Cecilia Bartoli: A Portrait
August 2004 Reviewed by: Wes Marshall Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Cecilia Bartoli is opera’s reigning mezzo-soprano. Her key to opera stardom has been her uncanny ability to take a Mozart or Rossini aria and juggle the nearly impossible run of tiny grace notes and trills with seemingly effortless control. Though she has just reached the age of 38, she has already garnered more acclaim than any mezzo since Marilyn Horne. I was lucky enough to see a 27-year-old Bartoli in her American opera debut as Rosina in Rossini’s Barber of Seville. Though I was stunned by the quality of her singing, I was also surprised at what a small voice she has. Conductors have to ratchet down the orchestra when she sings an aria. That is why she mostly chooses to entertain her massive adoring public with recitals and recordings instead of grand operas, where an enthusiastic orchestra can swamp her voice. While the frisson of a live opera is always fun, I think Bartoli is best appreciated in more intimate surroundings -- like your home theater.

Cecilia Bartoli: A Portrait is not a look at today’s star. It was recorded in 1991, when she was just 25. The first half of the program is devoted to a personal look at the diva. What we find is a well-grounded young woman driving a little old red Fiat around Rome, still a bit surprised by her fame, yet totally comfortable with it. Her mother, who has been her only vocal coach, comes off as just a tiny bit of a "stage mom," not at all overbearing, but still hoping her daughter would want to follow in the family business (both parents sang in the Rome Opera Chorus). We also hear various opera experts describe what makes Bartoli such a phenomenon, most of whom admire her fabulous technique, brilliant comic sensibility, and the decidedly politically incorrect notion that she is young and pretty. The second half of the DVD is devoted to a recital in London in 1991. Accompanied by pianist György Fischer, Bartoli navigates a mostly Mozart-Rossini program with ease and flair.

Decca-Universal’s production is first-rate, with excellent photography and natural sound. I marginally preferred the Dolby Digital stereo soundtrack to the DTS surround, but the differences mostly come down to whether you want the sound from two or six speakers. Since it was recorded in stereo, I thought that mix would be closer to the original master takes.

All in all, Cecilia Bartoli: A Portrait is a most welcome DVD for opera fans in general, and especially Ms. Bartoli’s fans. Now how about a 2004 edition?

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