Editorial Reviews

If you're already in the mood for love, then you probably won't need Be My Valentine: Music for Two, a double-disc compilation of vocal and instrumental duets pulled from Deutsche Grammophon's vaults. However, if you'd like to set a romantic mood for your sweetheart or just get into a warm and fuzzy space by yourself, this collection provides more than a little romance in 34 of its 37 tracks. Opera is featured on the first disc, with celebrated numbers from Puccini's "La bohčme," Offenbach's "Les Contes d'Hoffman," Verdi's "La traviata," Mozart's "Die Zauberflöte," and several other selections from the most famous operas; the second disc is devoted to romantic chamber works and arrangements for solo instruments with piano accompaniment. True to Deutsche Grammophon's high standards, the recordings sound marvelous, with little variability in volume levels, textures, or clarity, and the performances by the label's leading artists are never less than fine. Yet if there is one nit to pick with this twofer, then it has to be the odd inclusion of the Cambridge Buskers in the final three tracks, playing eccentric arrangements for flute and accordion that break the sentimental mood of the rest of the album. Still, aside from these peculiar offerings, which can be skipped without qualm, this is a good collection to give on Valentine's Day, and at the mid-range price, a more cost-effective present than a box of chocolates. Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

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