World-acclaimed Italian opera star Cecilia Bartoli is to give a performance on October 26 at the Moscow Conservatory.
The diva’s Sacrificium program will include music created in the 17th century for Neopolitan castrati. The now-defunct practice of removing the testicles of young men at an early age to prevent their voices from breaking granted them the unique ability to sing at remarkably high ranges.
Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli will interpret a series of castrato arias at her Moscow concert with accompaniment from the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, La Scintilla. After Moscow, the singer will head to Kazan with another show.
Bartoli is best known for her stunning performances of the music of Mozart and Rossini, as well as for her lesser-known Baroque interpretations. Her outstanding vocal range enables her to sing both mezzo-soprano and soprano parts.
The Italian diva has also become one of the top-selling operatic recording artists of recent years.
The darling of opera lovers, Bartoli has already entranced Russian audiences on three occasions. Her concerts in Moscow in 2001, 2004, and 2009 along with her live appearance in St. Petersburg in 2004 were all sold out weeks in advance.
Today, the excitement is no less intense. Prices for the tickets to the Moscow Conservatory start at over $100.