As a freelance pianist working with a variety of singers, I am often looking for “programme-fillers”. I make some suggestions here of duets for Soprano and Mezzo and would appreciate others to leave suggestions as comments. I have to include the warhorses. This is just a list off the top of my head, so I would appreciate other input. this post is a companion-piece to a similar short article on examples drawn from the song repertoire per se. A few Handel duets are included but probably require a post on their own.

SACRED:

J.S. Bach: Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten – Kantata BWV78

Handel: “Judas Maccabeus” – “Oh Lovely peace”

Handel’s “Israel in Egypt” – “The Lord is my strength”

Pergolesi: “Stabat Mater –

Vivaldi: “Gloria” – Laudamus te”

Mozart: “Great Mass in C Minor” – “Domine deus” – (Soprano 1 & 2 or light mezzo)

Rossini: “Stabat Mater” – Quis est Homo

Verdi: “Requiem” – Recordare

OPERATIC:

Gluck: “Iphigenie en Aulide” – C’est Mon Pere, Seigneur

Monteverdi: “L’Incoronazione di Poppea” – Signor, hoggi rinasco

Purcell: “King Arthur” –  Shepherd, Shepherd, leave decoying

Handel: “Giulio Cesare” – Son nata a lagrimar + Caro Bella

Handel: “Rinaldo” – “Scherzano sul tuo volto”

Mozart: “Cosi fan tutte” – Prendero + Ah Guarda Sorella

Mozart: “Nozze di Figaro” – Conzonetta sull’aria (2 Sopranos but can work with one mezzo) +Aprite presto aprite

Mozart: “Nozze di Figaro” – “Via resti servita”: hilarious duet between Marcellina and Susanna

Mozart: “La Clemenza di Tito” – Non ci pentiam…Ah perdona al primo affetto

Mozart: “La Clemenza di Tito” – Come ti piace imponi

Mozart: “Mitradate” – Se viver non degg’io

Bellini: “Norma” – “Mira o Norma” – technically pretty demanding

Donizetti: “Anna Bolena” – Dio, che mi vedi in core…Al par del mio…Va, infelice, e teco reca

Donizetti: “Maria Stuarda” – Morto al mondo

Rossini: “Bianca e Falliero” – Ciel! Qual destin terribile!

Rossini: “Tancredi” – Fiero incontro…Lasciami: non t’ascolto

Rossini: “Semiramide” – Giorno d’orror!… e di contento

Bellini: “I Cappuletti i Montecchi” – Romeo and Juliet have many duets and long scenas that can be mined for recital items.

Bellini: “Beatrice di Tenda” – “Angiol di Pace”

Tchaikovsky: “Pikova Dama” – ACT I Sc.2: Duet: ‘Uzh vecher’ AND Duetto – Moi milenki druzhok

Weber: “Der Freischütz” – Schelm, Halt Fest! Ich Will Dich’s Lehren

Humperdinck: “Hansel und Gretel” – Evening Prayer (Abends will ich schlafen gehn ) + “Brother come and dance with me”

Offenbach: “Tales of Hoffman” – Barcarolle (Belle Nuit)

Ponchieli: “La Gioconda” – L’amo come il fulgor + E un anetema

Puccini: “Madama Butterfly”  – Flower Duet (Tutti i fior)

Delibes: “Lakme” – Flower Duet (Viens Mallika)

Strauss: “Der Rosenkavalier” – Presentation of the Rose  (Mir ist die Ehre) + The Final Duet (Spür nur dich allein)

Dvořák: “Rusalka” – Act 1: Tvoje Moudrost Všechno Tuší

Menotti: “The Old Maid and the Thief” – opening scene

Menotti: “The Consul” – The empty-handed traveller

Menotti: “The medium” – Black swan

Berlioz: “Béatrice et Bénédict” – Duo Nocturne: “Nuit paisible”

Kurt Weill: “Lost in the Stars” – Stay Well + Trouble man

Lehar: “Die lustige Witwe” – Ich bin eine anständ’ge Frau

MUSICALS

Bernstein “West Side Story” – A boy like that

Bernstein: “Candide” – We are women

Bernstein: “Wonderful Town” – Ohio

“Calamity Jane” – A Woman’s Touch

“Pal Joey” – Take Him”

“Guys and Dolls” – Marry the Man Today”

Sondheim: “Anyone Can Whistle” – With so little to be sure of

Sondheim: “A Little Night Music” – Every day a little death

For Further Reading please visit:

The International Music Library Project.

Duets for Soprano and Mezzo-soprano drawn from the Art-song repertoire.

David Smythe’s page is wonderfully informative on a variety of voice combinations