# Single Round: Duet. "Solenne in quest'ora". Bastianini and Corelli, Tucker and Merrill



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

By request. Just the first duet on the first video




 Just the first duet of three.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Bastianini may have been the one with the throat cancer, but it's Corelli who sounds forced and strained. It's interesting that once the duet is over and he has declamatory phrases to sing, he sounds fine, but in the legato lines of the duet we hear his typical mannered sliding around, into and between notes, as if "legato" meant the same thing to him as "portamento," or as if he just hadn't bothered to think about it. He actually aspirates, with a grunt, between grace notes and the notes that follow, and his famous diminuendo sounds as if he's being throttled by some external force. The sliding makes me seasick, and the general sense of effort makes me physically uncomfortable. Richard Tucker didn't have the easiest-sounding vocal production either, but he doesn't sound tired, and he's musically more subtle, tasteful and dignified.

I feel no need to factor the two fine baritones into the equation. The tenors, who have more to do in this number, decide it, and it isn't close.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Aside of those remarks, what else did you not like about Corelli? LOL
Actually, I too agree. It was a baritone face-off for me and because of that Team Bastianini won (Corelli or no)

(thank you John) )


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> Aside of those remarks, what else did you not like about Corelli? LOL


I'll tell you sometime in private.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

I love Corelli & Bastianini together. Enough said.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I prefer Bastianini over Merrill, but the tenor does have more to do here. I love Corelli. Technically he has issues, there's some throatyness, too much bad nasality and there are some uncomfortable tones at times. However, Tucker isn't great here either and he sounds much better on his studio recording with Callas. In the end Corelli wins for his emoting and that wonderful rubato in the middle.

Corelli and Bastianini win (although I would love to hear the earlier version from 1958 as well as Tucker and Tagliabue). You could also really mix things up by comparing with Corelli and Merrill live from the Met.

N.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

I've never been a fan of Corelli. He has particular recordings that I admire, such as his early Turandot film with Udovich, where he displays some wonderful phrasing and dynamics. Generally, however, his line is not as smooth as I want, his tone his harsh and blaring, and musical sense is not at all to my taste. When I hear him sing I only ever hear Corelli trying to make a huge heroic sound. And he does. But I usually lose interest in it very quickly. Bastianini is not in great shape.

Merrill and Tucker take it away.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Tucker isn't is as good voice here as he is on the Callas recording, but I still prefer him to Corelli, who indulges in all sorts of unmusical messing around with the musical line. Both tenors annoyingly aspirate, but Corelli is the bigger culprit.

The baritones are both good, but they have less to do. In any case, Bastianini fell into the asprirate trap a couple of times too (hard not to, I suppose, when your partner is doing it). 

Tucker and Merrill for me.


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