It isn't often that a pair of tenor opera singers comes together in a way that is likely to make the world quake beneath their feet. The last time I heard opera singers that remotely sounded as perfectly made for each other, it was the team of Carreras, Domingo and Pavorotti. However, Marcelo Alvarez and Salvatore Licitra in their upcoming album, “Duetto,” are just such a team.

Lucky for me, the album that should be in stores June 24th, came to me early for review, or at least highlights from it. While I can’t comment on the tracks that I wasn’t privy to hearing yet, I can tell you volumes about the ones I have heard. Bottom line? Everything is good. In fact, as you will come to find out, though the songs written especially for them aren’t in English, it hardly matters, as is true with any good operatic work.

The first thing that is important to note about this album specifically, is that it will have likely appeal to those who don’t even like opera. While the music is decidedly opera in nature, the pieces themselves aren’t traditional. They cross over into a more modern style. The melodies, while likely unfamiliar in nature, have many elements common to mainstream music.

Each track is somewhat of a story unto itself, calling the listener to look both deep within themselves and at those performing the music. The depth of voices seems to open into another dimension calling emotions and feelings to the surface. These feelings, at times, even blend into the music making it an intensely personal and rewarding experience.

The album itself is a paragon of recording technology and skill. The music sounds extremely crisp and does not overpower the voices of the vocalists. It is well defined in the bass range, exceptionally full bodied in the midrange while possessing a sweet lush sound in the treble, even to the upper ranges. It is entirely possible to imagine the orchestra performing behind Alcarez and Licitra without even resorting to the world of make believe.

As well recorded and mixed as the music is, it pales in comparison to the tenor voices of Alcarez and Licitra. While I am certain that the album would sound better utilizing the SACD format, this disc is one of the few that is so exceptionally recorded it's a mere heartbeat away. The vocals are alive and full of fire and energy. Luckily the limited range of musical frequency reproduction that CDs possess doesn’t corrupt the purity of their voices. Instead, it is hard to tell that it is even a recorded performance.

I don’t know what the final release will have as content. However the four tracks that I got to hear are enough to make me run out and buy this album. I'm betting that this album wins awards. If it were up to me, it would win more then one, hands down. If you can’t wait till the album’s release, like me, the pair are due to appear on PBS, June 14th. Check your local guide for listings.

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Marcelo Alvarez
Salvatore Licitra

Duetto

Released: June 24, 2003
Origination Year: 2003
Time: 66:10
Tracks:15
Produced by: N/A
Engineered by:N/A
Mixed by: N/A
Mastered by:N/A
Style: Studio
Format: CD
Enhancement: None
Label: Sony Classical
Website:
www.marceloalvarez.com

Oltre La Tempesta
Siempre Adorarla
Odissea
II Volo
Fantasma D'amore
Dovunque Sarai
Solo Amore
Maria
Son Gli Occhi Tuoi
Je crois entendre encore from Les Pêcheurs de Perles
Mia per sempre
Viaggio
Vita Mia
Au fond du temple saint from Les Pêcheurs de Perles
Beyond the Storm (Oltre La Tempesta)