Rigoletto/Sparafucile duet sing-off Cappuccilli/Ghiaurov vs Milnes/Talvela

The baritone and bass duet from “Rigoletto” is one of my favorite duets in opera. It ends on a low f natural for the bass singing Sparafucile. This is a sing off between Cappuccilli/Ghiaruov and Milnes/Talvela. Who wins? Let me know in the comments. In this duet Rigoletto meets a professional assassin in the alley named Sparafucile. Rigoletto hates the Duke, and he orders Sparafucile to kill him. I will put subtitles in the video so you can follow along. I will also post several more side by side renditions of this duet. Enjoy.

[@mk5244]

…Glad to have had them all four! Sit down and listen in awe. Flawless experts on stage. Mi piace moltissimo

[@singingisnice]

Such a great version!

[@JairFerreira1947]

I think that, here, we have a draw. Four great voices!

[@homagetogreathistoricalsin9711]

Yes indeed. I like the conducting better on the first excerpt because it is conducted by Giulini. All four singers were wonderful singers.

[@acadela3506]

I like ghiaurov as the assassin.

[@paulohenriquepaschoetocass3312]

The better version would be Cappuccilli and Talvela. :)

[@andrewmargrave7518]

Talvela is superior to Ghiaurov as the hired assassin. But the other version is better in all other respects except maybe recording quality.

[@BaroneVitellioScarpia1]

As for the singers, the second version is superior. But I prefer Giulini’s conducting over Bonynge’s.

[@homagetogreathistoricalsin9711]

Giulini was a great conductor. I wouldn’t describe Bonynge that way. The strings sound miles better on the Giulini recording.

[@BaroneVitellioScarpia1]

@@homagetogreathistoricalsin9711 Bonynge is overrated. I hope Riccardo Muti could be the conductor of the 1971 recording of Rigoletto.

[@homagetogreathistoricalsin9711]

@@BaroneVitellioScarpia1 I like Muti, but would he allow the interpolated high notes? He is a better conductor then Bonynge for sure though.