Vivaldi: Bajazet [Includes Bonus DVD]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This stunner of an opera involves the proud sultan Bajazet (bass) and his battle with his bloodthirsty rival-tyrant Tamerlane (counter-tenor). More than 50 operas were composed on the subject. Here Vivaldi has composed all the recitatives and marvelous arias for the dignified, fine characters and used arias by other composers--Hasse, Giacomelli, Carlo Broschi--for Tamerlano and the nasties. The music is energetic and virtuosic throughout. Fabio Biondi leads Europa Galante and soloists with urgent, theatrical precision, making the story come to life. The singing could not be better: Ildebrando d'Arcangelo is a remarkably sympathetic Bajazet, singing with fluency and power; David Daniels amazes as Tamerlano; Marijana Mijanovic sings the role of Asteria (Bajazet's daughter) with love and precision; and Viveca Genaux dazzles with her perfect coloratura as Irene. This is a treasure trove of singing, and a bonus DVD allows us to see/hear the performers in rehearsal. Highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Vivaldi: Bajazet [Includes Bonus DVD], Music, Antonio Vivaldi, Fabio Biondi, David Daniels, Elina Garanca, Marijana Mijanovic, Vivica Genaux, Europa Galante, Patrizia Ciofi, Classical, Classical Artists, Italian Baroque Opera, Opera, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio

Cecilia Bartoli - The Vivaldi Album / Il Giardino Armonico
Average customer rating:

Cecilia Bartoli brings Baroque music to life

A Revelation

The best work of Cecilia Bartoli

The art of singing, still with us

Great music, but disappointment

Cecilia Bartoli - The Vivaldi Album / Il Giardino Armonico
Antonio Vivaldi , Giovanni Antonini , Cecilia Bartoli , and Il Giardino Armonico
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Cecilia Bartoli - The Salieri Album

ASIN: B00002CF52
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Tracks:

Dell'aura al sussurrar
Dopo un'orrida procella
Di due rai languire costante
L'Orlando finto pazzo: Qual favellar? ... Andero, volero, gridero
Zeffiretti, che sussurrate
La fida ninfa: Alma oppressa
La fida ninfa: Dite, oime
Giustino: Sventurata navicella
Giustino: Sorte, che m'invitasti ... Ho nel petto un cor si forte
L'Olimpiade: Tra le follie ... Siam navi all'onde algenti
Farnace: Gelido in ogni vena
Anch'il mar par che sommerga
Teuzzone: Di trombe guerriere

Amazon.com

Mezzo Cecilia Bartoli could easily rest on her laurels as one of today's most charismatic, characterful singers for her lively portrayals of Mozart and Rossini heroines. But it's been particularly exciting to observe her growth as an artist in exploring the exuberant world of baroque opera, with its range of pyrotechnic demands--both vocal and emotional. Bartoli's show-stopping virtuosity in a Vivaldi aria from her Live in Italy recital gave a tantalizing sample of her finesse in that style. For The Vivaldi Album, Bartoli conducted extensive research into the composer's manuscripts, (a documentary tracing her quest is planned for subsequent international screening). Although he's best known for his concertos--in typically baroque fashion, two of the arias in fact recycle material from The Four Seasons--Vivaldi was a ferociously prolific composer of operas for the cutting-edge theaters of his time, and the arias gathered here demonstrate the word-painting magic of his music, from the sylvan setting of dueting flageolets in "Di due rai languire costante" to the storm-tossed passions of "Anch'il mar par che sommerga," where Bartoli spins out ripples of rapid-fire coloratura with a gravity-defying accuracy that will leave your head spinning. In addition to many such examples of vocal acrobatics, Bartoli brings exquisite nuance and limpid tone to the delicate echo effects of "Zeffiretti, che sussurrate," and there's no better test for the remarkable flexibility of her range--full and dusky at the bottom and thrilling at the top--than the huge intervallic leaps of "Dopo un'orrida procella." With her naturally large voice, Bartoli can at times tend to histrionic excess (in the recitative to the short aria from "L'Orlando finto pazzo"), but the expressive color of her phrasing is wonderfully matched throughout by the Giardino Armonico's lively panache. All power to Bartoli in her goal of reviving this neglected aspect of Vivaldi's output. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Cecilia Bartoli brings Baroque music to life.......2005-08-24

This album is so good that it has converted me to liking Vivaldi! I'm a fan of other Baroque composers such as Bach, Telemann, Couperin and Handel but had never really appreciated Vivaldi until I heard this album. Cecilia's technical experise and her intense interpretation makes this album a delight to listen to. She brings Vivaldi's arias to life as I've heard no other performer manage to do so. A brilliant album that I listen to again and again.

A Revelation.......2003-11-05

I was amazed with this album of super fine music. I had known all my life that Vivaldi wrote tons of operas, but finding them, or the scores of them, was nearly impossible. In time I found a few, and was I ever amazed and disappointed. The published scores that were available were what was common practice of that time: there were the vocal lines and a figured bass and nothing more. There were no indications of orchestration. Even with that little bit, I was shocked with the intensity and complexity of this vocal writing. This man knew how to write for the voice. Until singers are willing to research his works, we, the public, will know him for a very orchestra suites and nothing more. The result will be a very stilted view of what the man had to offer.

