L. Pavarotti & M. Guleghina "Vicino a te" Andrea Chenier

[1gomidas]

No matter how or who critique, this was pair made in heaven, I think it was very well balanced as far as being - high notes both- and I think Pavarotti is so much in- to- it that you could feel him as

he lives the moment and by the moment he's with it, you can just close your eyes 9after the first time you hear them) and elevate up up and away.....LOVED IT

[ThePavafan]

he drowns her totally on the last note.pav is the best

[helloitsamyinaustin]

I love this duet! Pavarrotti is excellent in this role!

[helloitsamyinaustin]

I love this duet!

[mariologo]

luciano.... luciano........... a ben 61 anni avevi ancora tante cose da dire

[canonmax128]

bravi！！！

[jazzychazzy007]

With all the greatest respect to all of these postings, and all of the artists, Callas/ Del M. win out over everyone.

[rossmcl177]

Tebaldi and Del Monaco..... Carreras and Caballe...... Now this. Three superb versions of this duet on Youtube. Watch all of them! This one might just be the best.

[jmccracken1963]

@rossmcl177 You want the best (and with NO downward transposition of the second half)? Try Corelli and Tebaldi from Vienna 1966 or New York 1966, Corelli and Farrell from New York 1966, or Tucker and Tebaldi (either Chicago 1956 or New York 1960). You'll hear two singers giving their FULL "2 liters of blood" (thank you, Renata Tebaldi, for that lasting reference)!!!!

[RoOodOoOloOmeg]

@jmccracken1963 Pavarotti and Caballe is good as well, even though I don't like Caballé's attempts to portray a verist role, Pavarotti does a very good work there.

[LyricArt]

maravilloso! Que grandes PAVAROTTI, GUlEGHINA Wonderful!

[Lindow]

I saw this very same performance live in the house back then. And it was like in this clip - she completely drowned him vocally. Whenever they hit a high note together all you could hear was her. We were amazed by the masses of sound that came out of her mouth filling this huge auditorium.

[Mooorhe]

Guleghina has a huge voice and does that to most all tenors whom she encounters; alas, she's not at all refined in her singing.

[ThePavafan]

@Lindow please dont lie, because i was there and apparently you werent because she didn't drown him at all. It wasn't like on this video they were almost always even except on the last note when Luciano drowned her totally. On the video cant be same as in the auditorium because the higher voices are always more appealing to the camera. In fact he was a lot louder than her

[SerPetKo]

Паваротти как всегда вне конкуренции, эталон (на мой взгляд). А вот Гулегина мне никогда не нравилась.

[calaf0911]

@SerPetKo But I like Her!

[HChambers60]

Pav does not hold his high notes as long as Corelli (see Cor-Teb/Ed Sullivan) nor do they have the ring in them. Still very passionate performance. Tucker did this well but the best is Corelli.

[martello79]

Major cheating here: the orchestra refrains from the modulation around 2:58 which makes the rest of the duet a semitone too low.

Perhaps it helps for the vocal chords but it does not take away the lack of expression. On the contrary; the brilliance has gone completely from the chords in this B flat and the singers do not add much to it.....

[bodiloto]

- 5  !!!!!!!!

[LiricumLord]

Oirlos es como poesia pura, simplemente un extásis supremo!

[110778231246]

Pavarotti è sempre un grandissimo, sempre grandi lezioni di canto...Grazie di essere esistito...

[iriisblue]

I loved Pavarotti, but this role was not for him. Admittedly, he's older here, but this music requires a dramatic quality that his great voice never had. Here, he just goes for wide and loud. And with this soprano, the performance has no pop and sizzle. The Caballe-Carreras pairing at the centennial gala was superior to this, but no one touches Tebaldi and Corelli (Well, maybe Milanov and Tucker).

[Bobbyo60]

How about Tebaldi and Del Monaco???

[iriisblue]

First rate. Do you have the 1960 Tokyo performance? His first two acts are vocally impressive, but he's just out of gas by the time "vicino a te" rolls around--and Tebaldi isn't holding back. There is a 1960 performance from Vienna with Tebaldi/Corelli that will blow your mind.

[Bobbyo60]

I do have that performance.

Del Monaco has a special place in my opera heart. He was Othello in the first opera I attended.

My father took me to it, and WOW..

[iriisblue]

Lucky you! Vocally, was there any better Otello than del Monaco? I don't think so. Vickers was great, Martinelli, too, and even Domingo. But I don't think anyone beat Mario's majesterial execution of the part. A real heroic sound. I've never heard Melchoir's version, but while he was certainly legendary, I would want an italianate sound in the role

[sugarbist]

@iriisblue Del Monaco was my favorite in Otello with his clean line of singing&excellent diction and phrasing. But Giovanni Zenatello was a great dramatic tenor and also sang over 400 performances of Otello but more so in a similar style of Martinelli.Merli and Pertile were great Moors. Enjoy

[operafan85]

It was Pavarotti's last new role.

[ERIKEPAIOS]

GULEGHINA BEST EVER

[dee1153]

He is superb at ANY AGE. The greatest tenor of all time.

