Duet


A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a solo section rather than performing simultaneously. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is a "piano duet" or "piano four hands". A piece for two pianists performing together on separate pianos is a "piano duo".
"Duet" is also used as a verb for the act of performing a musical duet, or colloquially as a noun to refer to the performers of a duet.
A musical ensemble with more than two solo instruments or voices is called a trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, septet, octet, etc.

History

When Mozart was young, he and his sister Marianne played a duet of his composition at a London concert in 1765. The four-hand, described as a duet, was in many of his compositions which included five sonatas; a set of variations, two performers and one instrument, and a sonata for two pianos. The first published sonata or duet was in 1777.
In Renaissance music, a duet specifically intended as a teaching tool, to be performed by teacher and student, was called a bicinium.

In opera

Duets have always been a part of the structure of operas. Early 16th-century operas such as L'Orfeo and L'incoronazione di Poppea involve duets throughout the performance. In 17th-century Italy duets were often used in comic scenes within serious operas. In Baroque France the duet was popular in tragedies, such as songs of vengeance and confrontation. The love duet was characterized by singing in close harmonies of 3rds and 6ths, symbolizing unity after conflict.

Famous operatic duets

  • "Abends will ich schlafen gehn" from Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel
  • "Ah guarda, sorella", "Il core vi dono", and "Prenderò quel brunettino" from Mozart's Così fan tutte
  • "Ah, perdona al primo affetto" form Mozart's La clemenza di Tito
  • "All'idea di quel metallo" and "Dunque io son" from Rossini's The Barber of Seville
  • "A te, o cara", "Suoni la tromba" and "Vieni fra queste braccia" from Bellini's I puritani
  • "Au fond du temple saint" from Bizet's The Pearl Fishers
  • "Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour" from Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann
  • "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" and "I Loves You, Porgy" from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess
  • "Bimba dagli occhi pieni di malia", "Il cannone del porto!" , and "Vogliatemi bene" from Puccini's Madama Butterfly
  • "C'est toi! – C'est moi!", "Parle-moi de ma mère", and "Près des remparts de Séville" from Bizet's Carmen
  • "Cinque, dieci, venti" and "Sull'aria... che soave zeffiretto" from Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro
  • "Deh, perdona, o dolce bene" from Handel's Flavio
  • "Dio che nell'alma infondere" and "Io vengo a domandar grazia mia Regina" from Verdi's Don Carlo
  • "Dôme épais le jasmin" from Delibes's Lakmé
  • "Esulti pur la Barbara" and "Venti scudi!" from Donizetti's The Elixir of Love
  • "E un anatèma" from Ponchielli's La Gioconda
  • "Figlia! – Mio Padre!" and "Sì, vendetta" from Verdi's Rigoletto
  • "Già nella notte densa" and "Si, pel ciel marmoreo giuro" from Verdi's Otello
  • "Glück, das mir verblieb" from Die Tote Stadt
  • "In mia man alfin tu sei" and "Mira, O Norma" from Bellini's Norma
  • "Là ci darem la mano" from Mozart's Don Giovanni
  • "Líbej mne, líbej, mír mi přej" from Dvořák's Rusalka
  • "Libiamo ne' lieti calici", "Parigi o cara", and "Un dì, felice, eterea" from Verdi's La traviata
  • "Liebesnacht" and "O sink’ hernieder, Nacht der Liebe" from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde
  • "Lontano, lontano" from Boito's Mefistofele
  • “Mario! Mario! – Son qui!” from Puccini's Tosca
  • "Mira, d'acerbe lagrime" from Verdi's Il trovatore
  • "Non mi tentar!" from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci
  • "Nuit d’hyméné", "Ô nuit divine! je t'implore", "Ah! ne fuis pas encore!", and "Adieu mille fois!" from Gounod's Roméo et Juliette
  • "Nuit d'ivresse et d'extase infinie!" from Berlioz's Les Troyens
  • "O saro la più bella!" from Puccini's Manon Lescaut
  • "O soave fanciulla" from Puccini's La bohème
  • "O terra, addio" from Verdi's Aida
  • "Pa-Pa-Pa-Papageno" and "Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen" from Mozart's The Magic Flute
  • "Qui di sposa eterna fede" and "Verranno a te sull' aure" from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor
  • "Pur ti miro" from Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea
  • "Serbami ognor" from Rossini's Semiramide
  • "Solenne in quest'ora" from Verdi's La forza del destino
  • "So kommen Sie! 's ist niemand hier!" from Lehar's The Merry Widow
  • "Son nata a lagrimar" from Handel's Giulio Cesare
  • "Straniero, ascolta" from Puccini's Turandot
  • "Suzel, buon dì" Mascagni's L'amico Fritz
  • "Teco io sto" from Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera
  • "Toi! Vous!" from Massenet’s Manon
  • "Tornami a dir che m'ami" from Donizetti's Don Pasquale
  • "Tu qui, Santuzza?" from Cavalleria rusticana
  • "Un soave non so che" from Rossini's ''La Cenerentola''

    In pop music

Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, duets have been common in the popular music of their respective eras. In addition to a standard vocal duet, some songs have been written to be heard as conversations; for example, "Baby, It's Cold Outside". Other songs are performed around a theme; for example, New York City in "Empire State of Mind". Occasionally, duets are an improvisation between artists; for example, "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie. Bowie and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury reportedly composed the lyrics in a day by improvising together. Duets are also common in musical movies and musical theatre; "Fit as a Fiddle" for the 1952 movie Singin' in the Rain and its corresponding play of the same name.

Notable pop duets

In addition to traditional duets performed live—either in front of an audience or recorded in a studio—a so-called virtual duet can be created by having a singer perform over the top of a pre-existing recording. Such a duet is a form of overdubbing. A virtual duet is sometimes done when the singer of the original recording is deceased; for example, a live performance by Paul McCartney on "I've Got a Feeling" with an isolated vocal recording of John Lennon from The Beatles' famous rooftop performance, or a recording of Judy Garland being dubbed over by her daughter Lorna Luft on "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". It can also be done with an earlier version of oneself ; incidentally, Ronan Keating did his own virtual duet with Yusuf on the same song. Virtual duets may also be done live via video link or be constructed manually from two pre-existing recordings, generally where each singer/musician can have their own isolated audio channel in the form of a stem.
Entire albums of virtual duets have been created, including albums by Frank Sinatra ''.''