Which new roles?

Forum: Cecilia Bartoli Forum
Date: 1995, Aug 29
From: <Anonymous>

I have read here that CB could sing "La sonnambula" at the Met. That brings me on the theme "Which new roles could she perform?". I see three alternatives: 1) back to Haendel, Vivaldi etc. The last CB's new role so far as I know was Haydn's Orfeo ("L'anima del filosofo"). That would be a step in this direction! But today the field is occupied by scholars and I see little place for real singers (gone the times of Sutherland, Freni, Horne...). 2) More Rossini. There are still many roles she could perform. 3) Bellini & Donizetti. That is of course the most interesting field because it is not so easy to spot the possible roles. The natural choice would be the roles that Bellini wrote for Giulia Grisi (Romeo of "I Capuleti e i Montecchi", Adalgisa of "Norma", Elvira of "I puritani"). Grisi was a mezzo who turned to soprano: Donizetti wrote for her the roles of Lucrezia Borgia and Norina ("Don Pasquale"). There are the roles written for Giuditta Pasta and Maria Malibran, the two great sopranos of the time (but basically both voices were mezzos). The main roles are Bellini's Sonnambula, Norma, Beatrice di Tenda and Donizetti's Anna Bolena and Maria Stuarda. Too high and too dramatic roles, I see no following for the Sonnambula! (not now...) What will deserve our future as CB's fans? I see as the most likely choice a mix af all above: some baroque roles (few, for the difficulty of having a good cast for 6-8 main roles!). More Rossini (Isabella...). Grisi roles: Adalgisa. Maybe Romeo. Some soprano roles by Bellini & Donizetti as Amina (I hope it is true!) and Norina (all that for coming here: that is my dream!). Giovanni

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