Cecilia Bartoli dazzles at the Barbican

Cecilia Bartoli/ Orchestra La Scintilla Zürich - Barbican, 19 December 2007

We were told pre-concert not to expect too much. Cecilia Bartoli was recovering from a cold and flu. Was it just a ploy to dampen expectations? Because apart from the tiniest settling-in, her entire performance was as close to perfection as it gets, her fabulous triple-octave voice under immaculate control. Although I love her baroque work too, the romantic style she focussed on tonight seems more tailored to her generous and exuberant personality. Whether steeped in pathos or bathed in joy, every song was delivered at peak intensity. It's a high-risk strategy, and at times she skated dangerously close to self-parody, but never quite crossed that line.

Incidentally, in the audience was Vivienne Westwood, resplendent in apricot coat and matching hair. She's designed frocks for Bartoli in the past, but tonight's spectacular red silk strapless gown with beaded embellishment and trailing hem came from Nina Ricci.

Everything she sang was taken from her recent Malibran recording. There's some phenomenally technically difficult stuff in there, and I don't think anyone would have been too disappointed if she'd not matched up. The surprise was that, if anything, she was even more impressive in person, with a richer palette, greater vitality, a more daring fioritura. She tossed off the triple back flips and headspins of the finale from Rossini's La Cenerentola with easy-peasy grace and phenomenal accuracy, but was just as impressive with the dramatic intensity of Mendelssohn's Infelice (which incidentally she has rescued from obscurity for this recording).

And some credit is also due to La Scintilla, the period instrument ensemble from the Zürich opera house orchestra. Not only did they accompany Bartoli, conductorless, most sensitively, but their instrumental interludes in between her arias were a cut above what's often provided at this sort of concert. 

OK, so they sped up during their crescendos and slowed down in the diminuendoes, but at least they achieved some consistent dynamic variation, something very hard to do without a conductor. And they played with a real joy and relish for what they were doing.

The encores seemed a little calculated, but were no worse for it. For the first, Rataplan from Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment, a drummer magically appeared to accompany Bartoli.

And for the second, Manuel Garcia's Yo que soy contrabandista from El Poeta Calculista, there was a whole band of Spanish flamenco players waiting in the wings to take the orchestra's place for a few minutes.

Arm-twisted by a standing ovation to provide a third encore, Bartoli reprised Non piu mesta from La Cenerentola - but extemporised differently from the first time, and quite brilliantly. I shall find out tomorrow night if Magdalena Kožená (at the Royal Opera House) can provide quite the same sparkle to it - but somehow I doubt it.

Barbican programme notes here

The full programme:
Manuel de Populo Vicente Garcia Overture from 'La figlia dell'aria'; 'E non lo vedo...Son regina' Semiramide's recitative and romanza from 'La figlia dell'aria'
Giuseppe Persiani 'Cari giorni' Ines's introduction and romanza from 'Ines de Castro'
Mendelssohn Scherzo from Octet in G minor op. 20 (arr. for orchestra); 'Infelice' scene and aria for voice, violin solo and orchestra (1834 London version)
Rossini Tempest from 'Il Barbiere di Siviglia'; 'Naqui all'affanno...non piu mesta' Angelina's scene and rondo from 'La Cenerentola'
Donizetti Andante and sostenuto from Concertino for Clarinet in B flat
Rossini 'Assisa al pie d'un salice' Desdemona's Willow Song and Prayer from 'Otello'; Overture from 'Il Signor Bruschino'
Michael William Balfe 'Yon moon o'er the mountains' Isoline's ballad from 'The Maid of Artois'
Hummel Tyrolean Air with Variations
Charles-Auguste de Bériot Andante tranquillo from Violin Concerto No 7 in op. 76
Bellini 'Ah, non credea mirarti...Ah, non giunge' Amina's Aria and cabaletta from 'La Sonnambula'

Comments

[sfmike]

Ah, we have a serious cultist fan. Good for you.

[Parsifal]

Seems like great news to my ears after Dessay's cancellation (and me getting a refund)...I will be there for the second concert on the 21st and i can't wait! Even if i 'm sure that comparisons between Magdalena and Cecilia are so pointless when it comes to anything coloratura-full like Cenerentola.

[Parsifal]

La Bartoli dazzles the Barbican again on the 21st of December!!! An incredible recital, pure magic, a silent audience under the spell of Cecilia!! I will write a full review ASAP! (Could i use any of your pics??? you ll give me image, i'll give you sound -if you know what i mean hehehheeehhee-)