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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bjorling and his friends - what opera is all about!, September 14, 2004
If someone were to put a gun to my head and make me pick only one favorite Jussi Bjorling CD ... I would probably be dead. With unsurpassable work in a wide variety of repertory from French and Italian opera to German leider to Scandinavian song to popular "chestnuts" both in studio and live performance, one choice from the great Swedish tenor is near impossible. Still, this classic disc of operatic duets would be a top contender, not only for Bjorling's miraculous singing but also for equally splendid contributions from deservedly legendary colleagues.
The centerpiece of this disc is five duets recorded by RCA in 1950 with Bjorling and one of his most frequent stage partners at the Metropolitan Opera, baritone Robert Merrill. While this great American does have competition for the title of "Greatest Baritone of the Twentieth Century", I don't think any of the other contenders can match him for sheer beauty of voice. The title track, "Au fond du temple saint", is probably the most famous tenor-baritone duet in operatic history. This rendition has won just about every classical music and operatic poll for "Best Recording Ever", and no wonder.The blending of Bjorling's and Merrill's voices is so beautiful that it sounds like a duet between two Stradivarii, a violin and a cello, and is suffused with their real-life close friendship. While this has been sung with better French diction and it's a pity that the central section of the duet ("Elle fuit!...Elle fuit! Mais dans mon ame soudaine") is cut, when you hear these voices shining with love and sincerity, none of that matters.
"Don Carlo" is my favorite opera and it is tragic that the aria "Io l'ho perduta!" and the following scene with Rodrigo is the only evidence on commercial recordings of what may have been Bjorling's greatest stage assumption. In fact, the recording sessions for this shortly preceded Bjorling's and Merrill's first Met performances in the opera. Bjorling perfectly captures Carlo's anguish and idealism, and Merrill's rich tones give his revolutionary true nobility. Likewise, "Solenne in quest'ora" from "La Forza Del Destino" makes one wish that Bjorling and Merrill had recorded the entire opera. At least the two singers did make a complete recording of "La Boheme" that is a serious candidate for the greatest opera recording ever made. Just as in that "Boheme", recorded six years after these sessions, the "O, Mimi tu piu non torni" here is full of cheerful banter, sweet nostalgia, passion, and resignation.
Even these magnificent interpretations, however, pale before the monumental Act II "Otello" duet "Si, pel ciel marmoreo giuro" which (understandably) concludes the CD. Not even the deservedly lauded rendition by Enrico Caruso and Titta Ruffo is quite this extraordinary. The way that Bjorling makes the high A of "morte" blaze and sings "sterminator" almost two octaves lower with equal aplomb will likely make your hair stand on end. His cry of "Sangue! Sangue! SANGUE!" is, well, bloodcurdling, and he and Merrill together make the drama just explode.
Interspersed among these five duets are four selections taken from complete RCA opera recordings featuring Bjorling. The great Croatian Zinka Milanov, perhaps second only to Rosa Ponselle as my favorite dramatic soprano, partners a heroic and genuinely loving Bjorling in the love duet from Act I of "Tosca" and the Tomb Scene from "Aida". In both selections Milanov provides not only a voice of unparalleled beauty, richness and depth, but also the exquisite piano singing that made her famous. In the Tomb Scene the two singers' final, pianissimo B flat on the "si schiude il ciel" which concludes the opera is enough to send anyone - least of all Aida and Radames - to heaven. Des Grieux in "Manon Lescaut" is perhaps Bjorling's greatest complete role on commercial recordings, which is saying a great deal. In the Act II confrontation between Des Grieux and Manon, Bjorling paints every word with deep and specific feeling, and the rapport between him and the great Italian soprano Licia Albanese is electric. Albanese has an odd trick to her vibrato that makes her sound older than ideal for Manon, despite the beauty and freshness of the voice itself, but if anything this only adds drama and urgency to her portrayal. In the the "Signore, ascolta!...Non piangere, Liu" sequence from "Turandot", Bjorling provides far more sensitivity and nuance to his Calaf than most interpreters of the role do - note, for example, the exquisite tenderness of "dolce mia fanciulla". The "unshed tear" quality of his voice is perfect for "the man who smiles no more". Renata Tebaldi's radiant, heartfelt Liu, who spins out long phrases and creamy tone, is an ideal partner.
The singers are lucky to have such fine conductors as Erich Leinsdorf ("Tosca" and "Turandot") and the underrated Jonel Perlea ("Manon Lescaut" and "Aida"). However, Renato Cellini, who handles the Bjorling/Merrill collaborations, is often competent but rarely exciting. The Rome Opera Chorus provides excellent contributions to the "Turandot" and "Aida" excerpts, and the supporting singers - particularly Fedora Barbieri's glorious Amneris and Giorgio Tozzi's sympathetic Timur - are outstanding.
Especially considering its low price, this is probably the best disc one can buy to introduce a newcomer to the world of opera. In this light, it is unfortunate that it includes no texts or translations, but there are some brief notes on Bjorling and synopses of each selection by producer Richard Mohr (in English, French, German, and Italian), as well as photographs of all the singers. About the only reason not to buy this particular CD is the availability of the material elsewhere, primarily on RCA's 2-CD set "The Ultimate Bjorling Collection" . After buying this, you must also get the complete operas excerpted here, and then start dipping into the growing number of solo discs available of these four incredible singers. No music collection, let alone opera collection, can afford to be without them.
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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pearl Fishers and Patroits, September 29, 2001
Here's a true story: 40 years ago a man's driving his car,; "The Pearl Fisher" duet comes on the radio; the man pulls over and is brought to tears. 30 years later the same thing happens to that man's son - by the same song, same singer.Jussi Bjorling (and Robert Merrill) sing about loving the same woman but putting aside that to remain friends. I know of no men singing that can create more sublime music as this. Also transcendent is the third song ("Io l'ho perduta" from Don Carlo). I don't have translated lyrics but when they get to "liberta" - that leaves me in a puddle. I don't care what you normal musical preference is for; if you are unaffected by Jussi Bjorling, sell your ears to someone who'll use them
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most famous opera duet recording ever, May 25, 2004
In January 1951, Jussi Björling - who posessed the most perfectly developed singing voice in history - recorded duets with the American baryton Robert Merrill. Although Björling had never sung the Pearlfishers duet before, his first and only recording of it became a landmark in the record-history. The free and completely unstrained notes that flows from his perfect instrument are without paralell. The beauty is breathtaking and his singing is divine throughout. Mr.Merrill has his share of the glory, but it is Björling who makes the experience sublime.
In other duets like Don Carlo and Otello, he gives a lesson in dramatic singing to all dramatic tenors; del Monaco, Corelli, Domingo, Bergonzi et al. These classic duet recordings are mixed with later recordings when Björlings voice was darker, but his art and interpretation had developed even further. In the Nile scene from Aida, he sings so beautiful with Milanov that it is a sheer bliss from beginning to end.
When or if RCA decides to make transfers of these fantastic recordings from the original mastertapes which will add to these recordings more beauty, fullness, clarity, dynamic range and vocal nuance, then they will be in every true music lovers cd-collection.
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