Sospiri (Sigh) / Cecilia Bartoli

This is an omnibus album of baroque, classical, until late romantic compositions. Recorded between 1994 and 2009, this album is a good overview of Cecilia Bartoli’s world. The co-musicians include Giovanni Antonini, Marc Minkowski, Claudio Abbado, Myung-Whun Chung, Alessandro De Marchi, Ádám Fischer, and many others, as well as singers such as Bryn Terfel (baritone), Juan Diego Flórez (tenor), Luciano Pavarotti (tenor).

The CD opens with Handel’s “Ombra mai fu,” Bartoli’s signature piece. Next comes “Sposa, non mi conosci” from “Merope” by Geminiano Giacomelli. Handel’s “Lascia la spina cogli la rosa” followed. Vivaldi and Caldara followed, and the first coloratura was Leonardo Vinci’s “Cervo in bosco” (Il Medo). After that, two familiar Mozart arias followed. The first is “Voi che sapete” from “The Marriage of Figaro. Then came “Là ci darem la mano” from “Don Giovanni,” a duet with Bryn Terfel.

From this point on, the audience was introduced to Romanticism with “Ah! non credea mirarti si presto estinto, o fiore” from Vincenzo Bellini’s “La Sonnambula”. Even I, who do not usually listen to Romantic music, was moved. Duet with Juan Diego Flores. “Casta Diva” from “Norma” was also a highlight, with the ultimate pianissimo singing. Pietro Mascagni’s “Tutto tace” (L’amico Fritz) is a duet with Luciano Pavarotti. The following Gioachino Rossini’s “Una voce poco fa” again featured coloratura.

Then the 15th piece, “Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris” from Bach’s “Mass in B minor” suddenly appeared, and from this point until the end of the concert, there was a lineup of religious pieces. Mozart’s “Laudate Dominum omnes gentes” was performed with the choir of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (L’Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia), conducted by Roberto Gabbiani. This is truly “heavenly music. The program continued with Rossini, Charles Gounod, Maurice Duruflé, and César Franck, and concluded with “Pie Jesu” from Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem”. #baroque #bartoli #片山俊幸