BJÖRLING
FAUST, Gounod – Salut! Demeure chaste et pure
DUET
LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES, Bizet –Au fond du temple saint
BJÖRLING
CARMEN, Bizet – La fleur que tu m’avais jetée
BJÖRLING
L’AFRICAINE, Meyerbeer – O Paradiso!
DUET
DON CARLO, Verdi – Io l’ho perduta!
MERRILL
RIGOLETTO, Verdi – Cortigiani, vil razza dannata
MERRILL
IL TROVATORE, Verdi – Il balen del suo sorriso
DUET
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO, Verdi – Solenne in quest’ora
MERRILL
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA, Verdi – Eri tu
MERRILL
OTELLO, Verdi – Credo in un Dio crudel
DUET
OTELLO, Verdi – Si, pel ciel
MERRILL
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA,Mascagni – Il cavallo scalpita
BJÖRLING
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA, Mascagni – Mama, quel vino è generoso
MERRILL
PAGLIACCI, Leoncavallo – Si può? Si può?
BJÖRLING
PAGLIACCI, Leoncavallo – Vesti la giubba
BJÖRLING
LA BOHÈME, Puccini – Che gelida manina
DUET
LA BOHÈME, Puccini – O Mimì, tu più non torni
Since the early 1930s, when radio broadcasting became relatively commonplace, recordings by world-renowned singers were able to reach audiences not necessarily interested in the art of operatic singing. However, hearing beautiful melodies sung by great voices quite often struck a responsive chord in the musical consciousness of the general public, and during the latter half of the 20th Century many an operatic aria or concerted piece became, in modern parlance, a classical ‘Top of the Pops’. Certainly in the early 50s the 78rpm recording of the lovely duet from Bizet’s Pearl Fishers sung by Jussi Björling and Robert Merrill, colleagues at the Metropolitan Opera New York, became a huge seller, introducing over the airwaves two of the finest voices of their generation.
“This wide-ranging conspectus of the Viennese soprano shows her class in Mozart, her delicacy in Verdi and Puccini, sensuousness in Strauss and her foreign charm in Coward and Novello.” BBC Music Magazine, November 2008 *****
“The Swedish tenor and the American baritone achieved huge sales with their Pearl Fishers duet, and are equally distinguished in equivalent pieces from Don Carlos, Forza, Othello and La bohème.” BBC Music Magazine, November 2008 *****
