Antonio Vivaldi: Farnace

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
For all Vivaldi's current popularity, his nearly 50 operas continue to languish in undeserved obscurity. This live performance of his 1727 hit, Farnace, should help rectify posterity's oversight, for the music is compelling and the spirited singing and conducting are irresistible. The plot is a typical 18th-century opera narrative concerning people in ancient times whose confusing doings resist concise summary, but combine family discord, high politics, hate, love, and forgiveness. Jordi Savall leads his crack period instrument ensemble in a spirited rendition that stresses dramatic values. His sterling cast has no discernible weak links and several especially strong ones, such as baritone Furio Zanasi in the title role, contralto Sara Mingardo as his wife, and the daughter of the villainess of the opera, Farnace's arch-rival, Queen Berenice, soprano Adriana Fernandez. In fact, everybody sings with dramatic abandon and uses stunning coloratura effects. Savall also interpolates about 20 minutes of music from another Farnace opera written a dozen years later by Francesco Corselli, emulating the period practice of inserting materials by other contemporary composers. The fluent singing and dynamic drive of the orchestra make this among the best recordings of Baroque Italian opera. The format is a book-style packaging, with lavish illustrations, full text, and translations. --Dan Davis

Antonio Vivaldi: Farnace, Music, Francesco Corselli, Antonio Vivaldi, Jordi Savall, Eduardo Eguez, Le Concert des Nations, Adriana Fernandez, Fulvio Bettini, Furio Zanasi, Gloria Banditelli, Sara Mingardo, Classical, Italian Baroque Opera, Opera, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio, Opera/Operetta

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
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Binding: Audio CD

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

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:

Sheer Beauty for the Ears
Authenticity can sound great as well!
a little world of baroque sound
Wonderful relaxing music.
-

Casanova

Manufacturer: Hollywood Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Casanova
Memoirs of a Geisha
Pride & Prejudice
Mrs. Henderson Presents
Match Point

ASIN: B000BYR9YK
Release Date: 2005-12-20

Tracks:

An Untold Story: Assaggio No.1 In G Minor - Johann Helmich Roman
The Legend Of Casanova: Tambourins I/II From Daro - Jean-Philippe Rameau
I Yield To Love: Cello Concerto No.3 In D Minor - Leonardo Leo
Eternal Damnation: Overture From Les Fetes De Polymnie/Overture From Platee/Overture From Zoroastre - Jean-Philippe Rameau
The Doge's Decree: Concerto In C Major - Antonio Vivaldi
A Venetian Virgin - Alexandre Desplat
San Cremori At Dawn: Concerto In C Major For Harpsicord And Strings - Giovanni Paisiello
A Lover's Duel: Overture From La Madrilena - Vicente Martin Y Soler
A Terrible Mistake: Concerto A 5, Op.9, No.4 - Tomaso Albinoni
A Secret Lover?: Sinfonia From The Opera Farnace - Antonio Vivaldi
Marriage Is A Safe Haven: Concerto A 5, Op.9 No.4 - Tomaso Albinoni
Trailing Guardi: Sonata For Violin And Bassocontinuo, Op.5 No.11 In E Minor - Arcangelo Corelli
The Noble Pig: Concerto Per Quartetto No.8 - Francesco Durante
Paprizzio's Arrival: Concerto A 5, Op.9 No.2 In D Minor - Tomaso Albinoni
Inquisitor Pucci - Alexandre Desplat
: Concerto A 5, Op.9 No.4 - Tomaso Albinoni
A Big Idea: Harpsicord Concerto In B Flat Major - Francesco Durante
A Nom De Plume/Carnivale!: Concerto A 5, Op.9 No.6 In G Major/Bouree From Les Plaisirs Champetres - Tomaso Albinoni
The Plume's Nom Is Casanova! - Sonny Kompanek
Dancing At The Doge's Ball: Riguadon From Water Music Suite, No.3 In G Major/Bouree From Music For Royal Fireworks/Loure From Tafelmusik1 - George Frideric Handel
One Step Closer To Heaven: Concerto A 5, Op.9 No.4 In A Major - Tomaso Albinoni
Casanova's Confession: Sonata Op.5 No.7 In D Minor - Arcangelo Corelli
The Hanging: Violin Concerto 'Il Cimento Dell'Armonia E Dell'INvenzione' Op.8 No.11 In D Major - Antonio Vivaldi
A Great Escape: Overture From Zais/Overture From Nais/Overture From Achante Et Cephise Ou La Sympathie - Jean-Philippe Rameau
My Place Is With Casanova: Overture From Le Temple De La Gloire/Overture From Zais/Sonata For Violin And Bassocontinuo, Op.5 No.7 In D Minor - Arcangelo Corelli
All's Well...:Concerto A 5, Op.9 No.4 In A Major - Tomaso Albinoni

