NEW YORK —  Italian tenor Marcello Giordani has pulled off the rare feat of singing two major roles in a single day at New York's Metropolitan Opera.

Giordani performed the title role in Berlioz's "La Damnation de Faust" during a matinee Saturday.

A few hours later he sang the leading tenor role of Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton in "Madama Butterfly." He replaced a sick colleague.

Most singers perform only two or three times a week. The Met says only a handful have tackled two leading roles in a day for the renowned company.

General manager Peter Gelb calls Giordani the "Iron Man of tenors."

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