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Cecilia Bartoli

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Cecilia Bartoli is an Italian mezzo-soprano, born in 1966 in Rome. She is known for her interpretations of the music of Bellini, Handel, Mozart, Rossini and Vivaldi and of lesser-known work from the Baroque and Classical periods. Her parents, Silvana Bazzoni and Pietro Angelo Bartoli, were professional singers and her first teachers. At nine she sang in public for the first time, as the shepherd boy in Tosca. Later she studied at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome. At nineteen she sang on an Italian television show and was asked to take part in a tribute to Maria Callas with the Paris Opéra.

Music and breakthrough

In 1987 she made her professional opera debut at the Arena di Verona. The following year she sang Rosina in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia in Cologne, Schwetzingen and Zürich, to glowing reviews. With conductors such as Daniel Barenboim and Nikolaus Harnoncourt she focused on Mozart, such as Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Dorabella in Così fan tutte. In 1990 she made her debut as Cherubino at the Opéra Bastille and in 1991 at La Scala, where her name was established as one of the best Rossini singers. In 1996 her debut at the Metropolitan Opera followed. Her recordings range from Rossini Arias in 1989 to Mozart Portraits in 1994 and An Italian Songbook in 1997.

Influence

Bartoli is regarded as a singer with an unusual sound, with full depth, a vibrant middle register and a bright, powerful top. She broke through to a large audience and made early music popular again.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to an aria from Rossini Arias or Mozart Arias and notice how fast and precisely she sings the notes. Hear how she joins heavier low notes and light high notes with a single voice.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists