DUETTO is notable--not only because it's a collaboration between Marcelo Alvarez and Salvatore Licitra, two of the hottest young tenors in the world of opera--but also because it finds them venturing outside of their usual milieu. These talented singers, hailed as heirs to the legacy of Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, have earned their reputations and stardom via the traditional route of Verdi and Puccini. This album presents Alvarez and Licitra in a program of ardent love songs written and arranged specifically for them by composers such as Francesco Sartori, who astute listeners will recognize as the force behind numerous hits for crossover sensation Andrea Bocelli. The singers step into the role of romantic balladeers with confidence and ease, their voices soaring majestically above the lush arrangements of Sartori's passionate anthems or gently caressing the many sentimental melodies to be found on the disc. DUETTO does make a concession to more traditional fare with the inclusion of two arias from Bizet's 'Les Pecheurs de Perles,' as well as some reworked classic themes by Bach, Faure, and Rachmaninoff, among others. Alvarez and Licitra have hit upon a formula that should please existing fans, as well as gain them many new ones.