Now getting to the performance by Bartoli. She really loves this music, as you can tell. Yes, she is mannered in some of the things she does, but that is her way of seeing the music. Her technical skills are amazing, and her interpretations (the "drama" behind the music) is just as intense. Some think Bartoli has a strong voice. Actually, her voice is very small, if you have heard her in performance (they weren't even sure she would be heard when she sang at the Met), and it has a very delicate quality, even when being "brash." Recordings give you the impression she has a much larger sound than she does, but that is because small voices record truer and better than large ones (the industry still can't capture large voices at all). However, even with a small voice, in performance she is breathtaking. She makes the music live. She has weird mannerisms one sees that to American trained singers are completely unacceptable (weird facial expressions, strange things done with he mouth and teeth, head bobbing, etc), but that has never distracted from her overall intensity. Yes, she is intense. You are literally taken away with her interpretation, and her skills. Interestingly, she is more famous in music circles for her cancelations (she cancels more performances in a year than she actually sings). I love this recording, not only because of the music, but because I have seen her sing some of this music live. She really LIVES what she sings, and that comes across in this recording.

A special note: in the little booklet that comes with the recording, Bartoli herself writes her impressions of this music. It is extremely insightful. Whether you like her or not, you have to admire the work she has done to make this music live and be as authentic in interpretation as she can. It is her love of this music that has caused her to record this album. I am thankful she did, for now, I can take those old scores I have and get a better understanding of what the composer was doing. Would that more singers would explore new/old works, and I think it would be far more interesting to have them write their impressions of the music they are singing than the standard academic essays we must read. Reading about how she came to this music, in her own words, gave a different dimension to listening. Now I was listening to see if she was successful in communicating what she felt this music had to offer. SHE WAS.

The best work of Cecilia Bartoli.......2003-08-15

This is simply the best work of Cecilia Bartoli. Her voice is a delicatessen and Il Giardino Armonico sounds very very well. I think that I don't need to say anymore. Simply: BUY IT!!

The art of singing, still with us.......2003-02-09

Even if you disdain Vivaldi in the Stravinsky way, do yourself
a favor, and get this record. Music hidden in some obscure
library for centuries, brought to pulsating life by a minor
voice, here used with passion and artistry reminding one of
vocal artists of the past. An enriching experience for anyone
enjoying the art of singing.

Great music, but disappointment.......2002-10-01

I thoroughly enjoy classical music but found this cd to be a disappointment by a heavy vocal performance. It was shocking to hear the heaviness and darkness in Cecilia's voice, whom I had remembered to be lighter and more playful. My only good thought about this cd is "At least it was a gift" because if I had actually purchased it I would be thoroughly disgusted.

Average customer rating:

Monumental Recording
Simply fantastic
Marvellous fun and great singing
Worth it!
Gorgeous,but one tiny qualm !

Vivaldi: Bajazet [Includes Bonus DVD]

Manufacturer: Virgin Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski
Vivaldi: Orlando Furioso
Lamento
Vivaldi: Griselda
Handel - Saul / Joshua · Bell · Zazzo · Ovenden · Saks · Slattery · RIAS Kammerchor · Concerto Köln · Jacobs

ASIN: B00022LE38
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Tracks:

Allegro
Andante Molto
Allegro
Recitativo: Prence Lo So: Vi Devo
Aria: Del Destin Non Dee Lagnarsi
Recitativo: Non Si Perda Di Vista
Aria: Nasce Rosa Lusinghiera
Recitativo: Principe, Or Ora I Greci
Aria: In Si Torbida Procella
Recitativo: Il Tartaro Ama Asteria
Aria: Quel Ciglio Vezzosetto
Recitativo: Or Si, Fiero Destino
Aria: Vedeste Mai Sul Prato
Recitativo: Non Ascolto Piu Nulla
Aria: Amare Un'alma Ingrata
Recitativo: Cosi La Sposa Il Tamerlano Accoglie?
Aria: Qual Querriero In Campo Aramato
Recitativo: E Bella Irene
Aria: Non Ho Nel Sen Constanza
Recitativo: Amico, Tengo Un Testimon Fedele
Recitativo: Sarete Or Ostinato
Aria: Anche Il Mar par Che Sommerga
Recitativo: Gloria, Sdegno Ed Amore
Aria: Stringi Le Mie Catene

Tracks:

Recitativo: Ah, Disperato Andronico!
Aria: La Sorte Mia Spietata
Recitativo: Signor, Vergine Illustre
Aria: Cruda Sorte, Avverso Fato!
Recitativo: Senti, Chiunque Tu Sia
Aria: La Cervetta Timidetta
Recitativo: Gran Cose Espone Asteria
Aria: Sposa, Son Disprezzata
Recitativo: Dov'e Mia Figlia, Andronico?
Aria: Dov'e La Figla?
Recitativo: Asteria, Siamo Al Soglio ...
Quartetto: Si Crudel! Questo E L'amore
Recitativo: Figlia, Siam Rei
Aria: Veder Parmi, Or Che Nel Fondo
Recitativo: Andronico, Il Mio Amore
Aria: Barbaro Traditor
Recitativo: Lascero Di Regnare
Aria: Spesso Tra Vaghe Rose
Recitativo: Eccoti, Bajazette
Arioso: Verro Crudel, Spietato
Recitativo: Signor, Fra Tante Cure
Aria: Son Tortorella
Recitativo: Signore, Bajazette
Accompagnato: E Morto, Si, Tiranno
Aria: Svena, Uccidi, Abbatti, Atterra
Recitativo: Deh, Tu Cauto la Segui
Coro: Coronata Di Gigli E Rose

