The "Duetto buffo di due gatti" (humorous

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 ...

for two cats) is a performance piece for two

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

s and

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

. Often performed as a comical concert

encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers after the planned show has ended, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford University Pres ...

, it consists entirely of the repeated word ''miau'' ("

meow A meow or miaow is a cat vocalization. ''Meows'' may have diverse tones and are sometimes chattered, murmured or whispered. Adult cats rarely meow to each other, so an adult cat meowing to human beings is probably a post-domestication extens ...

") sung by the singers. It is sometimes performed by a soprano and a

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

, or a soprano and a

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

. While the piece is typically attributed to

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...

, it was not actually written by him, but is instead a compilation written in 1825 that draws principally on his 1816 opera ''

Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play ''Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 5 February 1887. Th ...

''. Hubert Hunt claims that the compiler was

Robert Lucas de Pearsall Robert Lucas Pearsall (14 March 1795 – 5 August 1856) was an English composer mainly of vocal music, including an elaborate setting of "In dulci jubilo" and the richly harmonic part song ''Lay a garland'' of 1840, both still often performed tod ...

, who for this purpose adopted the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

"G. Berthold".

Structure

In order of appearance, the piece consists of: *the "Katte-Cavatine" by the Danish composer C. E. F. WeyseRichard Osborne: ''Rossini''. London: Dent (1986), p. 179. *part of the duet for Otello and Jago in act 2 of ''Otello'' *part of the

cabaletta Cabaletta is a two-part musical form particularly favored for arias in 19th century Italian opera in the belcanto era until about the 1860s during which it was one of the era's most important elements. More properly, a cabaletta is a more animated ...

to the aria "Ah, come mai non senti", sung by Rodrigo in the same act

Recordings

Some albums including this piece are: *''A Most Unusual Song Recital'',

Christa Ludwig Christa Ludwig (16 March 1928 – 24 April 2021) was a German mezzo-soprano and occasional dramatic soprano, distinguished for her performances of opera, lieder, oratorio, and other major religious works like masses, passions, and solos in symp ...

(mezzo-soprano), Walter Berry (bass-baritone), Gerald Moore, piano, released 1969 *''A Tribute to Gerald Moore'',

EMI Classics EMI Classics was a record label founded by Thorn EMI in 1990 to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogues for internationally distributed classical music releases. After Thorn EMI demerged in 1996, its recorded musi ...

Victoria de los Ángeles Victoria de los Ángeles López García (1 November 192315 January 2005) was a Catalan Spanish operatic lyric soprano and recitalist whose career began after the Second World War and reached its height in the years from the mid-1950s to the mid- ...

(soprano),

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Dame Olga Maria Elisabeth Friederike Schwarzkopf, (9 December 19153 August 2006) was a German-born Austro-British soprano. She was among the foremost singers of lieder, and is renowned for her performances of Viennese operetta, as well as the op ...

(soprano),

Gerald Moore Gerald Moore Order of the British Empire, CBE (30 July 1899 – 13 March 1987) was an England, English classical music, classical pianist best known for his career as a Collaborative piano, collaborative pianist for many distinguished musicians. ...

(

), released 2003 (expanded reissue of 1969 release), also known as "Le Duo des Chats" *''Sweet Power of Song'', EMI Classics:

Felicity Lott Dame Felicity Ann Emwhyla Lott, (born 8 May 1947) is an English soprano. Education Lott was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. From her earliest years she was musical, having started studying piano at age 5. She also played violin and bega ...

(soprano),

Ann Murray Ann Murray, (born 27 August 1949) is an Irish mezzo-soprano. Life and career Murray was born in Dublin. Having won a number of prizes at the Feis Ceoil, she studied singing at the College of Music (now the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, ...

(mezzo-soprano), Graham Johnson (piano), released 1990 *''Duets for Two Sopranos'', BIS:

Elisabeth Söderström Anna Elisabeth Söderström (married name Olow; 7 May 192720 November 2009) was a Swedish soprano who performed both opera and song, and was known as a leading interpreter of the works of Janáček, Rachmaninoff and Sibelius.Elizabeth Sleeman, ' ...

(soprano) and

Kerstin Meyer Kerstin Margareta Meyer, CBE (3 April 1928 – 14 April 2020) was a Swedish mezzo-soprano who enjoyed an international career in opera and concert. A long-time member of the Royal Swedish Opera and Hamburg State Opera, she appeared regular ...

(mezzo-soprano), (piano), released 1992 *''The Best of Rossini'', EMI Classics, MESPLE/BERBIE/REISS, released 1992 *''Wir Schwestern zwei, wir schönen'' (1996),

Edita Gruberová Edita Gruberová (; 23 December 1946 – 18 October 2021) was a Slovak coloratura soprano. She made her stage debut in Bratislava in 1968 as Rosina in Rossini's ''Il barbiere di Siviglia'', and successfully auditioned at the Vienna State Opera ...

(soprano),

Vesselina Kasarova Vesselina Kasarova ( bg, Веселина Кацарова; born 18 July 1965) is a Bulgarian operatic mezzo-soprano. Early life and education Kasarova was born in the central Bulgarian town of Stara Zagora. Under the communist regime she studie ...

(mezzo-soprano),

Friedrich Haider Friedrich Haider (born 7 November 1961) is an Austrian conductor and pianist. Life and work Haider is a graduate of the Anton Bruckner Private University Linz (piano with Martha Picker and conducting with Leopold Mayer), the University of Musi ...

(piano). Last track, also identified as "Katzen-Duett" *''Von ganzem Herzen'', Catalyst:

Montserrat Caballé Montserrat Caballé i Folch or Folc (full name: María de Montserrat Bibiana Concepción Caballé i Folch (, , ; (12 April 1933 – 6 October 2018), known simply as Montserrat Caballé, was a Catalan Spanish operatic soprano. She sang a wide va ...

Montserrat Martí Montserrat Martí (born 15 November 1971), also known as Montsita, is a Spanish soprano. Early life Martí was born as Montserrat Martí Caballé in Barcelona on 15 November 1972 to Montserrat Caballé and Bernabé Martí. She made her first app ...

, released 1998

References

External links

* *
Score
at el-atril.com * ,

(soprano),

(mezzo-soprano), Andrew Davis (piano),

BBC Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...

1996 {{Authority control Female vocal duets Humor in classical music Songs about cats 1825 compositions

Structure

Recordings

See also

References

Further reading

External links