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

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli is one of the most charming and talented singers to appear on the scene in recent years, and this collection of Italian songs by three great opera composers--Bellini, Donizetti, and Rossini--is a most deserving bestseller. There are many small pleasures in the selections, which reflect the bel canto predilections of their authors, and Bartoli renders them artfully. Some will be familiar even to casual listeners (Rossini's La Danza, the famous tarantella); others will be new to most, but equally deserving of a hearing. The sensitive and skillful accompaniment is by conductor-pianist James Levine. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Tracks:

Bel Canto Songs: Aragonese
Bel Canto Songs: Vaga luna che inargenti
Bel Canto Songs: II barcaiolo
Bel Canto Songs: Ah! rammenta, o bella Irene
Bel Canto Songs: L'abbandono
Bel Canto Songs: Or che di fiori adorno
Bel Canto Songs: Malinconia, ninfa gentile
Bel Canto Songs: Amore e morte
Bel Canto Songs: Bolero
Bel Canto Songs: La conocchia
Bel Canto Songs: II fervido desiderio
Bel Canto Songs: Torna, vezzosa Fillide
Bel Canto Songs: Vanne, o rosa fortunata
Bel Canto Songs: Dolente immagine di Fille mia
Bel Canto Songs: La farfalletta
Bel Canto Songs: A ma belle mere
Bel Canto Songs: Per pieta, bell'idol mio
Bel Canto Songs: Me voglio fa 'na casa
Bel Canto Songs: L'esule
Bel Canto Songs: La danza (tarantella napoletana)

Amazon.com

The Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli is one of the most charming and talented singers to appear on the scene in recent years, and this collection of Italian songs by three great opera composers--Bellini, Donizetti, and Rossini--is a most deserving bestseller. There are many small pleasures in the selections, which reflect the bel canto predilections of their authors, and Bartoli renders them artfully. Some will be familiar even to casual listeners (Rossini's La Danza, the famous tarantella); others will be new to most, but equally deserving of a hearing. The sensitive and skillful accompaniment is by conductor-pianist James Levine. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews:

Lovely rendition of Italian songs.......2007-03-11

The booklet coming with the CD says of Cecilia Bartoli that she "is justly famous for her coloratura mezzo-soprano voice and her interpretations of Rossini and Mozart." This CD features her lush voice taking on songs of three great Bel Canto composers--Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti. Some might think of these as trifles, but the singing and musicality is rich and the songs evocative. The piano accompaniment is by famed conductor James Levine, and he does a splendid job.

Some sampling of the songs. . . . The CD begins with a song by Rossini, "Aragones." This is lushly sung; Bartoli has a wondrously rich and textured voice. The pace is contemplative, altogether consistent with the words of the song, the reflection of a disappointed lover. Well done.

Donizetti's "Il barcaiolo" is also well done. Bartoli shows her vocal agility in this tune. This is a spirited song, and her coloratura technique animates her rendition. There are segments sung forte, showing the power of her voice. There is a nice soft closing to the song, so she ranges from forte to piano.

Bellini is represented, too. His "Vaga luna che inargenti" is a pleasant love song. Bartoli sings this tenderly, creating a melancholy spirit, fitting the song's words.

To close, there is Rossini's wonderful tarantella, "La danza." Levine plays at a quick pace, as he must for this spirited song. Bartoli shows great vocal agility and strong breath control (this is a tough song to get right!). A wonderfully spirited version. She even takes a pass at a trill toward the close. All in all, most satisfying.

Thus, this represents a nice CD, showing Bartoli's skills with the songs of some of the great Bel Canto composers. An album that is a lot of fun to listen to!

Best 'Italian' Selection yet........2006-06-16

'An Italian Songbook' by mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli and accompaniest extraordinare, James Levine is the best of the three collections of Italian material from Bartoli I have reviewed to date. Much of this may be due to Levine, but I believe it is more due to the quality of the material selected. All songs are by 'heaviweights Vincenzo Belline, Gaetano Donizetti, and Gioachino Rossini. It is certainly not due to a difference in the quality of Ms. Bartoli's singing, which is uniformly beautiful throughout.

This would be my first choice for Italian material with only piano accompaniment. For a very first Bartoli album, see her 'flagship' recording, 'Cecilia Bartoli' where she is backed by full orchestra and chorus.

Salon pieces to delight the listener.......2006-03-13

Italian art song never became the serious and high form of art that it did within Germany, and hasn't the same place in culture that the French mélodies had. Rather, Italian operatic composers wrote lighter vocal pieces with fairly simple piano accompaniment, designed to be performed in a more intimate setting. One hears immediately the Bellini line (so familiar to those who love Bellini's operas) in his songs - ditto with the Donizetti and Rossini songs.

This in no way robs the songs of immense charm. It would be easy to perform these songs without a great deal of thought, simply making them sound "pretty". But Cecilia Bartoli never does that - she always gives everything, voice, intelligence, musicality, to her performance.

That is what makes this recording so superb. I can see there are some less-than-satisfied reviewers - I am surprised by the comments. For rest assured, there is no vocal difficulty here at all. Cecilia Bartoli's voice is in superb condition throughout, and her interpretation is of course second to none. Having recorded "Vaga luna" myself, I would be the first to say if I thought anything was lacking in Ms Bartoli's performance - but there's nothing adverse I can say at all. It's simply gorgeous singing, with immaculate phrasing, an intensely personal approach, and some of the most beautiful sounds you're likely to hear.

It is hard to imagine anyone being disappointed by this recording. The comments made about squally sound are not just unfair, they're totally inaccurate. I remember purchasing this CD on the very day it was released in Australia, and it's a firm favourite of mine.

In all... delightful.

The Italian Songbook.............2005-12-09

...........sung like a string of pearls. I have never heard "Vaga luna che inargenti" sung so beautifully radiant and lucid. What a contrast when listening to her mournful "L'abbandono" where she sounds so utterly sad and full of melancholy. Brilliant vocal colouring here. "Malincolia, ninfa gentile" is sung with the appropriate pathos but without gimmicks and tricks. Utterly gorgeous Bellinian line. "II fervido desiderio" is sung with just the right amount of yearning and passion. "Per pieta, bell'idol mio" finds her beautifully charming and endearing, who could say no to her? The closing piece, "La Danza" is a tasty little song that suits her to a T. In my humble opinion every young voice student should not only study the Italian Songbook but own this in order to hear how it's done. This is still my favourite Bartoli album.

che bella.........2004-12-23

Cecilia Bartolia is such a refreshing singer in the current state of vocal affairs. For one thing, she is a serious student of the music she sings, and scorns all the 'popera' and crossover artists. She has sought out plenty of unknown/lesser known material to record (Salieri, Vivaldi, Gluck, etc). In the CD in question she does wonderful work with these Italian pezzi. Her voice is now dark, now breathy, now intense, always altered to reflect the words she is singing. Her vocal agility and control are simply remarkable. Pay no attention to the Bartoli nay-sayers, she is a first rate singer.

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