Amazon.com

The action in this tale about the 18th century adventurer and (at least in popular lore) seducer is set in Cassanova's native Venice in the mid-1700s, so it makes sense that the soundtrack would be loaded with Baroque pieces. The Venice-based Tomaso Albinoni is featured prominentaly, along with heavyweights such as Antonio Vivaldi, Jean-Baptiste Rameau, and George Frideric Handel, and lesser-known composers such as Arcangelo Corelli, Francesco Durante, and Alexandre Desplat. Er, actually Desplat is a contemporary French film composer who also released his score for the couldn't-be-more-different Syriana shortly after Casanova came out. Of the two pieces he penned here, "A Venetian Virgin" is in pure Baroque style, while "Inquisitor Pucci" betrays a more modern film-music vibe. Meanwhile, orchestrator Sonny Kompanek rearranged a couple of the tracks and authored the tense "The Plume's Nom Is Casanova," which doesn't sound embarrassing sandwiched between pieces by Albinoni and Handel. Overall, it would have been nice to get longer excerpts from the pieces--many feel chopped into too-small fragments--but the music's innate grace and elegance can't be beat for a period film. Or for any film, really: Vivaldi's Concerto in C Major ("The Doge's Decree") will be familiar to buffs, who will remember it featuring prominently in the Dustin Hoffman-¬Meryl Streep showdown Kramer vs. Kramer back in 1979. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Sheer Beauty for the Ears.......2006-07-25

For those that purchased this CD, I need not get into how masterfully infectious the movie was. After the first viewing, I found it charming, but after the second, I was hooked by the witty, clever story holding fun twists all along the way. So while I could go on and on about the movie and all of its wonderful aspects, the score was simply priceless. Apt in every scene, and all done with incredible baroque music that I had never had the opportunity of hearing before the film.

The disc walks you through the movie with no changes that I could tell from the original score. The only omission I found was that the song dubbed "Casanova's Theme" is played in much greater length in the closing credits, and that didn't seem to make it to the CD. Not a terrible loss.

Authenticity can sound great as well!.......2006-07-11

As an avid baroque music listener and performer, I can attest to the delightfully pleasing performances on the soundtrack as well as the painstakingly accurate performance practices utilized in the recording of this soundtrack.

The producers of this film fortunately went to the trouble of hiring some of the top period performance musician-specialists in the country (perhaps in the entire world) to record the soundtrack to Casanova. I know, because several of them were faculty members of the Oberlin Conservatory Baroque Performance Institute who went AWOL to Hollywood in June 2005 for the recording sessions. We all forgave them, and were actually quite excited that period music performance was having its day on the silver screen.

Do not miss this exquisite potpourri of wonderful baroque composers' works performed as closely as humanly possible to the way that they heard their works during their lifetimes! The film may not have been intended to be historically accurate (part of the fun), but the music certainly ended up that way. Not only that, but it sounds heavenly (unlike Casanova's antics) and up-to-date, not musty and old as if it were sealed in a museum case.

a little world of baroque sound.......2006-02-26

Lots of interesting baroque music unknown to me and
put together in dramatic sequences that add zest and
class to the listening experience. Also wonderful to
play in auto while driving thru boring country or in
slow moving traffic!
This CD will get a lot of play from me.
5 Stars!

Wonderful relaxing music........2006-02-25

Saw the movie and had to have the soundtrack. Great music to relax by. When you need to get away from the cares of the day the classics can't be beat. The producers of this movie certainly chose wonderful music to accompany it.

-.......2006-02-18

Good music but each is too short.
The original version of each may be better.

Antonio Vivaldi: Farnace (Favourite Aires)

Average customer rating:

Beautiful!

Antonio Vivaldi: Farnace (Favourite Aires)

Manufacturer: Alia Vox Spain
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00009OKOT
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful!.......2005-12-25

I am a big fan of Vivaldi and his operas, but when it comes to purchesing a whole opera on CD it can get get expensive. This has a nice compilation of arias from Farnace. Particularly beautiful is the haunting Gelido in ongi vena and the marvelous Io Crudel?, not to be missed, a great buy for the first time Vivaldi opera listener!

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

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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.

Average customer rating:

One of the best opera recordings ever
Totally brilliant Vivaldi
Requiem for a dead son

Antonio Vivaldi: Farnace

Manufacturer: Alia Vox Spain
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000634VT
Release Date: 2002-09-10

Amazon.com

For all Vivaldi's current popularity, his nearly 50 operas continue to languish in undeserved obscurity. This live performance of his 1727 hit, Farnace, should help rectify posterity's oversight, for the music is compelling and the spirited singing and conducting are irresistible. The plot is a typical 18th-century opera narrative concerning people in ancient times whose confusing doings resist concise summary, but combine family discord, high politics, hate, love, and forgiveness. Jordi Savall leads his crack period instrument ensemble in a spirited rendition that stresses dramatic values. His sterling cast has no discernible weak links and several especially strong ones, such as baritone Furio Zanasi in the title role, contralto Sara Mingardo as his wife, and the daughter of the villainess of the opera, Farnace's arch-rival, Queen Berenice, soprano Adriana Fernandez. In fact, everybody sings with dramatic abandon and uses stunning coloratura effects. Savall also interpolates about 20 minutes of music from another Farnace opera written a dozen years later by Francesco Corselli, emulating the period practice of inserting materials by other contemporary composers. The fluent singing and dynamic drive of the orchestra make this among the best recordings of Baroque Italian opera. The format is a book-style packaging, with lavish illustrations, full text, and translations. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