Amazon.com

This stunner of an opera involves the proud sultan Bajazet (bass) and his battle with his bloodthirsty rival-tyrant Tamerlane (counter-tenor). More than 50 operas were composed on the subject. Here Vivaldi has composed all the recitatives and marvelous arias for the dignified, fine characters and used arias by other composers--Hasse, Giacomelli, Carlo Broschi--for Tamerlano and the nasties. The music is energetic and virtuosic throughout. Fabio Biondi leads Europa Galante and soloists with urgent, theatrical precision, making the story come to life. The singing could not be better: Ildebrando d'Arcangelo is a remarkably sympathetic Bajazet, singing with fluency and power; David Daniels amazes as Tamerlano; Marijana Mijanovic sings the role of Asteria (Bajazet's daughter) with love and precision; and Viveca Genaux dazzles with her perfect coloratura as Irene. This is a treasure trove of singing, and a bonus DVD allows us to see/hear the performers in rehearsal. Highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Monumental Recording.......2007-03-14

From the same composer that
brought us "The four Seasons"
Antonio Vivaldi, comes this
'dramma per musica' it tells
us the story of Bajazet, a Turkish
leader who ruled vast portions of
the Ottoaman empire, and his defeat
by his great foe, Tamerlano(Timur Lenk).
In the past composers like Handel and
others had taken an interest in the story.
This is the World Premiere recording of
the work. Much musicological research was done
by conductor and violinist Fabio Biondi and others
to put together this monumental recording.As personally
for me this is the first complete opera that
I hear by Vivaldi. This opera comes with a
DVD that features all six soloists in an aria.
Europa Galante and Maestro Biondi do a wonderful
job, and the soloists are great. Wonderful work,
thank you Maestro Biondi...

Simply fantastic.......2007-02-28

This is one of the best recordings that I have bought recently. The entire opera is a treasure, and they couldn't have picked a better cast. Vivica Genaux, Elina Garanca, and David Daniels are especially strong, and Fabio Biondi's orchestra is always clean and polished. The recording quality is also top-notch. It's unlike me not to offer some kind of a criticism, but I can't think of one for this recording. Highly recommended.

Marvellous fun and great singing.......2006-09-19

I have to say that I prefer Handel's Tamerlano for musical reasons. However, Vivaldi's opera on the same subject is very enjoyable and entertaining. Like it has been said of the operas of Haydn, Vivaldi's operas are not great operas, but they do contain great music.

Europa Galante, directed from the 1st violin by Fabio Biondi, is in great form and I've never heard them play better. I have their older recording of Handel's opera Poro, and I enjoyed that one, too.
The singers here are an excellent ensemble. I like the dark and expressive voice of Ildebrando D'Arcangelo - he was also marvellous as Leporello in Gardiner's Don Giovanni. David Daniels is fantastic, as usual, and he is possibly the best operatic countertenor in the world at the moment. Patrizia Ciofi is best heard and not seen - sweet voice coming from a madwoman (check out the DVD!). Vivica Genaux has been hyped to within a centimetre of her life recently. She has a nice flexible mezzo voice. A little too much vibrato for my tastes and she looks like a chipmunk when she attacks coloratura passages. Marijana Mijanovic sings well - she was excellent as the neurotic Penelope in the Christie / L.A.F. DVD of Monteverdi's Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in patria. She is alarmingly thin - possible health problems? She doesn't engage with the conductor or orchestra at all in the DVD - the only singer who doesn't. Elina Garanca looks beautiful (and healthy!) and sings beautifully. She has a lovely contralto voice. I hope I see and hear more from this artist in the future.

I am not a big fan of Vivaldi's operas - I enjoy them as collections of arias. I wonder how well Bajazet worked on stage?
I'd love to have a DVD of this production, I would like to see how a Vivaldi opera works on stage. Vivaldi's operas don't have imaginative scorings and the orchestral passages are fairly prosaic. A lot of what goes on in the Vivaldi operas I've heard (I have a few in my CD collection) is pretty routine. However, I am open minded on the subject and I would like to see how well a Vivaldi opera works on stage.

