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If you hate opera and furthermore resent that in today's world of music, how we should take seriously your comments? An innate love for music and an endless curiosity about its manifold delights are the prime requisite for the music critiscism.
I'll have you know that critiscism not being an exact science, I apologize to those who might complain about my point of view on Cecilia Bartoli. To give a balance to my fan point of view, I will adding a point of view from a singer who envies the voice of Cecilia Bartoli and... more...
According to an interview in OPERA NEWS magazine, Sylvia McNair deplores the homogenizing trend in vocal training. That is so often what voice teachers try to press out of a student: the individual quality who is so unique and so easily identifiable. Ms. McNair envies the voices of Maria Callas, Frederica von Stade and Cecilia Bartoli. "I think those are luckiest singers in the world, because their voices are one-of-a-kind. You can like it or not. That isn't the point... I think the voice teachers are doing it. The kid enters the university, and he's encouraged to sound like a cutout. The cutout sound - pear-shaped-tone sound". Her advice to young singers:"Beware of anybody or anything that stamps out or in any way threatens your individuality".
Whether you like it or not, her mother/teacher is responsable for Cecilia Bartoli's training. Aside from that supplesness of tempo and dynamic where the interpreter's sensitivity can be asserted, Ms. Bazzoni (her mother/teacher) taught Bartoli the art of embrellishment who affords her the opportunity to display her virtuosity bt adorning them according to her own inspiration. Her technique is completely natural and fluent, effortness, affectionate, sublimely effective.
Cecilia Bartoli is able of rending justice to songs she sings and few singers could do as well as her. In a review in OPERA NEWS magazine on her lastest solo album called CHANT D'AMOUR, it was written that the song of Ravel, "Vocalise-étude is sing with real tenderness and meaning instead of the faceless mooing and crooning that other ladies have lavished on this chestmut". As Cecilia Bartoli has said to CLASSIC CD magazine about the recording of this new album: "I am really concentrating on the atmosphere in these pieces. To sing well it is not enough. To have a good voice you have to sing with emotion, expression and tension. You need a lot of fantasy and every to think in a different way".
If you think that it is not enough to listen her album of French love songs to percieve her tonal quality with rather peculiar harmonics, capable of unusual coloration, her musical sensitivity adaptable to the most varied styles, you have just to see the London's promotional video of Cecilia Bartoli's making of this album. But I warn you in advance, after viewing this video, you will adding to these elements, her extraordinary presence. There are her natural endowment.
Cecilia Bartoli deserves a place apart in the opera world which is today experiencing a new splendor.
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I'll adding a point of view from a singer to my fan point of view 
Ms. B. has very shaky technique!
(Ron Baltimore)
Unique sound
by LTB, 1997, Oct 21
