Catalogue # 4781078
Cast as a murderous villain in Peter Shaffer's play Amadeus, Salieri has received a lot of bad press in recent decades. All the more fascinating, then to actually hear a generous selection of his music. As successor to Gluck at the Paris Opera, Salieri was acclaimed in his own time as an important exponent of Italian opera. His arias are full of virtuoso coloratura writing which Cecilia Bartoli, in radiant voice, dispatches with ease. Bartoli's communicative powers are never in doubt as she runs the gamut of emotions in this interesting program. Bartoli's clarity is matched by the playing of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Adam Fischer. Packaged as a hardback book, this release is as elegant as it is intriguing.
