Cecilia Bartoli - The Salieri Album

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Antonio Salieri is, unfortunately, best known as Mozart's great Viennese rival. Some of his work has appeared on recordings, and he was clearly an interesting composer of well-crafted, entertaining music. But now that a singer with the stature and prodigious gifts of Cecilia Bartoli has undertaken an entire CD of his opera arias, he may just become a quasi-household name. Here he proves himself a composer who wrote for virtuosos; Bartoli is nothing if not a vituoso. And, indeed, this CD opens with an impressive bang: An aria from La secchia rapita features a wild vocal line complete with wild coloratura, huge leaps, a range from low G to high D flat (Bartoli flirts more and more with the soprano range while using her chest register even more forcefully!), and vast dynamic changes accompanied by a full orchestra augmented with grand, martial trumpets. Other arias--one from Palmira, Regina di Persia, for example--are more introspective and are spun out with a graceful, seamless legato and seemingly endless pianissimo. Everything one loves about Bartoli is here: the intensity, absolute fluidity in execution, breath control, glorious trill, the ability to whisper or holler, and an identification with the character she's portraying which makes the situation credible and involving for the listener. At the same time, we can't overlook a tendency to overstatement and exaggeration and a breathiness to some of the delivery which can be an annoying mannerism. But where else can one get such excitement and commitment coupled with an irresistible charm in a singer so clearly at her peak? Most/all of the arias and operas here are virtually unknown; this CD whets our appetites for more Salieri. The accompaniments are as superbly thought-out and played as one would hope for--the wacky pizzicato strings and solo wind and brass lines in an aria from La Cifra, for instance, will delight. Bartoli fans and fans of great singing should not wait another moment before ordering this. --Robert Levine

Tracks:

Questo guajo mancava...Son qual lacera tartana (La secchia rapita)
Che dunque!...Or ei con Ernestina...Ah sia gia (La Scuola dei gelosi)
Vi sono sposa e amante (La Fiera di Venezia)
Voi Lusingate invano lo smarito cor mio...Misera abbandonata (Palmira, Regina di Persia)
E void a buon marito...Non vo gla che vi suonino (La Cifra)
Alfin son sola...Sola e mesta (La Cifra)
Dopo pranzo addormentata (Il Ricco d'un glorno)
No, non cacillera...Suelle mi temple (La secchia rapita)
Lungi da me sen vada quella veste fatal...Dunque anche il cielo...Contro un'alma sventurata (Palmira, Regina di Persia)
Se lo dovessi vendere (La Finta scema)
Eccomi piu che mai...Amor pletoso Amore (Il Ricco d'un Glorno)
La ra la (La Grotta di Trofonio)
E non degg'io seguirla!...Forse chi sa...Vieni a me sull'ali d'oro (Armida)

Amazon.com

Antonio Salieri is, unfortunately, best known as Mozart's great Viennese rival. Some of his work has appeared on recordings, and he was clearly an interesting composer of well-crafted, entertaining music. But now that a singer with the stature and prodigious gifts of Cecilia Bartoli has undertaken an entire CD of his opera arias, he may just become a quasi-household name. Here he proves himself a composer who wrote for virtuosos; Bartoli is nothing if not a vituoso. And, indeed, this CD opens with an impressive bang: An aria from La secchia rapita features a wild vocal line complete with wild coloratura, huge leaps, a range from low G to high D flat (Bartoli flirts more and more with the soprano range while using her chest register even more forcefully!), and vast dynamic changes accompanied by a full orchestra augmented with grand, martial trumpets. Other arias--one from Palmira, Regina di Persia, for example--are more introspective and are spun out with a graceful, seamless legato and seemingly endless pianissimo. Everything one loves about Bartoli is here: the intensity, absolute fluidity in execution, breath control, glorious trill, the ability to whisper or holler, and an identification with the character she's portraying which makes the situation credible and involving for the listener. At the same time, we can't overlook a tendency to overstatement and exaggeration and a breathiness to some of the delivery which can be an annoying mannerism. But where else can one get such excitement and commitment coupled with an irresistible charm in a singer so clearly at her peak? Most/all of the arias and operas here are virtually unknown; this CD whets our appetites for more Salieri. The accompaniments are as superbly thought-out and played as one would hope for--the wacky pizzicato strings and solo wind and brass lines in an aria from La Cifra, for instance, will delight. Bartoli fans and fans of great singing should not wait another moment before ordering this. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Mostly nice selections sung well.......2007-03-07

This CD features many delightful selections of Salieri's music, expertly performed by Ms. Bartoli and by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Anyone who likes Bartoli, and most people (non-experts) who like Mozart, would enjoy this album. The slower pieces, such as "Ah sia gia" and "Lungi da te" are especially beautiful.

That said, some of the selections seem to drag on (Salieri's fault). After a while listening, one just gets the feeling that "Vi sono sposa e amante" should have ended already, and the same goes for "Sulle mie tempie."

