Bartoli, Cecilia

▪ 1994

      When Cecilia Bartoli attempted a concert tour in the United States in 1991, she returned to Italy with less than $1,000 in her pocket, mostly because American promoters were not willing to risk booking someone who was relatively unknown to them. By 1993, however, the mezzo-soprano had made several very successful appearances throughout the world and had released a number of best-selling recordings. She had, in fact, become the most talked-about new member of the opera world, praised for her supple voice, with its wide, even range, and for her vivaciousness as an actress in comic roles.

      Opera's latest star was born in Rome on June 4, 1966. Both her parents were members of the Rome Opera chorus, and Bartoli joked that when she was a child, her baby-sitters were the likes of Rossini and Verdi. She started singing when she was a teenager, and her mother, who coached her, remained her only voice teacher. At the age of 19, she embarked on a professional career when she sang on a television show with baritone Leo Nucci. Soon after, she attracted the attention of conductors Herbert von Karajan and Daniel Barenboim, both of whom recognized her as an abundantly talented singer with a voice perfectly suited to the difficult coloratura repertoire of Mozart and Rossini.

      Bartoli's roles included Rosina in Rossini's Barber of Seville and the title role in his Cenerentola, as well as Cherubino in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and Dorabella in his Così fan tutte. She had also begun to take on roles (Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni and Despina in Così fan tutte) usually sung by sopranos. A number of her recordings, including If You Love Me (a collection of 18th-century Italian love songs) and collections of Rossini and Mozart arias and songs, were huge hits and appeared on the classical best-seller charts. Bartoli continued to conduct her career in a thoughtful and measured way, however, taking on new roles only when she felt ready and limiting her appearances each season. She made her U.S. stage debut (as Rosina) with the Houston (Texas) Grand Opera in April 1993, and she was scheduled to make her debut (as Despina) at the Metropolitan Opera in 1996. (ELIZABETH LASKEY)

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