Customer Reviews

Cecilia & Bryn ~ Cecilia Bartoli duets Bryn Terfel

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The kind of collaboration, friendship and joyous love for the music evident on this CD is exactly what opera should be. It brings a ray of sunshine to us listeners, particularly to those of us who haven't yet gotten a chance to see Cecilia and Bryn live. (Thankfully, there is a video account of their splendid "Le Nozze di Figaro", selections from which are featured here.)

The CD is clearly subdivided into Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti sections, with Mozart given a priority in terms of number of selections. Both artists are blessed with a gift for opera buffa, their personifications are very funny and very accurate without exaggerations. They may go full-out on stage (e.g. the way Suzanna hits Terfel's 6'6" Figaro is hilarious) but it does not distort their exemplary vocal lines. The recitatives included are extremely important and the lines are tossed back and forth with unrestrained enjoyment. Conductor Myung-Whun Chung gives the singing actors plenty of space to express their ideas, my favorite example being "Il Barbiere" where the tempi slows down as Rosina and Figaro work out the details of their plan.

The booklet does not include libretti, but since the selections are from well-known operas, it's not a problem. But it does include marvelous pictures of Cecilia and Bryn, this alone is guaranteed to put you in a good mood. Like the reviewer from San Francisco, I also loved the ice-cream shot.

After listening to this album, all I could say was "I want more." I hope these wonderful young artists would get together real soon and give us another album to treasure. By the way, if you liked this one, check out the one from Olga Borodina and Dmitri Hvorostovsky. They also shine, but in a different program (Dunque io son being the only common number) and they have completely different but also lustrous voices. But from pure fun standpoint, I've never heard a more delightful album than Cecilia and Bryn. Don't delay and get it now!

This mix of The Beautiful Italian with The Jolly Celt is magical. He teases her, she giggles, the two of them burst out laughing... You can see it in the printed insert in the CD -- charming photos of Bartoli's glorious smile being brought out by Terfel's mischief, including an unforgettable one of the two of them plus Myung - Whun Chung all cracking up eating ice cream -- scuse, gelati... It all comes out even better in the wonderful music: Barbiere, "La ci darem la mano", Nozze di Figaro -- definitely not the occasion for the deadly / deadening stuff which so often is pushed out as "classics" -- the wonderful personal chemistry here makes all this very fun material also a lot of fun to listen to. Even the production / direction gets into the spirit: instead of the "aria after aria" overload, which most singing fans have to endure on CDs, here there is context -- a little of the preceding narration and exchange is provided to set the tone, and there even is a wonderful bit where Terfel's voice teasingly bumps along with Bartoli's as she is singing and you can just see and even hear her beginning to grin. And wait until you hear Figaro revealing to Rosina -- "poverina" -- just who loves whom... Terfel and Bartoli are _some_ actors, well worth any opera ticket price... A plea to Cecilia and Bryn: give us more duets! Verdi!

I agree with the previous reviewer that the performance and selection are exquisite. (My wife and I are a mezzo and a baritone, and just completed a duet recital with almost the same repertoire.) I disagree, though, about the recitatives. They are some of the most expressive I've ever heard and are worth the price of the disk alone. Bartoli's vocalism and artistry are, as always, amazing. Terfel's tone gets a bit spread when he's singing with Bartoli, perhaps so as to make room for a smaller voice. Still and all, a great recording.

Simply a joyous listening experience. However, I am quite certain the Cecilia is not of this earth. Bryn knows this, but isn't saying anything, and is having quite a good time trying to keep up. No previous opera experience needed.

As splendid as Cecilia Bartoli and Bryn Terfel are individually, their glory is just that much expounded when singing together. At many points it seems almost as if they are competing in their melodic virtuosity, but you can tell they are just having the most magnificent time while competing thus. They sing a pleasant variety of duets, and are decidedly fine singing practically any style.

I probably enjoy this album more than either singer's individual albums, although they are wonderful themselves. For while solos are glorious, duets are ethereal.

When I knew about this album, I wanted to buy it at once. Because I like the singings of Cecilia and Bryn! Cecilia, of course, is a specialist of Mozart and Rossini. I like Bryn's SOMETHING WONDERFUL very much. After listening to it, I fallen love with this album! I have never heard of duets album of Mezzo-Soprano and Bariton, but I love this combination. Do you tired of the duet album of Soprano and Tenor like Alagna and Gheorghiu? A must buy!

I can't stop listening to this CD! Anyone who is a fan of Bryn and Cecilia must have this in their collection!

JUST A FEW WORDS TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT I'M ABSOLUTELY SURE EVERYONE WHO LISTENS THIS CD WILL BE CAPTIVATED BY THE DELICIOUS PERFORMANCE OF THESE VERY GREAT AND YOUNG ARTISTS. BARTOLI AND TERFEL ARE AN UNEXPECTED DUO AND MAYBE DUE TO THIS FACT, THE RESULTS ARE SO SURPRISING. THE TRACKS SELLECTION IS QUITE GOOD (SPECIALLY MOZART'S) AND THE ONLY DETAIL TO COMMENT AS PER MY POINT OF VIEW IS THAT IS WAS NOT NECESSARY TO INCLUDE THE RECITATIVES, BUT AS I SAID, THIS IS JUST MY PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW. LLUIS SOLER/BARCELONA

Cecilia & Bryn ~ Cecilia Bartoli duets Bryn Terfel is a recording under the direction of Myung-Whun Chung who leads the Orchestra Dell 'Accademia on this Decca recording starring Bryn Terfel and Cecilia Bartoli. I am very impressed with their perfomances and I definetely think that they complement eacother well on this recording. George Hall has written an informative and well-written esay entitled "Cecilia and Bryn". It also contains some very nice photographs from the time of the recording. Recommended. 4/5.

I Adore Cecilia and Bryn!!! They are just so amazing! Thank the lucky stars above that we have such wonderful talent in the younger operatic world! Don't get me wrong, I love the more established singers, but these two are incredibly charming and it is a treat to be able to hear them sing together!

SingerSpell