Mozart wrote some of his most appealing music for the mezzo-soprano voice with the roles of Cherubino and Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Dorabella in Così fan tutte and Zerlina in DonGiovanni each boasting at least one memorable aria. Alongside these this disc includes a handful of concert arias including Ch'io mi scordi di te? which was written for the farewell performance of the great mezzo Nancy Storace with Mozart playing the concertante piano role. Here with as innate an interpreter of Mozart's piano writing as András Schiff and a voice so remarkably selfassured as Cecilia Bartoli's the electricity of that first, historic performance seems almost to be recreated. And, here as elsewhere, György Fischer directs the splendid Vienna Chamber Orchestra with disarming sensitivity while the recording is wonderfully warm and vibrant.
Cecilia Bartoli boasts a voice of extraordinary charm and unassuming virtuosity: her vocal characterisations would be the envy of the finest actresses and her intuitive singing is in itself a sheer delight. But she also brings to these arias a conviction and understanding of the subtleties of the language which only a native Italian could. Listen to the subtle nuances of 'Voi che sapete', the depth of understanding behind Dorabella's seemingly frivolous 'E'amore un ladroncello'; these aren't mere performances, but interpretations which cut to the very soul of the music. No Mozart lover should be without this CD.