Worth it!.......2006-05-23

This album exceeded my expectations. In the true pasticcio form, Vivaldi copied and pasted other composers' work, and his own of previous operas. The arias are un-paralleled in harmony, balance, up-beat rhythm, and beauty. The orchestration by Fabio Biondi is first rate and world class. Vivica Genaux rocks in her interpretation of "Qual Guerriero in Campo Armato" as so much energy, control, and speed are gushed out at once and sustained without wavering. Her ornamentation in the da capo aria is amazing. Vivica's voice is powerful, ethereal, and acrobatic. She recreates what a castrato voice might have sounded like, beautiful and strong. While Vivica sings perfectly the most demanding and technically difficult aria of the opera, Ciofi delights us with the most beautiful "Nasce rosa". After listening to her, it would be near to impossible to imagine anyone else singing this aria with such charm. But what she excelled at "Nasce", she lacked at "Anche il mar". This aria is perhaps as technically and impossibly challenging as "Qual guerriero", but Ciofi's coloratura is discontinuous. Cecilia Bartoli executes this aria in her Vivaldi Album stunningly in one breath. If there was ever a team of opera gold medalists, that team is put together in this album. Ildebrando's "Dov'e la Figla?" is a handsome showcase of his voice and strong presence. While his singing is worthy of high praise, his hand movements and wedding band flashing might have already cost him 90% of his fan base, not to mention dashing his chances at becoming a teen idol or gay icon. His comportment at the high note of the aria is reminiscent of an opera Olympiad doing a vocal triple summersault in mid-air and sticking a perfect landing. "Dov'e la figlia?" is also an aria that illustrates the great genius of Vivaldi as an opera composer. He wrote very distinct music for the same lyrics and for different registers (basso and castrato) in Bajazet, and Motezuma (with Dominique Visse). At the same time, he used the identical music for two different lyrics in Motezuma, and Orlando Furioso (Sorge l'irato Nembo).The bonus DVD proves not only interesting but also very entertaining at the gesticulations and facial configurations sometimes taken for granted to sing bel canto's finest arias. Superb job!

Gorgeous,but one tiny qualm !.......2006-04-20

While I agree with all the good things that have been written of this splendid perfomance,there is a small,but I feel important, detail about the recording which I find vexing.
When a recitative is is sung the performers are placed across the audio stage,disposed left or right,as you will.When an aria is sung ,the soloist leaps to the very center of the sound stage, which is quite disconcerting,especially when listening through headphones.This points to the arias and recits being recorded in separate sessions.Nothing wrong with that given the ravishing perfomance.Well worth the purchase price.

Average customer rating:

Voice of the Baroque

Manufacturer: Decca
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Binding: Audio CD

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Voice Of Mozart
Sacred Classics - Messiah, Ave Maria, Pie Jesu, Zadok the Priest, L'enfance du Christ

ASIN: B0000667S1
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Tracks:

JS Bach: Cantata No. 140: Wachet auf, ruft uns die stimme
Purcell: Oedipus: Music for a While
Handel: Acis and Galatea: O Ruddier Than the Cherry
JS Bac: Bist du bei mir
Vivaldi: Gloria in D major: Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Handel: Semele: Where'er Ye Walk
Handel: Giulio Cesare: Piangero la sorte mia
Handel: Theodora: Defend Her, Heav'n
Handel: Berenice: Si, tra I ceppi e le ritorte la mia fe risplendera
Handel: Judas Maccabaeus: See the Conqu'ring Hero Comes
Handel: Messiah: Comfort Ye My People
Handel: Messiah: Ev'ry Valley Shall Be exalted
Handel: Messiah: O Thou that Tellest Good Tidings to Zion
Handel: Messiah: Behond, I Tell You a Mystery/The Trumpet Shall
Handel: Messiah: He Shall Feed His Flock
Handel: Messiah: Hallelujah

Tracks:

Handel: Samson: Let the Bright Seraphim
Scarlatti: L'onesta negli amori: Gia il sole dal Gange
Schutz: Musikalische Exequiem: Motet "Herr, wenn ich nur dich hab"
JS Bach: Sheep May Safely Graze
Handel: Serse: Ombra mai fu
JS Bach: Susser Trost, mein Jesu kommt
Monteverdi: L'Incoronazione di Poppea: Pur ti miro
JS Bach: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Purcell: The Indian Queen: I Attempt from Love's Sickness to Fly
Giordani: Caro mio ben
Vivaldi: Bajaset: Anch'il mar par che sommerga
JS Bach: Komm, susser Tod
Purcell: Dido and Aeneas: Dido's Lament: When I Am Laid in Earth
JS Bach: St. Matthew Passion: Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen
JS Bach: St. Matthew Passion: Erbarme dich, mein Gott
JS Bach: St. Matthew Passion: Wir setzen uns mit Tranen nieder

Average customer rating:

interesting classical music collection...
Fantastic Classical Compilation

Exile On Classical Street

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000429J
Release Date: 1996-08-13

Tracks:

Ritual Fire Dance
The Rite Of Spring (Excerpts): First Part: Adoration Of The Earth: The Augurs Of Spring - Dances Of The Young Girls
The Rite Of Spring (Excerpts): First Part: Adoration Of The Earth: Ritual Of Abduction
Enigma Variations (Excerpts): VIII. Troyte
Enigma Variations (Excerpts): VIII. W.N.
Enigma Variations (Excerpts): IX. Nimrod
Rhaphsody in Blue (Excerpt)
Beim Schlafengehen
Adagio For Strings
Sposa Son Disprezzata
Violin Concerto No.4: Rondeau
Gloriana - The Courtly Dances: March
Gloriana - The Courtly Dances: Corante
Gloriana - The Courtly Dances: Pavan
Gloriana - The Courtly Dances: Morris Dance
Gloriana - The Courtly Dances: Galliard
Gloriana - The Courtly Dances: La Volta
Gloriana - The Courtly Dances: March (Finale)
String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor: Largo
Clair De Lune
Pictures At An Exhibition (Excerpt): The Great Gate Of Kiev

Customer Reviews:

interesting classical music collection..........2004-12-16

This is an interesting classical music collection that is as their personal favorites. My personal faves are by Manuel De Falla (selected by Steven Tyler), a Mozart piece (Keith Richards), Benjamin Britten (Paul McCartney) and Modest Mussorgsky (Trevor Rabin). It includes a 12 page booklet written by Boston DJ Carter Alan with quotes from each musician on why they choose what they did. The other musicians who picked their favorites include Bruce Hornsby, Elton John, Brian Wilson, Marianne Faithful, Michael Stipe, Bono and Frank Sinatra.

