Tuesday, January 27, 2015

#12: Cecilia Bartoli: Mozart Arias

Details: Cecilia Bartoli (b. 1966), Mozart Arias.  Decca, 1991. Total time: 58:01. 

Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli started on the road to superstardom in the late 1980s when she was in her early 20s. The daughter of two professional singers, and graduate of the historic Academy of Santa Cecilia in her native Rome, Bartoli began by singing roles in Mozart and Rossini operas before later moving on to a wide range of projects including Baroque research and revivals, and her current successful leadership and management of an annual music festival in Salzburg, Austria.

This album of Mozart arias shows off Bartoli early in her career in her mid-20s.  She delivers flawless and electrifying versions of arias from several of Mozart's operas including La Nozze di Figaro, Cossi fan Tutte, Don Giovanni, and La Clemenza di Tito. If Mozart were alive to hear Bartoli sing these arias, I have to believe he would be pleased.

As with anything by Mozart, "it's all good" as the saying goes. Having said that, the real gems on this album are "Non so piu," "Alma grande e nobil core," "Parto, parto," and "Ch'io mi scordi di te?" In addition to all of her other talents, it helps to have an Italian native sing these songs, all of which are in Italian.

Bartoli's voice here is clear and clean, displaying amazing vocal technique while also being pleasing to listen to. In addition to her academy training, one of her longtime primary vocal teachers was her own mother. Her parents obviously made a wise choice when they named their daughter Cecilia, after the patron saint of music.

No comments:

Post a Comment