Here are soprano Sondra Radvanovsky and baritone Placido Domingo in the complete Leonora-di Luna duet from Trovatore, from a concert given on January 17, 2009.

Link:  premiereopera.libsyn.com

This and all Podcasts are available at http://www.premiereopera.com

Enjoy!

Best wishes,

Ed

Richard Tucker and Ljuba Wesitsch in a lovely scene from Die Fledermaus, recorded in 1950.

I think Tucker's voice sounds particularly lush here, and Welitsch sounds lovely.

This is from the recently released remastered copy done by Mark Obert-Thorn for Pristine Audio. If you wish to purchase the entire operetta, please go to their website at www.pristineclassical.com

Enjoy this delightful duet!

Ed

In November of 1956, a great gala concert was announced in Chicago. Among the singers were to be Tebaldi, Simionato, Bjoerling, Bastianini. Bjoerling cancelled a week or two before the concert, and Tucker was asked to fill in, and did so.

London/Decca recorded this entire concert, but only released a single LP of Tebaldi, Simionato, and Bastianini. All were London/Decca recording artists. Tucker was exclusive to Columbia, and was not included.

About 40 years ago, Tucker gave me his selections, which he had somehow been given on a small reel to reel tape. These selections are on this rare Podcast. I have seen the program, and it says that Tucker also sang the entire "Invano Alvaro" duet from Forza with Bastianini, but this was not on Tucker's tape. I imagine it is in the London/Decca vaults.

The program is:

1. Tucker- Ma se ma forza perderti- Ballo (with stretta!)

2. Tucker- Addio alla madre- Cavalleria

3. Tucker- E lucevan le stelle- Tosca

4. Tebaldi/Tucker- Final duet (in key)- Andrea Chenier

These selections are in perfect sound, as you will hear. They are a treasure, and a reminder of the great singing that "spoiled" more than a generation of opera goers, myself included. The Chenier duet is simply astounding. Sung in the original key, Tebaldi and Tucker shake the rafters of the huge auditorium. Their top notes are a perfect match. Huge and huger! And what gorgeous singing.

Tebaldi makes an interesting musical error near the end of the duet. At the soft part, when she sings "e la morte" she sings it up a third, ending on a Gb above the treble staff. Tucker, thinking very quickly on his feet, sings his next line a third lower, up to a mid Db, and Tebaldi again sings her next line a third higher. Then all is fine. However, this mistake wouldn't be noticable if one never heard this music before, since it is all in the written key, and fits just fine.

I feel sure you will enjoy this truly great Podcast.

Best wishes,

Ed