Fantastic Classical Compilation.......1999-12-24

This is one of the best classical compilations around - and these are the pieces that inspired other musicians. Rock musicians at that. Lots of good stuff here, including a heartrending rendition of Sposa son Disprezzata, sung by Cecilia Bartoli. Great fun.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful
PLEASE...
A great introduction to CB
Not her best work!
Sampler of Bartoli's recordings over the years

Art of Cecilia Bartoli (Dig)
Cecilia Bartoli
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Cecilia Bartoli - A Portrait
Cecilia Bartoli - An Italian Songbook (Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini)

ASIN: B00006JIC4
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Tracks:

Handel: Lascia ch'io pianga" (from Rinaldo)
Handel: "Scherzano sul tuo volto" (from Rinaldo)
Vivaldi: "Dell'aura al sussurrar" (from Dorilla in Tempe)
Vivaldi: "Gelido in ogni vena" (excerpt) (from Farnace)
Vivaldi: "Anch'il mar par che sommerga" (from Il Tamerlano)
Gluck: "Di questa cetra in seno" (from Il Parnaso confuso)
Gluck: "Se mai senti" (excerpt) (from La clemenza di Tito)
Mozart: "Non so piy cosa son, cosa faccio" (from Le Nozze di Figaro)
Mozart: "Voi che sapete" ((from Le Nozze di Figaro)
Mozart: "L` ci darem la mano" (from Don Giovanni)
Mozart: "Un moto di gioia" (from Le Nozze di Figaro)
Mozart: "Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa" (from Die Zauberflvte)
Rossini: "Nacqui all'affanno ... Non piy mesta" (from La cenerentola)
Rossini: "Dunque io son...tu non m'inganni?" (from Il barbiere di Siviglia)
Rossini: "Squallida veste, e bruna" (from Il turco in Italia)
Donizetti: "Una parola, o Adina ... Chiedi all'aura" (from L'Elisir d'amore)
Verdi: "Libiamo ne'lieti calici" (Brindisi from La Traviata)

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2005-10-02

This is a fabulous album!!! Her arias by Handel, Gluck, Mozart, and Rossini are unbelievable. Her and Bryn Terfel sound great together, especially on the "Dun'que io son" from Il Barbiere di Siviglia. The Handel duet from Rinaldo, featuring the acclaimed countertenor David Daniels is brilliant!! I, however, do not care for the duets with Pavarotti. Her voice is too light to sing Verdi. Pavarotti's voice is also not what it used to be. I'm still rating it with five stars, because despite a couple of bad duets with Pavarotti, the album is a wonderful collection of Cecilia Bartoli.

PLEASE..........2005-08-31

I don't understand why Cecilia Bartoli is loved for a lot of people. In a many cases, there are high notes with estridence, gasping, and also the vibrato is excesive . If you want to enjoy a great Rossini's opera, listen Maria Callas and Victoria de los Angeles.

A great introduction to CB.......2003-10-13

Cecilia Bartoli has been around since the 1980s, and her career has been nothing short of spectacular. This CD provides a great introduction to her world, but most Bartoli lovers will already have most of the tracks on this CD. This CD opens with 2 extracts from her recording of Rinaldo, with David Daniels in the title role. She gives a moving performance of Lascia ch'io pianga, and a delightful rendition of the duettino with David Daniels. The CD then moves on to excerpts from Cecilia's most popular album to date - The Vivaldi Album. This album consists of mainly world premiere recordings, and the 3 samples we get here show Cecilia's ability to move, amazing coloratura ability, and the skill to popularize rare pieces. Indeed, the next samples, from the Gluck CD, also contains world premiere recordings, and we get to hear 'Di questa cetra in seno' beautifully sung, and also 'Se mai senti', which is devastatingly heartbreaking. Of course, we get a large portion of Mozart, a composer central to her career, and Cherubino's 2 arias, are delightfully sung, as is 'Un moto di gioia'. 2 duets with Bryn Terfel are also featured, from their album Cecilia and Bryn. Rossini is another composer associated strongly with her, and she show off her vocal acrobatics and extraordinary range in 3 excerpts, from Le Cenerentola, Il Barbiere, and Il Turco in Italia. Lastly, there are 2 previously unreleased duets with Pavarotti, which are more commercial, but they are fun nonetheless.

Overall, this is a great introduction to Cecilia and her singing, though if you are already a fanatic you will not find much new here.

Not her best work!.......2003-02-10

Don't get me wrong, Cecilia Bartoli is one of my favorite singers, but this just was not her best work! Most of the pieces on this CD are the'popular' arias, but are not the arias that represent her the best. If you want to hear cecilia at her best listen to her Rossini CD's, as well as her Italian Songbook CD.

