Rival Queens

This is a fun disk to listen to. Both singers are great (though I think Genaux is superior, and muhc less gaudy with her coloratura). This isn't the best Baroque aria recital disk out there. Cenčić and Jaroussky, for instance, have both recorded some great disks, as has Genaux ("Arias for Farinelli" is widely praised as one of, if not the, greatest opera recital disks ever made). But this disk is, above all, a lot of fun. Even the pictures in the booklet are really hilarious, as they reference the infamous fight which took place on the opera stage between two opera celebrities of the eighteenth century—the album's inspiration.

I couldn't wait to receive my copy of Rival Queens, and I certainly was not disappointed. The singing, the artistry, the vocal pyrotechnics, all testify to the brilliance that was the age of 18th century opera. If Faustina Bordoni (Hasse's wife) and Francesca Cuzzoni were half as good as mezzo soprano Vivica Genaux and soprano Simon Kermes, then they surely deserved their reputation as the reigning divas of the day. The collection of arias is revelatory with many written expressly for these historic singers. When you consider 12 of the 15 selections on this disk have never been recorded before, and were composed by composers you rarely hear about, you can readily see why this is a must have CD for any opera lover or early music fan. I can't wait for Vol. 2 of Rival Queens.

Anyone interested in 18th century opera should own this cd. The singing by both "Rival Queens" is first rate & the selections (12 of the 15 tracks are first ever recordings) are outstanding. Wonderful arias & duets by some unfamiliar composers make this a must have. Informative booklet with text of arias. Only complaint was the track timings are missing.

Wow, some great music. Every opera lover will enjoy this fantastic list of arias.

Spectacularly great singing.

"Rival Queens" bases itself on the rivalry between two famous female singers of the eighteenth century, Faustina Bordoni and Francesca Cuzzoni, and pursues that theme by having our two modern "rivals" pictured in some fairly silly poses with boxing gloves and the like. I suspect that our 'rival' singers, Vivica Geneux and Simone Kermes, could hold their own with the historical rivals if the ladies from that distant era could be brought back to life. Geneux is better known in the U.S., and she commands a formidable technique, but Kermes is an even more technically spectacular singer of baroque music. On the disc, Kermes takes most of the pieces that are more showy and Geneux does more of the pieces that relate to 'feeling' or 'sweetness of voice'. The repertory is interesting and almost all of it unrecorded before. If there is a problem, it seems to me that there is a sameness to many of the da capo arias, but there are also a few duets. Enjoyable for the performances and for any enthusiast of baroque opera wanting to expand their knowledge

This collection has a wide perspective of baroque composers, and their styles. They converge on their approach to suit the female soprano voice with fluffy rhythmic pyrotechnics. This music echoes a divergent contrast to the solid showmanship written for the male sopranos at the time.

Fabulous voices dazzling performances on this CD

It's okay, it didn't send shivers down my spine or make the hairs on my arms stand up but pleasant enough listening

Beautifully sung. The material was not to my taste.

It must have been very tempting to bring Simone Kermes and Vivica Genaux together as arch rivals Cuzzoni and Bordoni. Kermes has already produced a disc based an Cuzzoni's Handel roles whilst Genaux has produced a disc of Hasse and Handel arias written for Bordoni. Their rivalry is legendary and I have always wanted to hear something from Bononcini's 'Astianatte', the opera where they physically attacked each other on stage! Sadly, the Bononcini arias are, for me, some of the least interesting on the disc. My own highlights include arias by Hasse, Vinci, Sarro and (the unknown to me previously) Pollarollo.Both artists are very good but Vivica Genaux has the edge for me and is consistently pleasing. She is more of a mezzo than a soprano but Bordoni's roles are often taken by mezzos, so presumably her voice WAS darker than we might expect. Kermes is a little less consistent - indeed, I found her opening number on the disc, by Giuseppe Arena, to be rather disappointing. She quickly improves though and her high notes are as impressive as ever (her bottom is her weakness). As a small side note, the title of the disc suggests that all the material was written for the two rivals and this is a little misleading - there are a few duets on here which the ladies would not have sung together and a couple of arias written for castrati which, according to the notes, the ladies MAY have appropriated! Its fair enough though - its natural that the producers would have wanted to include a few duets and (if Handel's 'Alessandro' is anything to go by) its unlikely that Cuzzoni and Bordoni ever agreed to duet again after THAT opera! This is very enjoyable for anyone who loves baroque opera.

Per gli amanti delle arie barocche questo album è imperdibile. "Si sfidano" due tra le migliori soprane e mezzo soprane in circolazione, facendo rivivere i fasti dei teatri londinesi della prima metà del settecento, dominati dall'opera italiana e dall'eterna tenzone tra Francesca Cuzzoni e Fuastina Bordoni! Il tutto ad un prezzo incredibile