Cecilia Bartoli - Maria
|
Music CD Cover Composer: Maria Maribran Composer: Vincenzo Bellini Composer: Jacques Fromental Halevy Composer: Giovanni Pacini Composer: Felix Mendelssohn Composer: Manuel Garcia Conductor: Adam Fischer Orchestra: Orchestra 'La Scintilla' Performer: Cecilia Bartoli Performer: Luca Pisaroni Edition: Music CD Format: Limited Edition CD Release Date: 2006-10-10 Music Label: Decca Soundtracks:
|
| Used | secondspin_us | Used, mint 100% guaranteed against defects. International orders ship without jewel cases. Check out our inventory of more than 800,000 music & movie titles! Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $8.97 | |
| Used | wherehouse | Used, mint With more than 600,000 DVDs, CDs and Video Games, we've got what you're looking for, New or Used! Plus, with nearly ten years on the web, you know your purchase is 100% safe, secure & guaranteed! Note that international shipments of CDs are sent without jewel cases. Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $8.99 | |
| Used | rrusso1962 | Used, mint Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $11.98 | |
| New | -importcds | New Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $11.98 | |
| New | alpha-music | New Factory sealed! Brand new! (barcode scratched) Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $11.99 | |
| New | -dvdlegacy- | New Brand New and Factory Sealed Item Fast Shipping Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $12.11 | |
| New | moviemars | New BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail! Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $12.96 | |
| New | monster_mart | New Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $12.97 | |
| New | Amazon.com | New Usually ships in 24 hours | $12.99 | |
| New | oddbanana | New BRAND NEW - FACTORY SEALED product! GUARANTEED SATISFACTION! We ship fast, from multiple locations. Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $13.44 |
Your purchase is protected by the A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee. Amazon.com automatically transfers your payment to the merchant so you'll never need to pay a merchant directly. Amazon.com A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee covers both the delivery of your item and its condition upon receipt.
Free Music Notes for Cecilia Bartoli - Maria Album
Free Music Review: A fascinating concept that is implemented well
Hit: 5 Stars
The concept is intriguing: mezzo soprano Cecilia Bartoli takes a shot at the works associated with the great (if short-lived) opera singer Maria Malibran (1808-1836). Accompanying the CD is a DVD that provides context about the making of this CD and about the larger context. There is also a nice book that provides additional context (including information about Maria Malibran, pictures of Malibran artifacts, words to songs/arias, etc.).
In the end, though, it's the music. . . . An intriguing array of works. The composers whose work Malibran sang included her father, Manuel Garcia, lesser known composers such as Johann Hummel, Giuseppe Persiani, Malibran herself, Vincenzo Bellini, and so on. An intriguing set of works.
More interesting: from what I can tell, one of these, from Bellini's "I Puritani," uses Malibran's own version as the template.
Some examples. . . . She begins with "Si un mio desir" from Pacini's "Catania." Her low voice provides a rich tone to this piece. She also displays a pretty competent trill.
Bartoli's version of Malibran's father's work, "Yo que soy contrabandista," is intriguing. The guitar backing is pleasing. Bartoli's lustrous voice serves this work well. She shows a fair amount of vocal agility here.
Then, something most interesting. She takes on Bellini's "Ah! non credea mirarti" and the accompanying cabaletta "Ah! non giunge." Normally this is associated with the high flying coloratura sopranos. One expects a Sutherland or a Jo or a Sills to take this on. But, the book convincingly argues, this was the territory of mezzos in Bellini's time (Malibran, apparently, could sing the mezzo range). And the lower tone of Bartoli provides a refreshing approach. Her version of the cabaletta sure sounds afar from the sopranos, but she makes it work. She takes this at a brisk pace, not as heavily ornamented by the leading coloratura sopranos of recent decades. Nonetheless, it is an interesting version. The repeat is more florid, and her deeper voice adds a compelling touch, at least from my listening. She displays considerable agility here.
Then, there is Malibran's own "Rataplan" (composed in 1836, the year of her death at a young 28). This air begins with drums. This is a lively tune, and Bartoli handles the pace and effects composed by Malibran well.
What does one not think of when thinking of a mezzo? "Vien diletto" from Bellini's "I Puritani." Again, we think of Sutherland and other coloratura sopranos. Here, Bartoli sings Malibran's own version of this cabaletta. I'm not sure that I'm completely enchanted with Malibran's version (portrayed by Bartoli), but approaches have obviously changed over time. And this picture from the past is pretty satisfying. The pace is quite a bit slower than what most of us will be used to. But the sound of a rich mezzo taking this on is something that makes one think again about approaches to this piece.
And so on. . . . The CD closes with Bartoli's rendition of "Casta Diva" from Bellini's "Norma." Suffice it to say that this is another interesting rendition of a work that is not normally thought of as within the ambit of a mezzo soprano.
This is really an interesting CD (with accompanying book and DVD to make this a bargain, in my view). If you accept the underlying concept, I'm pretty sure that most listeners will find this a very special offering.