Sampler of Bartoli's recordings over the years.......2002-12-01

Soprano Cecilia Bartoli garnered international acclaim with her first recording fourteen years ago and has continued to build on that success. This CD is a sampler of her recorded work over those years, supplemented by two new duets with Luciano Pavarotti. Ranging from the languid sorrow of Handel's Lascia ch'io pianga to the good cheer of Verdi's Libiamo ne' lieti calici, these operatic duets and arias are a wonderful cross-section of Bartoli's career to date, demonstrating her remarkable range of emotional expression.

Bartoli is a master of technique, as shown in her astounding performance of Vivaldi's frenetic show-stopper Anch'il mar par che sommerga. She also has a glorious timbral command, darkening her tone color to superb effect in that same composer's Gelido in ogni vena. This is one of the highlights of the disc, as Bartoli adds an eerie breathy quality to her voice, singing at the softest possible dynamic level, exactly matching the effect of the text "I feel my blood like ice coursing through every vein./The shade of my lifeless son afflicts me with terror."

Although the majority of pieces are from Bartoli's favored Baroque and Classical period, she also dips into the Romantic era, including works by the Italians Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Giuseppe Verdi, although the inclusion of these last two works seems to be at least partially for the marketing strength of Pavarotti's name. Most of the music will be unfamiliar to all but the most devout of operatic connoisseurs, but the "greatest hits" format should draw a wider audience. Only the Verdi and Mozart pieces are likely to be well-known. Certainly the limpid beauty of Bartoli's voice, the artistry of her interpretation, and her unsurpassed technical skill makes this disc worth owning.

Angelo Manzotti - Vivaldi Opera Aria (Arie d'opera)
Average customer rating:

colleratura as they should be: not just a gimmick ....

An interesting interpretation ...

Angelo Manzotti - Vivaldi Opera Aria (Arie d'opera)

Manufacturer: Tactus Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Angelo Manzotti - Arie di Farinelli

Moreschi - The Last Castrato

Vivaldi: Soprano Cantatas

Vivaldi: Virtuoso Cantatas

Farinelli

ASIN: B00004S2X6
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

Orlando Furioso: Nel Profondo Cieco Mondo
L'incoronazione Di Dario: Mi Va Scherzando In Sen
Teuzzone: Sinf: Allegro
Teuzzone: Sinf: Adagio
Teuzzone: Sinf: Allegro
Teuzzone: Sinf: Taci Per Poco Ancora
Giustino: Vedro Con Mio Diletto
Farnace: Sorge L'irato Nembo
Siroe Re Di Persia: Gelido In Ogni Vena
Orlando: Sol Da Te Mio Dolce Amore
L'olimpiade: Siam Navi All'onde Algenti
Il Tamerlano (Il Bajazet): Sinf: Allegro
Il Tamerlano (Il Bajazet): Sinf: Largo
Il Tamerlano (Il Bajazet): Sinf: Allegro
Il Tamerlano (Il Bajazet): Sinf: Sposa Son Disprezzata
Griselda: Agitata Da Due Venti

Customer Reviews:

colleratura as they should be: not just a gimmick ...........2006-05-03

This is a very nice CD for people wanting to get familiar with the castrato sound and with the famous fire work colleratura Baroque in general and Vivaldi in particular is known for.

THe most heard of criticism is that the sopranisto (or counter tenor for that matter) cannot compete with the (natural) skills /agility of -most referred to- mezzo soprano's. People tend to prove their point with pointing to the griselda aria and comparing it to most notedly the version of Cecilia Bartoli. Yes Brtoli has more speed, but is actually performing the almost same collaratura over and over again. Manzotti proves it to be more than just a neat trick and actually uses different collaratura's with different colors and different expressions. Thus making it very exciting to listen to.

The only minus is that sound of the orchestra is not very pronounciated (sorry of that is not correct english).. not like eg Fabio Bondi would do it :-) But overall a hugely enjoyable record with great singing

An interesting interpretation ..........2004-08-04

The Italian sopranist Angelo Manzotti's recitals in the past have often been characterised by a wish to show off his voice with inappropriate cadenzas, as well as questionable ornamentation, whilst claiming to be trying to show the best of baroque bel canto technique. This recital is no exception, consisting of 10 arias from different Vivaldi operas, many of them only now being recorded fully for the first time. So, he is to be commended for bringing some gems to notice, though others, notably Cecilia Bartoli and Marilyn Horne have already recorded one or two (Nel profundo cieco mondo, and agitate da due venti come to mind), and sung them better.

Manzotti's voice has a huge range, as befits a singer whose previous records have included tributes to Farinelli and the castrati who sang for Handel, but it does not always have accuracy of intonation nor pitch. The integration of the registers is also lacking, and so his voice sounds curiously disjointed. Listeners who want to hear a quality sopranist at work would be better advised to try out Philippe Jaroussky or Randal Wong.

The sound is ok on this TACTUS release, as is the accompaniment from the Bologna Baroque Orchestra, though a more defined bass line might be appreciated. There are a number of short orchestral movements from Teuzzone and Il Tamerlano that fill in what is a generous length CD at 75 minutes. Releases such as this one are to be encouraged until Vivaldi's operas receive the sort of acclaim that has recently been the case with Handel.

