Barnes & Noble
Antonio Salieri (1750-1825) has long suffered in the shadow of Mozart. In fact, the theory that Salieri's bitter jealousy of the younger composer's astounding talent led him to murder has been circulated for some two centuries, though it has absolutely no basis in truth. (The tale did, however, provide a marvelous dramatic hook for Milos Forman's Academy Award–winning film Amadeus.) Now, with this handsomely packaged and thoroughly annotated recording, mezzo-soprano sensation Cecilia Bartoli sets out to rescue Salieri's tarnished reputation with the same burning passion she displayed in recent albums devoted to music by Vivaldi and Gluck. The result is a triumph for both singer and composer. Bartoli revels in the vocal pyrotechnics of the incendiary aria "Son qual lacera tartana" from La Secchia rapita, and she charms in the delightfully humorous miniature "La Ra La" from La Grotta di Trofonio. By the end, one might not be ready to concede that Salieri was Mozart's equal, but certainly he has been very seriously underrated. There are several truly marvelous discoveries here, including the tender "Misera abbandonata" (from Palmira, regina di Persia), with its dark, velvety clarinet accompaniment, and the exquisite, extended scene "E non degg'io seguirla . . . Vieni a me sull'ali d'oro" (from Armida). Adam Fischer, one of Bartoli's longtime collaborators, elicits colorful, incisive playing from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, a period instrument band. Urgently recommended. Andrew Farach-Colton
All Music Guide
The people of Legnago, Italy, must be jumping for joy. For years they have championed their maligned native son, composer Antonio Salieri, against obscurity and the fictional notion that he killed Mozart (thanks to Peter Shaffer's Amadeus). Now Cecilia Bartoli has released a tribute to Salieri's operatic music that she hopes will "accord him the status he deserves." There is unlikely to be a sea change in Salieri's reputation, but having a superstar of Bartoli's caliber weigh in on his music certainly gives him a shot in the arm. It's a gem of an album, as good or better than her similar projects devoted to Vivaldi and Gluck. Along with Adam Fischer and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Bartoli delivers a virtuosic set of performances, full of vibrancy and color, and always lovingly tailored to the dramatic and musical demands of the piece at hand. It is extremely entertaining, and the packaging is nothing short of deluxe. The music is a smorgasbord of stylistic elements. In a sense, this helps explain Salieri's "tough-sell" factor. In any one excerpt a listener may hear traces of everything from Mozart to Rameau -- even early Schubert. The variety can be overwhelming, and at times compromises the compositional integrity. But it also throws open the expressive doors, allowing for an unlimited palette of orchestral effects and vocal gestures. The opening "Son quell lacera tartana" is as furious as any bravura aria, with large vocal leaps, raucous horns, and turbulent string accompaniment. "Misera abbandonata," from "Palmira, regina di Persia," is a lyrical masterpiece -- simple and pathetic. And lighter numbers, like "La Ra La" from "La grotta di Trofonia," show that both Salieri and Bartoli know how to handle comedy with style. This is an album not to be missed. Allen Schrott
New York Times
Bartoli does much the same here as she did in recent years for Gluck and Vivaldi, shedding light on obscure corners of repertory in imaginative, utterly committed and often gripping performances. James R. Oestreich
Gramophone
I need hardly say that Bartoli is an enormously accomplished artist: every note plumb in the middle, the words always carefully placed, naturally musical phrasing, and of course beauty and variety of tone. Adam Fischer accompanies attentively and produces much musicianly and finely modulated playing from the Age of Enlightenment Orchestra whose timbres set off the voice perfectly. Stanley Sadie
BBC Music Magazine
A brilliant and exhilarating light beamed upon the diversity and sheer richness of Salieri's operatic art.... A joy from beginning to end. Max Loppert
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