One of the best opera recordings ever.......2004-08-15

I agree wholeheartedly with the reviewers below. I am relatively new to vocal music and I tend to respond on a wholly emotional level.
Some Baroque operas with lenghty recitives tend to bore me. But Savall and his cast have brought to life even those passages of the opera. The cast was recorded live in a Madrid opera house. Not all live recordings of operas are successful. But Savall and company have left me all atingle an hour after I finished listening.
I realize that two other reviewers have given much more lucid, analytical reviews, but I was just wowed by this recording so much.
I recommend this not just to baroque opera or Vivaldi lovers but as a CD that belongs in every classical music lover's collection.

Totally brilliant Vivaldi.......2004-06-23

I agree wholeheartedly with reviewer Glidden's very expert review with the sole exception that I am madly in love with Sara Mingardo and although I am basically a soprano-lover, Sara is my absolute favorite Vivaldi singer. You should also purchase La Verità in Cimento, L'Olimpiade and Vespri per l'Assunzione di Maria Vergine. You will be totally convinced of her tremendous ability. The CDs come with an absolutely superb libretto. There is one minor flaw in this whole thing but by no means should you permit it to deter you from purchasing this work. The CDs are actually stored in slip-in jackets which are pages in the libretto. It cannot possibly be beneficial for the CDs to be put in and pulled out of these very tight jackets. Very definitely buy this work and then do yourself a big favor by buying a couple of empty jewel cases and storing the CDs in them as CDs should be stored. It will be well worth the small price (I buy them 3 for about $5).

Requiem for a dead son.......2003-06-27

Vivaldi's vocal music will, I believe, eventually be adulated on a level approaching Bach's. For those who have labored through the rocky trails of bizarre, overpriced, and obscure recordings of his sacred music, recently revitalized by Robert King and Rinaldo Alessandrini, to name two, his operatic repertoire is a godsend, all the more so since these latter CD's have been favored by truly excellent singers. And no wonder. Who, other than Bach (and, to lesser extent, Handel), forges the indissassociable link between instrumental and vocal writing, giving us wind instruments that sigh and weep and cadenzas that soar like violins (or, in the case of our altos, like violas)? Jordi Savall's Farnace is bold. The more-or-less incomprehensible plot, with its gratuitious secondary love story, is simply the occasion for the music. This is the forgiveness we have to extend to these Venetian operas in order to enter them. When they are graced with such singers as these, the music opens our ear, heart, and mind and lets the trumpet call in. I bought this recording, (full-price!), for its three contralti, Sara Mingardo, Gloria Banditelli, and, my current favorite, Sonia Prina. Ms Mingardo and Ms. Banditelli are long-time heralds of the true contralto in baroque music, but only Ms. Prina, at the ripe old age of 29, makes my heart both thrill and melt. Perhaps less so in this recording than her Aristea in Alessandrini's Olympiade with her incomparably languid force, than here with her Marilyn Horne-worthy coloratura, but as part of this ensemble her major talent announces a great work. I will confess another miscasting in the role of the "Amazone d'Oriente" Berenice in Ms. Fernandez (too sweet for a murderous, tyranical queen! Her photo belies the role 100%) but the blame lies elsewhere than in her voice. The surprises came with Cinzi Forte, aptly named indeed, and her wind-swept mastery, and even more so, Furio Zanasi, whom I have not heard since Rene Jacob's legendary Guilio Cesare (Achilla). His full-throated approach to singing can leave one overwhelmed, but that is desireable here in a man bent with grief for his dead son. His 9:09 minute long aria "Gelido in ogni vena" is beyond the pale, metaphor intended.
There is much to discover in these three disks and Savall's additions from Corselli's version are ultimately enriching. Final note: the set photos are dramatic, baroque, and utterly splendid, making you regret having missed the performance and hoping fervently for its revival.

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

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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

Operatic Vivaldi: Passion, Intrigue, Revenge & Joy

Average customer rating:

Operatic Vivaldi: Passion, Intrigue, Revenge & Joy

Manufacturer: Eroica Classical
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00016XO0G
Release Date: 2003-12-30

Vivaldi - Il Farnace / Dupuy · Dessì · L. Rizzi · Angeloni · Malakova · Gamberucci · Garazioti - De Bernart

Average customer rating:

Vivaldi - Il Farnace / Dupuy · Dessì · L. Rizzi · Angeloni · Malakova · Gamberucci · Garazioti - De Bernart
Antonio Vivaldi , Massimo De Bernart , Martine Dupuy , Daniela Dessì , and Katia Angeloni Lucia Rizzi
Manufacturer: Agora
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000I7H0
Release Date: 2000-01-13