Emma Kirkby - Vivaldi Opera Arias and Sinfonias

Average customer rating:

Rare selections brilliantly performed
Vivaldi: Opera Arias & Sinfonias / Roy Goodman, Emma Kirkby

Emma Kirkby - Vivaldi Opera Arias and Sinfonias
Antonio Vivaldi , Roy Goodman , Emma Kirkby , Liliana Mazzarri , and The Brandenburg Consort
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Emma Kirkby - Handel Opera Arias / Goodman, Brandenburg Consort

ASIN: B000002ZUX
Release Date: 1994-12-15

Tracks:

Griselda: Sinfonia
Griselda: Sinfonia
Griselda: Sinfonia
Griselda, Act III: Ombre vane, ingiusti orrori
Griselda, Act II: Agitata da due venti
Tito Manlio, Act II: Non ti lusinghi la cudeltate
Ottone In Villa: Sinfonia
Ottone In Villa: Sinfonia
Ottone In Villa: Sinfonia
Ottone in villa, Act I: Gelosia, tu gia rendi l'alma mia
Ottone in villa, Act II: L'ombre, l'aure, e ancora il rio
L'Atenaide, Act III: Ferma, teodosio
Tamerlano: Sinfonia
Tamerlano: Sinfonia
Tamerlano: Sinfonia
L'incornazione di dario, Act II: Non mi lusinga vana speranza
Catone In utica, Act II: Se mai senti spirati sul volto
Catone In utica, Act II: Se in campo armato

Customer Reviews:

Rare selections brilliantly performed.......2001-11-01

With the resurgence in popularity of early music, especially Handel and Bach, I find it odd that the vocal music of Antonio Vivaldi isn't experiencing something similar. With a couple of exceptions, for example this disc or Cecilia Bartoli's wonderful Vivaldi Album (not quite as wonderful as Ms. Kirkby's, however), Vivaldi's operas are still virtually unknown. This is a shame--Vivaldi's vocal music is both beautiful and virtuosic, and the perfect vehicle for a soprano (or any other voice part) to give us a recital which shows off their technical abilities while not boring the listener with pieces they have heard thousands of times before.

Emma Kirkby does just that--the faster songs and the ornaments are tossed off with such ease that one forgets how difficult the music is that she is singing; if any other singer were attempting these pieces, they would sound as if they were about to collapse from exhaustion. But not Kirkby, who has never sounded more at ease or beautiful. Goodman conducts sensitively and intelligently, and the orchestra performs well, important since much of the disc is composed of Sinfonias from Vivaldi's operas.

Vivaldi: Opera Arias & Sinfonias / Roy Goodman, Emma Kirkby.......2000-04-06

What an exciting CD! Emma Kirkby's voice is very clear and magical. The ornamentation is clean and well executed. The Bradenburg Consort is as usual immaculate in their execution of these pieces. Vivaldi fans out there should be impressed with this CD.

Average customer rating:

A Vivaldi Lover's Paradise

Vivaldi a Due Voce

Manufacturer: Eroica Classical
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00005S0L5
Release Date: 2001-10-01

Tracks:

T'intendo si mio cor, from T'intendo si mio cor, RV 688 (Mager)
Aure soavi e grate, from T'intendo si mio cor, RV 688 (Mager)
Placido zeffiretto, from T'intendo si mio cor, RV 688 (Mager)
Dimmi, pastore, from La Fida Ninfa, RV 714 (Jones & Mager)
O qui coeli terraeque serenitas, from O qui coeli terraeque serenitas, RV 631 (Jones)
Fac ut sordescat tellus, from O qui coeli terraeque serenitas, RV 631 (Jones)
"T'intendo si mio cor," from T'intendo si mio cor, RV 688 (Mager)
"Aure soavi e grate," from T'intendo si mio cor, RV 688 (Mager)
"Placido zeffiretto," from T'intendo si mio cor, RV 688 (Mager)
"Dimmi, pastore," from La Fida Ninfa, RV 714 (Jones & Mager)
"O qui coeli terraeque serenitas," from O qui coeli terraeque serenitas, RV 631 (Jones)
"Fac ut sordescat tellus," from O qui coeli terraeque serenitas, RV 631 (Jones)
"Rosa quae moritur," from O qui coeli terraeque serenitas, RV 631 (Jones)
"Alleluia," from O qui coeli terraeque serenitas, RV 631 (Jones)
"Gloria et divitiae," from Beatus vir, RV 595 (Mager & Jones)
"Sposa son disprezzata," from Bajazet, RV 703 (Mager)
"Di due rai," aria, RV 749.4 (Jones)
"Agitata da due venti," from La Griselda, RV 718 (Mager)
"Laudamus te," from Gloria, RV 589 (Mager & Jones)

Album Description

Both of these brilliantly gifted artists are new to the Eroica Classical Recordings label.

Eileen Mager, soprano Eileen studied voice with Marie S. Kraft at the Cleveland Institute of Music, with Julia LeVine in Chicago, and now works with John Merwin in Scottsdale. She began singing professionally in Chicago, moved with her husband to California, and then to Arizona in 1982. She is one of that rare breed: a recitalist. She is a leading performer for the Arizona Vivaldi Festivals, sings with the Arizona chamber choir Cantemus, and is a frequent solo performer in Arizona churches and concert venues. She was Artistic Director for the 2000-2001 Arizona Vivaldi Festival. Her repertoire is very broad - from opera to jazz, Broadway to folk, classical religious works to spirituals and gospels - and her performances have included works of more than 80 composers, in 15 languages.

