Being distinctly impressed by Erin Morley and Lawrence Brownlee’s performance at Koerner Hall las month, I got my hands on the CD on which the tour is based. It’s much the same material but with orchestra which really changes things up a bit. It’s a different order too. They begin with six numbers in French starting with comic duets from La fille du régiment and Le comte Ory. It’s very playful but backed up by exquisite technique. There’s no sense of strain despite some serious high notes and some exacting coloratura passages for Morley. The orchestra; the Múncher Rundfunkorchester conducted by  Ivan Repušić sounds great too.

Next comes the first solo piece; “À cette voix quel trouble … Je crois entendre encore” from Les pêcheurs du perles. It’s a very lyrical tenor aria which allows Brownlee to show that he can sing beautifully with no fireworks. It’s followed by more Bizet; a rather dramatic and sad duet from La jolie fille de Perth which makes me very curious about that opera! Then comes a very dramatic and ardent duet from Lakmé followed by the soprano aria “Où va la jeune Indoue”. This is quite a piece! It features a long, intricate vocalise and slow lyrical passages containing some very tricky coloratura which is navigated with aplomb by Morley. There’s also some very interesting writing for tuned percussion.

Then it’s on to three Italian numbers. The first is a rarity: “Di mia patria o bel soggiorno” from Donizetti’s Marino Faliero. It’s a dramatic tenor aria with demanding high notes but Brownlee sings it effortlessly. It has an interesting solo part for oboe. Next is Morley with “Caro nome”. It’s what you would expect from what has come before. Pinpoint accuracy, spot on coloratura and a lovely blend of the lyric and the dramatic. Good work here from the flute soloist too. And finally, a short, quite gentle, duet from Don Pasquale to wrap things up.

The recording was made at Bayerische Rundfunk in 2024 and it’s a very nicely balanced and clear recording. The voices don’t sound artificially forward and the orchestra is captured well. It’s available as a physical CD, lossless digital in 96kHz/24bit and CD quality and as MP3. I reviewed CD quality digital. There’s a booklet with excellent notes plus full texts and English translations. All in all, a really excellent record of not too demanding (of the listener anyway!) music.

Catalogue information: Pentatone PTC5187400