Cecilia Bartoli Essentials

This dynamic mezzo-soprano excels in the standard operatic repertoire (Mozart, Donizetti, Rossini) designed for performers with her coloratura skills. But she doesn't sound like anyone else—often pushing her technique to chancy extremes, driven by the same adventurism that likewise compels Bartoli to seek out new critical editions of canonical scores and forgotten repertoire. (What other mezzo would create a recital program out of music written for the castrati of centuries past?) Whether she's inhabiting obscure Baroque pieces or Bellini's Norma, she's an experience.