Ellen Brown, piano and keyboard Versatility is the word to use when describing Ellen Brown. A native of Ohio, she was educated in classical music and holds the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Mount Union College, and the Master of Music degree from Arizona State University, but her musical tastes go far beyond the classics. She has performed in a wide variety of musical venues, including doing two-piano jazz concers with her husband Glenn Brown, accompanying for opera stars, jazz singers, Broadway shows, and classical organ concerts. She has arranged and accompanied for the McGuire Sisters, and for Metropolitan and New York City Opera singers Robers Hale, Richard McKee, and Patricia Miller. She is currently a professional church organist and choir director, and a member of the Adjunct Faculty at Phoenix College.

Customer Reviews:

A Vivaldi Lover's Paradise.......2002-06-25

The two sopranos on this album are incredible. Isola Jones takes Vivaldi to new heights with her Metropolitan operatic flare shining through. Eileen Mager has a deep resonant voice with great sensitivity. These two sopranos give the three tenors a run for their money. There are some rarely recorded arias on this recording. If you are a Vivaldi lover, this album is a must own! Most of the time you hear only the instrumental works of Vivaldi. This is a whole new experience to hear so many of the vocal works on one album. It is truely a delight. I also appreciated the intimate group of string players on the Vivaldi A Due Voce Album. There is some wonderful virtuosic violin playing on this CD. If it is live I only wish I could have been there to hear it in person. Jones and Mager are amazing!

Cecilia Bartoli - The Vivaldi Album / Il Giardino Armonico

Average customer rating:

Cecilia Bartoli brings Baroque music to life
A Revelation
The best work of Cecilia Bartoli
The art of singing, still with us
Great music, but disappointment

Cecilia Bartoli - The Vivaldi Album / Il Giardino Armonico
Antonio Vivaldi , Cecilia Bartoli , and Il Giardino Armonico
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski
Cecilia Bartoli - If You Love Me (Se tu m'ami ), 18th-Century Italian Songs
Cecilia Bartoli - Mozart Arias
Cecilia Bartoli - An Italian Songbook (Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini)
Cecilia Bartoli - The Salieri Album

ASIN: B000058TAM
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Tracks:

Dorilla in Tempe: Dell'aura sussurrar
Griselda: Dopo un'orrida procella
Foa 28: Di due rai languir costante
L'Orlando finto pazzo: Qual favellar? - Andero volero gridero
Foa 28: Zeffiretti che sussurrate
La fida ninfa: Alma oppressa
La fida ninfa: Dite oime
Giustino: Sventurata navicella
Giustino: Sorte che m'invitasti - Ho nel petto un cor si forte
L'Olimpiade: Tra le follie - Siam navi all'onde algenti
Farnace: Gelido in ogni sommerga
Bajazet: Anch'il mar par che sommerga
Teuzzone: Di trombe guerriere

Amazon.com

Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli could easily rest on her laurels as one of today's most charismatic, characterful singers for her lively portrayals of Mozart and Rossini heroines. But it's been particularly exciting to observe her growth as an artist in exploring the exuberant world of Baroque opera, with its range of pyrotechnic demands--both vocal and emotional. Bartoli's show-stopping virtuosity in a Vivaldi aria from her Live in Italy recital gave a tantalizing sample of her finesse in that style. For The Vivaldi Album (originally released in 1999), Bartoli conducted extensive research into the composer's manuscripts (a documentary tracing her quest has been made).

Although he's best known for his concertos--in typically Baroque fashion, two of the arias here, in fact, recycle material from The Four Seasons--Antonio Vivaldi was a ferociously prolific composer of operas for the cutting-edge theaters of his time, and the arias gathered here demonstrate the word-painting magic of his music, from the sylvan setting of dueting flageolets in "Di due rai languire costante" to the storm-tossed passions of "Anch'il mar par che sommerga," where Bartoli spins out ripples of rapid-fire coloratura with a gravity-defying accuracy that will leave your head spinning. In addition to many such examples of vocal acrobatics, Bartoli brings exquisite nuance and limpid tone to the delicate echo effects of "Zeffiretti, che sussurrate," and there's no better test for the remarkable flexibility of her range--full and dusky at the bottom and thrilling at the top--than the huge intervallic leaps of "Dopo un'orrida procella." With her naturally large voice, Bartoli can at times tend to histrionic excess (in the recitative to the short aria from "L'Orlando finto pazzo," for example), but the expressive color of her phrasing is wonderfully matched throughout by the Giardino Armonico's lively panache. All power to Bartoli in her goal of reviving this neglected aspect of Vivaldi's output. The reissue includes additional photos and text, packaged together as a visually enticing booklet to accompany this splendid CD. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Cecilia Bartoli brings Baroque music to life.......2005-08-24

A Revelation.......2003-11-05

The best work of Cecilia Bartoli.......2003-08-15

This is simply the best work of Cecilia Bartoli. Her voice is a delicatessen and Il Giardino Armonico sounds very very well. I think that I don't need to say anymore. Simply: BUY IT!!

The art of singing, still with us.......2003-02-09

Great music, but disappointment.......2002-10-01