Just in time for the holidays, Italian tenor Vittorio Grigòlo has released Ave Maria on Sony Classical, a recording of sacred music that includes a duet with Jackie Evancho on "O Holy Night."
This song, perhaps the most operatic of Christmas carols, is a favorite of opera singers at this time of year. In this version, instead of a lyrical approach, Jackie Evancho opts for abruptly getting louder on the first few notes of her phrases, as if to inject this normally serene music with a sense of urgency.
The effect is to give a restless, unsettled feel to this music, which was probably not their goal. Grigòlo also sings parts of the music in this style, but more tastefully and to a lesser degree than Evancho. The two seem stylistically mismatched; Jackie's style is more pop-influenced, while Grigòlo's is (as you might expect) traditionally operatic.
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