Painful introduction to Salieri.......2006-10-27

Ms. Bartoli is one of the great mezzos of our recent era, and her voice used to delight me, especially in the repertoire of Rossini, Mozart, & Handel sung by other great mezzos like Teresa Berganza.
Unfortunately, the voice that used to move so smoothly and accurately through florid passages is entirely absent here, and I have no explanation or understanding for the fervent praise bestowed upon this CD by others.
It is, in short, a travesty.
Bartoli emits the most painful and harsh pecking sounds......listening to just ONE of the tracks all the way through is a test of willpower and endurance! Granted, as someone else pointed out, these Salieri pieces are not an ideal choice for Bartoli, which explains some of the discomfort, but there is no way to excuse the vocalization that permeates the entire disc.
Sadly, this is a recording that should never have been released, and is a mockery of what the bel canto voice used to be.

Bartoli- The Most Important Voice of Our Age.......2006-02-27

Cecilia Bartoli is not only noteworthy for her unique voice, but for her contributions to musical study. She seems to be effectively and singlehandedly changing the face of how we approach music history with her recordings. This is why this recording is important.

She has been recording rare arias from operas which have dropped out of common repetoire for centuries. She has unearthed forgotten operas of great musical innovators such as Glueck and Vivaldi, and now Salieri. And due to what she achieves here, I will happily put "Salieri Album" in a rank next to my most prized Mozart records.

It seems as though Mozart dominates today's ouvre as the sole Classical Period composer of opera, but it was composers like Vincente Martin y Soler and Antonio Salieri who dominated the scene. Salieri was also just as innovative as Mozart. Works such as the overture to "Cesare in Farmacusa" harbor proto-Beethovenian storms, while his opera "Axur," in it's ahead-of-its-time construction, look foreward to the music-dramas of Wagner. These days, we look mainly at Mozart and his Donna Anna or Queen of the Night as THE voices of the Classical Period, but when you consider the bigger picture, Salieri's heroines, especially those the Cecilia Bartoli electrifyingly portrays on this record, equate or exceed what we might hear from Mozart in technical demand and overall beauty (Take for example the first track on this record).

With Cecilia Bartoli, opera is never boring. Some might thing she overacts, but is opera not essentially a fusion of music and drama? In this respect, Signora Bartoli is the perfect voice to define our generation, a generation which is looking to expand its musical horizons by exploring operas of more obscure composers. It is a relief that she knows how to bring her roles to LIFE. This is why her mission to revive these works has been so succesful. She has people interested.

As for the composer himself, Salieri was without a doubt, the most influential on the upcoming Romantic Period, even more so than Mozart. Notable names who had their musical education nurtured under Salieri's wing include Schubert, Weber, Beethoven, Mozart's son Franz Xaver, and even Liszt. It really is unfortunate that Pushkin and Peter Shaffer have pinned against Mozart, a composer who Salieri admired and had good relations with, according to letters.

The recording quality is excellent, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment compliments Bartoli's voice perfectly. Adam Fisher, furthermore, has a difficult task since much of this recording is world-premiere material. However, he presents the material as vividly as though they have never left the repetoire.

Buy this recording. I believe Signora Bartoli has set out on something great, and "Salieri Album" will have a ripple effect in the music world. I love this release.

Genius! Sheer genius!.......2005-12-19

Cecilia Bartoli is known for recording unfamiliar music. Here she recorded arias by Mozart's great rival Salieri and how beautifully she does it. She finds the right colours for every single piece, combined with her brilliant technique you get a feast of tasteful singing that will take your breath away! Buy it!

A revelation!.......2005-04-05

I came rather late to this CD. Am I the only one who saw "Amadeus" and came out wanting to hear more of the music of Salieri?

Ms Bartoli brings a her wonderful skills to the recording of some feriously difficult arias and proves up to the task. I know that some people have commented on flaws in her singing or the recording but the the joy of the album is the journey of discovery....each track is an adventure and a revelation.

A revelation of two great musical talents in top form ..Bartoli and Salieri.

Salieri's music is technically sophisticated and he wrote some truly glorious music for the female voice.

I can only recommend this to any lover of music.

Average customer rating:

Royal treatment of rare repertoire

The Salieri Album [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
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ASIN: B0000AF0YT
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

Son Qual Lacera Tartana
Or Ei Con Ernestina...Ah Sia Gia
Vi Sono Sposa E Amante
Voi Lusingate Invano...Misera Abbandonata
E Voi Da Buon Marito...Non Vo' Gia Che Vi Suonimo
Alfin Son Sola...Sola E Mesta
Dopo Pranzo Addormentata
NoL Non Vacillera...Sulle Mie Tempie
Lungi Da Me Sen Vada...Contro Un'alma Sventurata
Se Lo Dovessi Vendere
Eccomi Piu Che Mai...Amor, Pietoso Amore
La Ra La
E Non Degg'io Seguirla...Lungi Da Te...Forse, Chi Sa? Veranno...Vieni A Me Sull'ali D'oro

Customer Reviews:

Royal treatment of rare repertoire.......2004-08-02

About as good a way to promote little known music as can be hoped for. Top notch performances from all involved in glorious SACD sound. Looking forward to more of the same!

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