Duets: Rolando Villazon & Ildar Abdrazakov with Yannick Nezet-Seguin and Orchestre Metropolitain de Montreal

Rolando Villazón and Ildar Abdrazakov, together with Yannick Nézet-Séguin at the helm of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain, have recorded an album of French and Italian opera duets for tenor and bass/baritone. Set for release in September, this is the singers’ first album together and marks Abdrazakov’s debut on the yellow label.

The history of recording boasts a long and glorious tradition of duet albums – think of the pairings of Maria Callas and Giuseppe di Stefano, Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni, and Plácido Domingo and Leontyne Price, to name but a few illustrious collaborators. Rolando Villázon himself has already joined forces with one stellar partner in the studio – he and Anna Netrebko released their duet album ten years ago.

Together he and Villazón put together a programme of stylistically diverse scenes from operas by Bizet, Boito, Donizetti, Gounod and Verdi. Among their choices are classics such as “Au fond du temple saint” from Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs de perles – perhaps the most famous tenor-baritone duet of all – and less familiar excerpts such as “Son lo spirito che nega” from Boito’s rarely performed Mefistofele.

The week-long recording sessions took place in a church in Montreal. Although the workload was intense, all the participants were brimming with admiration for one another. Rolando Villazón has spoken in glowing terms about Abdrazakov’s “chocolatey and characterful voice” and his “outstanding technique”, while conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin is full of praise for the two singers: “They were so perfectly in tune. Naturally, the two of them have very different voices, but their colours blended together wonderfully. It was truly beautiful to hear!”

 

Here is a short promo clip for the CD:

 

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