This is a duel between two giants: the German tenor Jonas Kaufmann and the French baritone Ludovic Tézier. Conducted by one of the current specialists in Italian opera, Antonio Pappano, at the head of his beloved Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, this is truly a musical feat! Sensuality, lyricism, tragedy and redemption combine, and though Kaufmann doesn’t always have the familiar tessitura or tone possessed by the likes of Bergonzi, Pavarotti or Gedda, this doesn’t detract from the intense listening pleasure!
When the two singers first met for the Paris Opera's production of Werther in 2010, an obvious friendship developed into a very intense professional and personal bond. This programme covers all the major milestones in their joint professional careers, as well as new and uncharted territory with rarely recorded repertoire: from Verdi and Puccini to Ponchielli (including the French version of the Sicilian Vespers, which is usually performed in Italian). The French version of Don Carlos is also portrayed here (in memory of the 2017 performances at the Paris Opera; a real success for the two singers, then conducted by Philippe Jordan). The programme also includes an excerpt from La Gioconda—which Jonas Kaufmann sings here for the first time—as well as Ludovic Tézier's first Iago in Verdi's Otello. A magnificent album. © Pierre-Yves Lascar & Sony Classical