Bartoli, Cecilia [key], 1966–, Italian mezzo-soprano, b. Rome. Bartoli debuted at Verona (1987), first performed in the United States at Lincoln Center (1990), and in 1996 made her Metropolitan Opera debut. She is particularly noted for her superb coloratura singing in operas by Mozart, e.g., in The Marriage of Figaro as Cherubino and Don Giovanni as Zerlina, and by Rossini, e.g., in the Barber of Seville as Rosina. Her voice has been praised for its flexibility, wide range, and warm timbre, and her characterizations are marked by a charming liveliness. Bartoli has also become popular through her recordings of works by Mozart, Rossini, Vivaldi, Gluck and others, but she has also focused on works by little-known composers.
See K. Chernin, Cecilia Bartoli: The Passion of Song (1997); M. Hoelterhoff, Cinderella and Company: Backstage at the Opera with Cecilia Bartoli (1998).
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