Track Listing

1. "Se un mio desir...Cedi al duo!" - Cecilia Bartoli, International Chamber Soloists, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
2. "Ira del ciel" - Cecilia Bartoli, International Chamber Soloists, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
3. "Cari giorni" (Romanza der Ines) - Cecilia Bartoli, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
4. Infelice - Cecilia Bartoli, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
5. "Yo que soy contrabandista" - Cecilia Bartoli, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
6. Ah, non credea mirarti - Cecilia Bartoli, International Chamber Soloists, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
7. Ah, non giunge uman pensiero - Cecilia Bartoli, International Chamber Soloists, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
8. Air à la Tirolienne avec Variations - Cecilia Bartoli, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
9. "E non lo vedo...Son regina" - Cecilia Bartoli, International Chamber Soloists, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
10. Rataplan - Cecilia Bartoli, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
11. "Dopo tante e tante pene" (For Rossini's "Tancredi") - Cecilia Bartoli, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
12. O rendetemi la speme - Cecilia Bartoli, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
13. Vien, diletto, è in ciel la luna - Cecilia Bartoli, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
14. "Come dolce a me favelli" - Cecilia Bartoli, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
15. "Scorrete, o lagrime" - Cecilia Bartoli, International Chamber Soloists, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
16. "Prendi per me sei libero" (for Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'amore") - Cecilia Bartoli, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer
17. Casta Diva - Cecilia Bartoli, International Chamber Soloists, Orchestra La Scintilla, Adam Fischer

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48797 in Music
• Released on: 2007-11-12
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Limited Edition
• Dimensions: .51 pounds
• Running time: 79 minutes

Album Description
GENIUS, SCANDAL AND DEATH! CECILIA BARTOLI EXPLORES THE WORLD OF MARIA MALIBRAN: FIRST GODDESS OF ROMANTICISM
8 World Premiere recordings
Duet with violin star Maxim Vengerov
Cecilia Bartoli returns to her bel canto roots
Cecilia Bartoli revisits the early Romantic era of Rossini, Bellini and their contemporaries, and views the Bel canto glory days through the eyes of Maria Malibran : Romantic icon, Bel canto muse, and the most extraordinary opera star of her time. Cecilia Bartoli has unearthed many forgotten opera jewels. The album features several world premiere recordings including the prayer `Se il mio desir... Cedi al duol' from the long lost opera Irene by Pacini and the aria `E non lo vedo... Son regina' by Maria's father, the famous Rossini tenor Manuel Garcia. Bartoli also presents the London version of Mendelssohn's `Infelice' for voice, violin solo and orchestra, where she duets with Maxim Vengerov. The programme also includes popular favourites , such as Bellini's `Casta Diva' from Norma.

Customer Reviews

Brilliantly diverse

Decca have excelled themselves this time with the presentation of this CD for it comes supplied with a hard-backed CD sized booklet of 150 pages (the first 37 in English, then translations to French and German, and the last 40 or so pages with libretti for all the tracks on the CD). The book is also lavishly illustrated, with photos of Cecilia Bartoli and various artifacts such as jewellery and busts relating to Maria Malibran, the theme of this album.

The album is intended as a tribute to the French singer Maria Malibran, one of the most famous mezzo sopranos of the 19th Century, who died at the tragically young age of 28 in 1836. Her life was full of drama and scandal (she married a man 28 years her senior), emotional upsets (she divorced after a year) and controversy (such as refusing to sing in front of the King until he gave his permission for the audience to applaud whenever they wanted during her performances). This all made for great public interest, and ensured her name went down in musical history as one of the first real 'opera divas'.

The selection of songs here is from the era of Malibran, ranging from operatic pieces from composers Bellini and Hummel, to her own Fathers compositions and even a few of her own, which all adds up to an extremely diverse collection of music. This of course is the intention for it makes great demands on the singer and, if successful, achieves the admiration it deserves.

Bartoli fans will love this album, I certainly do, for it continues her custom of producing themed albums (Salieri, Vivaldi, Italian arias) which bring a sense of cohesion to each of them. Like all her previous recordings there are surprises, notable on this is Hummel's `Air a la tirolienne avec variations' which is a combination of classical aria and Alpine folk music, resulting in an alternation of singing styles from traditional opera to full blown yodelling. Difficult to imagine, but it works to great effect.

Anyone who hasn't heard Cecilia Bartoli sing, and thought all mezzo sopranos are in the style of singers such as (also greatly talented) Katherine Jenkins, will probably be amazed at the different results which vocals of the same range can achieve.

This is both a pleasing album for existing fans and an excellent introduction for newcomers to the exciting voice of Cecilia Bartoli.

Casta Contraversial Diva
The concept of this album is good - to collect songs and arias connected to the legendary, short-lived diva Maria Malibran, and the more deluxe the edition of this you get, the more info provided.

Yet the implication that Decca and Bartoli are unique in their exploration of rare opera is most unfair. The independant record company OPERA RARA have been doing this for years, and not just recitals, but whole operas with fabulous singers like Nelly Miricioiu, Renee Fleming, Jennifer Larmore and co. They don't get all the hype and marketing that Bartoli gets. But their recordings (also presented in a "deluxe" way) have rather more artistic integrity and tell us more about Pacini, Bellini etc than Bartoli does.

So does MARIA live up to the hype?

Well, I really enjoyed this album, but there are few things to mention to prospective buyers. Firstly, Bartoli's coloratura, while stunningly accurate, can seem a bit agressive sometimes. The Casta Diva from Norma, is most unusually sung, almost whispered. This has aroused some controversy, but I rather like it - for a one off.

This is an album where Bartoli takes a few risks. Some come off, some don't. It's an incredible voice of course and I love her to bits. It's a good album. But if you enjoy it, do investigate OPERA RARA, where you will find a treasure trove of forgotten operatic jewels, from the age of Maria Malibran

Something very special
Heard the review of this album on Radio 4 and was literally stopped in my tracks by Cecilia's rendition of "Norma", it almost stopped my heart it was so lovely. What a very special voice.