Renata Tebaldi & Carlo Bergonzi in Andrea Chenier "Vicino a te" (1970)

The last opera these two most beloved artists and longtime friends performed together was Andrea Chenier. Renata Tebaldi and Carlo Bergonzi represent an entire school of grand Italian operatic tradition. Their phrasing, the importance of the language, the warmth of their singing and the colour and solid core of their voices define the genre for me.

Renata Tebaldi is heard here in autumnal voice, only a few years before the retirement from staged performances but her charisma and the humanity of her Maddalena still moved audiences. Also notice how much power her voice still has. After this Andrea Chenier production, she sang for the first time at the MET during the '71/'72 season her much celebrated in Italy Alice Ford in Falstaff before concluding her career there with the role the MET audience got to know her in the '50s, Desdemona in Otello.

It's a great loss Carlo Bergonzi did not record his excellent Andrea Chenier with Tebaldi in 1953 when she made her first recording of the opera. They sang the opera together first in 1960 but but as far as I know, only these last performances from 1970 have been recorded.
This video is a tribute to their great partnership on stage, rather than an ideal recording of the duet (N.Y. 9 Oct 1970).

Видео Renata Tebaldi & Carlo Bergonzi in Andrea Chenier "Vicino a te" (1970) канала Orfeus80