one, enjoyed Ricciarelli's Aida and Carreras's Don Jose just as much as any lyric stuff they did, but that's a matter of opinion). This CD, though, is a great testament of their early sound, and with their studio recordings from that era being precious few, I would easily recommend it to any opera fan.