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Review
Cecilia Bartoli is such a veteran of the talking point album, and of unearthing forgotten repertoire, that it would be more of a talking point if she produced an unimaginative album of core repertoire. For Sacrificium, which features 11 world premiere recordings, she has teamed up with Il Giardino Armonico and Giovanni Antonini, with whom she recorded her Vivaldi album. Showcasing music written for castrati, it’s undoubtedly designed to make people take notice.
For a start, the history of castrato singing in Italy is enough to turn the most robust stomach; a castrato was a male adult soprano whose voice had been prevented from breaking normally during puberty by pre-pubescent castration. Appetite for the voice, fuelled by a ban on women singing in church, meant that by the 18th century as many as 4,000 boys were castrated in Italy alone. A sobering thought for any man.
However, music of exceptional beauty and passion was created for these male-strength soprano voices, and so the sleeve’s boast that these two discs feature 100 minutes of “some of the most virtuosic music ever written for the human voice” is not entirely without credibility. The cover image is just as striking, placing Bartoli’s head atop a classical marble male nude.
On to the music, and it’s a classic Bartoli offering – an almost painfully slickly produced product that nevertheless sees off critical cynicism with its dramatic, technical and vocal prowess. The album’s meat is undoubtedly on the first disc, featuring arias by Porpora, Caldara, Araia, Graun, Leothe and Vinci. Their virtuosity and range of emotion are as remarkable as Bartoli’s excitingly, flawlessly passionate delivery of them.
The second disc, actually only a 20-minute ‘bonus’ offering, gives baroque opera fans Bartoli’s take on three more familiar castrato arias: Broschi’s “Son qual nave” (Artaserse), Handel’s “Ombra mai fu” (Serse) and Giacomelli’s “Sposa, non mi conosci”. Whether these work for the listener will be down to personal preference for the male or female voice in this music but, like the rest, they confirm if it even needed confirming that Bartoli remains one of today’s greatest artists. --Charlotte Gardner
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Product Description
DEC 4781522; DECCA - Inghilterra; Classica vocale profana
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By mdp
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Although this music was written for and performed by castrati - a sound we can only imagine these days, Cecilia pays tribute by singing in her own superb style.....and it comes off extremely well.
44 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Another daring undertake by superdiva Cecilia Bartoli, this time literally resurrecting very obscure and extremely difficult arias sung by some of the most famous castrati in the XVIIIth Century. Of course she is not the first to record a whole album with this kind of material, but this one stands out for its rarity and extreme demands regarding breath control, coloratura display and expressive utterance. Apparently all the pieces but one in the first disc of this two-CD special edition are world premiere recordings and some are very fine indeed, others could have remained forgotten without any great loss. Bartoli sings all of them with her trademark enthusiasm (sometimes too much of a good thing), bravely and exhibiting mostly impressive coloratura, but the sound is not always good, and sometimes to my ears quite unpleasant. There is no way we can be sure how they sounded when sung by the castrati, but I don't think they produced some of the sounds heard here. At one point, with no disrespect, it seems like a caricature of a hen trying to sing. The bonus disc, with three better known arias, is far more pleasing to the ears. I'm happy I bought the disc and I will be coming back to some of its tracks often. Others could be interesting to explore a bit further. The rest, well, could have remained gathering dust. Some things are best forgotten. So much worthy repertoire out there and life being so short...
PS. The 2 discs are housed in a beautifully produced and quite thick book, as we have come to expect from Bartoli releases, this one being the most lavish yet. With plenty of information in an illustrated castrati dictionary in three languages (no Spanish, although ironically the record has been produced "with the generous support" -it says at the back- of Junta de Castilla y León), a good essay, a full libretto of arias sung and lots of pictures of Bartoli, or to be exact of her head attached (via Photoshop) to kind of classical marble sculptures, the point of which escapes me.
PS. The 2 discs are housed in a beautifully produced and quite thick book, as we have come to expect from Bartoli releases, this one being the most lavish yet. With plenty of information in an illustrated castrati dictionary in three languages (no Spanish, although ironically the record has been produced "with the generous support" -it says at the back- of Junta de Castilla y León), a good essay, a full libretto of arias sung and lots of pictures of Bartoli, or to be exact of her head attached (via Photoshop) to kind of classical marble sculptures, the point of which escapes me.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By os
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD
There is no doubt this is an ambitious and generally successful project.No one can accuse Cecilia Bartoli of playing safe. The production, the orchestra's performance let alone the lead's vocal skills are first rate.This is the sort of album that I admire more then I will ever love. The reason being is that there is such a focus on vocal gymnastics of the warbling variety,that over an extended programme like this one,it all gets rather samey and wearisome.This collection is rather like an expensive box of chocolates-the first few bon-bons delight,but there after diminishing returns set in mighty fast.A case of too much sickly richness over substance.The project works best when we get to the slower numbers- 'Profezie ,di me Diceste' and 'Parto,ti Lasco,o Cara' - here the beauty of the singer's tone gets a chance to shine and the orchestra gets to relax momentarily.Too often otherwise,there is the feeling that the band is desperately trying to keep up with Bartoli when shes really gets going on some of the faster numbers.
So, this is an enjoyable collection,but best appreciated little and often. My only real moan about 'Sacrificium' is that the cover art is all too disturbing.I put it on par with Blind Faith's first album's cover in terms of tastelessness. Ugh....Other then that, enjoy!
So, this is an enjoyable collection,but best appreciated little and often. My only real moan about 'Sacrificium' is that the cover art is all too disturbing.I put it on par with Blind Faith's first album's cover in terms of tastelessness. Ugh....Other then that, enjoy!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Music and Cecilia Bartoli
Must say did not meet my expectations. What else can I say ? Expected more, got less. Goes to bottom of shelf.
Published 1 month ago by Ann
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sacrifisium.
The wonderful Cecilia Bartoli singing gorgeous music on a beautiful CD which arrived very safely packed and very quickly
Thanks
Thanks
Published 2 months ago by Mrs. S. A. Charlewood
5.0 out of 5 stars
A magnificent and exhilarating firework celebration of the history of...
Cecilia Bartoli celebrates the work of the castrati with superb virtuosity. She manages to transport us to a magic world of sounds, which are full of excitement, technical skills... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Rogelio Vallejo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great fun
Great music evoking the castrati era of Farinelli. Bartoli may be well on the way to barking mad but she embraces this repertoire and puts it across with passion. Read more
Published 7 months ago by ringwarrior666
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely stunning
I heard some of this cd on the radio recently, and just was enthralled by the project, by the voice, by the sheer energy that radiates from this music and the performers. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Keen Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars
A supernatural voice from the past
I went to listen to Cecilia Bartoli perform this music at the Brussels Bozar Cernter for Fine Arts. One of the most powerful voices on the planet. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Marco Carnovale
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my top 3 CD's
I love this CD, the singing is pure and wonderful. Cecilia makes the words come alive and reaches out to my heart strings. Beautiful singer.
Published 21 months ago by Manuela
5.0 out of 5 stars
More than words can say
Bartoli is always highly virtuosic but what she does here is simply beyond the limits of human possibilities. Read more
Published 23 months ago by M.Trevisan
2.0 out of 5 stars
CD
I have 3 other Cecilia Bartoli CDs, and I absolutely love all 3... I'm so, so disappointed with Sacrificium, however - it's just froth. Read more
Published on 14 May 2011 by DruidCreative
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cecilia ,your'e breaking my heart
I heard Bartoli interviewed on Radio 4's Woman's Hour and was so interested I bought 3 of her CDs at random. She is truly stunning. Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2011 by Ja Newton
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