On stage, they’re usually rivals, but in real life, Jonas Kaufmann and Ludovic Tézier share a close friendship. After many live performances together these two extraordinary artists have recorded their first duet album: “Insieme”, meaning “together” in Italian, to be released on Sony Classical. Accompanied by the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under Antonio Pappano, they present duets they’ve sung together on stage, plus works specially chosen for the album. The album is now available as double vinyl. The repertoire on the album captures all their big milestones in their joint professional careers, as well as some new unexplored ground. The various debuts include Jonas’ first performance of La Gioconda and Ludovic’s first time singing the role of Iago in Otello. The album contains rarely recorded repertoire including the French version of Les Vêpres Siciliennes which is usually done in Italian. Don Carlos is recorded here in the French version of Verdi’s opera which replicates their success of the French version in the 2017 Paris Opera production. The album is the latest in a series of shared initiatives which include their 2020 petition to European governments to support the preservation of arts and culture during the pandemic. Since their first performance together in the 2010 Paris production of ‘Werther’, they’ve often appeared side-by-side in various stage productions. And as in the current recording, the works of Verdi have played a key role. In 2013 when they appeared as rivals in La Forza del Destino for the first time, it was immediately obvious they’d each found their perfect sparring partner: “With Ludo, it’s a terrific challenge every time,”, Kaufmann explains of his work with Tézier, “I have to give everything I’ve got. Whenever I’m on stage with him, I feel I give a better performance.”