L'elisir Contest - Roberta Peters - Carlo Bergonzi

The first part this contest will be the act I duet from L'elisir D'amore. I choose this for all of the obvious reasons, it's just great music! In the hands of world class singers, such as I have provided, this music is just magical. Since this is a duet, there are some overlaps of singers, think of it as a tribute to their art. In the spirit of a providing a variety of singers I am also providing a few clips from the later duet as an added bonus. Once again a score of 1-5 for singing/characterization:
Judith Blegen - Luciano Pavarotti - 1981
Alda Noni - Ferruccio Tagliavini - 1959
Renata Scotto - Carlo Bergonzi - 1967
Roberta Peters - Carlo Bergonzi - 1989
Laura Giordano - Juan Diego Flórez - 2005
Victoria Loukianetz - Giuseppe Sabbatini - 2002
Sona Ghazarian - Alejandro Ramirez - 1984
Norah Amsellem - Roberto Aronica - 2002
Lucia Aliberti - Vincenzo La Scola - 1982
María Bayo - Rolando Villazón - 2005
Ángeles Blancas - José Bros - 1998
Stefania Bonfadelli - Giuseppe Filianoti - 2004
Patrizia Ciofi - Antonino Siragusa - 2006
Mariella Devia - José Carreras - 1982
Patrizia Pace - Giuseppe Sabbatini - 1992
Kathleen Battle - Luciano Pavarotti - 1991
Ruth Ann Swenson - Luciano Pavarotti - 1991
Mariella Devia - Marcelo Álvarez - 2004
Ileana Cotrubas - José Carreras - 1982

Category:

Music

Tags:

• peters
• bergonzi
• opera
• donizetti

[osvaldito55]

At 58 and 65 these two are adorable. 5/5

[Barrowcliffe]

I flew from Ottawa for this splendid performance at the New Jersey Opera in 1989 as Bergonzi is my favourite tenor and Roberta Peters was my introduction to opera when she and Robert Merrill were guest stars on the old Mike Douglas Show. During this Elisir d'Amore, they both sang (99% of the time) like artists half their age: he was 65, she was 59, and it was an enchanting performance, a never-to-be-forgotten lesson in style.

[mmbriggs]

peters is to be greatly admired here, for having worked out her own vocal demons that began to appear in the mid 1960's. there were vowel issues, and trouble with her famous high notes, especially her eflats. but, as seen here, she became a greater artist in her later career, and retooled technique and gives a performance that any younger singer would be proud to be credited with, at her best, she hard to top!

[ceccopisa]

Due grandi cantanti! Complimenti e grazie.

[organdude44]

Roberta Peters is one of the greats. A combination of talent, hard work, technique(William Herman who taught Patrice Munsel and Jan Peerce among others)beauty and NEVER singing roles that were too heavy for her lyric coloratura. Still singing here with a beautiful legato and youthful bloom at almost 60, Bravissima!

[RVP57]

I couldn't agree more. So many of our flash-and-trash so-called 'coloraturas' (Natalie Dassay is a name that springs immediately to mind) could learn much from this COMPLETE artist. I like the honesty she brought to her singing. And Bergonzi as well. Sadly today, they'd not even be given an audition at their age. It's all about who can sing naked at 20.

[Zva26]

Bergonzi goes very flat on the ending climatic note, but he's OK for the most part, though he of course sounded better twenty years before. Roberta Peters is a marvel, sounding as youthful and as accurate as she did 39 years before when she made her Met debut. She endured at the Met for 35 years, and is to be respected and admired for the way she managed her career and maintained her excellence, surviving the huge publicity surrounding both Callas and

Sutherland. She was and is a great lady.

[libro07]

Bergonzi, Bergonzi - the master of bel canto. He does not sound much like the village idiot here, but he is, without question, delivering some of the best, most sumptuous Nemorino singing here, even when not corrected for age. A model of tenors, and he is partnered well here. This is a beautiful rendition indeed. 5 stars.

[guy1938]

2 belles voix je les ai vu dans rigoletto au met opera en 1964 merci pour ce video

[rrgallo]

where are they?

[drdre333]

I never used to pay attention to Bergonzi when I first started listening opera. He came with the package when I'd listen to things like the early Traviata with Sutherland, and the same with Caballe, and I'd go "nice," but that was about it. How reliable a tenor though over the decades.  How many recordings and performances that he was a part of in which he sang as well as the others. I've come to realize and appreciate his talent. 4/4 for the pair (an excellent score, considering their age!)