May 1999

CECILIA & BRYN Arias and duets by Mozart, Rossini and Donizetti. No texts. Orchestra dell'Academia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, M. W. Chung. London 458 928-2

"Cecilia & Bryn" is satisfying; its program, sensibly restricted to Mozart and bel canto selections, sounds unified and plays to its performers' strengths, not the least of which is their versatility. Cecilia Bartoli's nominal mezzo descends comfortably into L'Italiana's contralto range, while her soprano forays here encompass not only the predominantly middle-voice Susanna and Zerlina but the higher-lying Adina as well. Bryn Terfel, in turn, adapts his bass-baritone to the more purely baritonal requirements of Papageno, Rossini's Figaro and (briefly) Mozart's Count, while Dulcamara is standard basso buffo fare.

As one would expect from two such communicative artists, their performances "play" well, with the secco recitatives that set up several scenes coming vividly to life. Bartoli is consistently successful at bringing her alert, lively "verbal" instincts into play. Terfel, by comparison, sounds more formulaic, less spontaneous, though always responsive; he is at his best as Dulcamara and in the Nozze opening scene. Both artists, unfortunately, indulge in a number of precious, almost murmured pianos, which overstep the bounds of natural communication.

Vocally, Bartoli sounds typical: the notes emerge fluently "on the breath" without quite being bound into a full-toned legato. Even as she invades the bright soprano top with ease, she retains a pleasing mezzo-ish timbre, contributing to the appealing earthiness of her portrayals. She conveys a special relish in the sheer act of singing as she dispatches the fioriture -- undoubtedly the key to her broad success. Her Rosina and Dorabella, both of which she has already recorded complete, hold no surprises, but it is a pleasure to hear her make them fresh again.

Terfel's "Se vuol ballare" has a nice buoyancy and directness and a few mild embellishments, along with one rough top F. (Bartoli, too, gets an aria -- a graceful "Un moto di gioia.") The recitative to his Barbiere Figaro suggests a carefully learned buffo style, and in the duet he seems to manipulate his vibrato to execute the runs. Terfel's Don Giovanni, of course, is a known quantity from the Solti recording (London); his singing is much the same here, though he made a more thoughtful, affirmative impression under Solti's strong leadership.

Myung-Whun Chung's conducting is reasonable and understanding, at its best in the briskly lilting Rossini and Donizetti scenes, though the brief tuttis in the latter sound out of scale with the music. The well-ordered Mozart scenes could use a firmer rhythmic underpinning.

The recording provides reasonable digital facsimiles of Decca/London's old analog "house sound" -- the orchestra warm and detailed, the voices unobtrusively forward -- but the company provides no texts at all for "Cecilia & Bryn," which, given the artists' dramatic involvement, is rather a loss.

- STEPHEN FRANCIS VASTA