[operaspark]

Couldn't agree more.

[TheRealEmit]

Viva la morte insiem!

[spizell]

I thought it was awesome. Acting, singing, you critics learn to enjoy the artistic renederings of great artist.

[acozadores]

Viva La Guleghina y Pavarotti, los quiero mucho....

feliz 2008

[Dymension]

Pavarotti's biggest problem in this performance is that he was toward's the end of his career. Had he done it 6-7 years earlier it would have been much better. That said, it wasn't bad. My friend who was rehearsal pianist for this production said he was scared out of his pants..

[vinoverita]

Hi Dymension,

As a winner of the Pavarotti International Voice Competition (a long time ago!), I had the opportunity to work with Pavarotti side by side for about 6 weeks. We had a very nice friendship for about 6 years or so. He coached me and all. Anyway, I'm very aware when he's feeling in good form or scared. And you're friend is spot on when he says he's scared stiff in this production.

James:)

[Dymension]

Interesting, that after this performance, I think it was the following year he sang Ballo with Deborah Voigt and because Gustavo was not new, it was "settled" he was in rare form. My friend got me in to see that performance. That broadcast is available as part of the Rhapsody subscription, as many of the past Met broadcasts are...

[Leoboy729]

I remember taping this when it first aired. Levine helps him out by taking the second part of the duet down a half step, as many singers have requested in the past. As a fellow singer, you probably noticed this right before Maddalena sings "Abbracciami! Baciami! Amante!" (2:57.) Instead of the orchestra going up a half step to B major as in the score right before she sings this line, the orchestra stays on the same chord (B flat major) which shifts all the remaining music down a half step.

[Betcha22]

I love him. He is in another league next to a screaming russian voice. No italian qulaity what so ever. please. Bravo Luciano.

[Betcha22]

she had no top. that is good? The voice has a hole gapping in the middle and she and Licitra were not very good at all. Pity.

[CONTESTAR]

I have to confess I love Pav's timbre and I agree (from what I have heard live in the nineties!) that it was rather modest in size.

However, it remains a mystery to me how amazingly and full the voice recorded! You would think microphoes were in love with his sound!

[RADAMES1983]

thank you very mach!!

7 min. of a hevan joyful!!!

[sloppycowpe]

2:50 she sings Joe Pascuale. (UK readers will understand....)

[OperaBR]

IMO both Pavarotti and Guleghina are excellent in this video! I like the way Guleghina gets clearly involved into the drama, what is even more impressive with the estactic Pavarotti besides her. However, Pavarotti's voice was still so beautiful even at his late 50's! I'd say it's not an ideal performance, but very valuable anyway. ;-)

[powerinpraise2000]

fascinating that Guleghina's voice was this clear and gorgeous. She sounds like a totally different person. And the top is gone. Trittico was a disaster.

[lungdoc]

I could be wrong but to me it sounds transposed down. Perhaps better ears than mine can comment on the subject without having to resource to the old debate that "everybody does it" because that is not my point.

[BeauTenor]

I think you're right; down 1/2 step.

[8calaf5]

chenier isn't suitable for a lyric tenor even if the tenor is called pavarotti:)

[hightenor123]

Oh I disagree, that is a strange and grumpy attitude. Chenier is appropriate for any voice that can be heard over the orchestra, and bring across the text. After that it is a matter of interpretation. Pavarotti's voice , a 60 year old lyric, had thickened and strengthened into the part.

[BeauTenor]

As much as I hate to say it, I agree a little bit with Calaf. Pav's voice was a marvel, but it was always essentially lyric, even if age did darken it a bit. I think the role is better served with a spinto or dramatic tenor voice. Heppner does a GREAT Chenier, as did Corelli. Although, I will say, I like this vid a LOT. His Final B sounds great.

[BeauTenor]

although, now I listen to the whole thing again...I think it's lowered a half step.

[hightenor123]

I dont think it is lowered, I think the key is B flat. that is what every recording I have ever heard is. Del Monaco, Carreras ect...

[BeauTenor]

Ok pulled my score. I though it was B nat, but I was wrong too. It's actually written in C. Flats all OVER the place though, so the key changes back and forth.

[espacecardin]

The original key is B natural, Del Monaco sings it in the original key on '57 Gavazzeni superb recording.After 1959/60 Del Monaco transposed it half a tone (Bflat).Domingo always transposed it half a tone, Carreras I have to ckeck his '85 Scala Chenier.Pavarotti is a great singer but he is completely unsuitable for this role,he was a little tenor

[abd0987]

".Pavarotti is a great singer but he is completely unsuitable for this role,he was a little tenor"

Well, Pav's voice was bigger than Gigli's, who's greatest success was Chenier.

[8calaf5]

perfect:chenier is suitable for a spinto or a dramatic tenor such as fanciulla del west, forza del destino, otello ect..pav is a fantastic duca d mantova in rigoletto..anyhow del monaco is the best chenier:)

[Tenor6507]

Pavarotti Great Maestro!!!