User Reviews

I have had trouble putting into words the singing of Bryn and Cecilia! Recently i have been unwell with chronic fatigue and at 14 yrs old have missed much of school and lost many of the things i have known over my life, especially good relationships with friends. But one thing i have discovered and has helped my to stay positive has been the singing of Bryn Terfel! He puts such energy into his singing and as Gyran says becomes the character, I have noticed this happens even more when he sings with Cecilia! They tend to inspire each other to be the best that they can.

I will pick up anything that has Bryn Terfel in it, and this is definitely no exception! A Fantastic piece that has amongst other works of Bryn, Ispired me to live!

Some singers are content with singing the notes. Some singers can act. Cecila Bartoli and Bryn Terfel do more than just act, they become the character, like method actors. Each three minute or so aria becomes a self-contained mini-drama.

It is good to see two such consummate performers together. They start with Le Nozze di Figaro, which is the only opera that I have ever seen them perform together. Bartoli can even put menace into words "Dong Dong", imitating the Counts bell. They go on to Il Barbiere di Siviglia but, instead of doing the showpiece arias, they perform a little duet between Figaro and Rosina complete with recitative. It is in the recitatives that the rapport between the two and their acting ability is most evident.

Elsewhere there are solo arias from La Clemenza di Tito, Don Giovanni, Judas Maccabeus and Semiramide as well as duets from L'elisir d'amore. They end with the Pappageno-Pappagena duet from Die Zauberflöte, sung in German. I think this is the first time I have ever heard Cecilia Bartoli sing in anything other than Italian.

At the end, both are presented with bouquets. Bryn Terfel looks embarrassed holding the flowers and quickly disposes of them to a woman on the front row. I hope she had them pressed and preserved.

I happen to be both an opera fan and I love both Bryn Terfel and Cecilia Bartoli. This concert was an absolute delight in every way. The whole concert is shot beautifully, and both Terfel and Bartoli look handsome and radiant. The orchestra support them to the very best of their ability under some very assured conducting. The music of course is magnificent. There are highlights from the likes of Le Nozze Di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Il Barbiere Di Siviglia, all of which are some of my favourites of all time, and they are superbly performed. Bryn Terfel and Cecilia Bartoli are also major reasons why this concert is so memorable, their singing is very controlled and expressive, and their chemistry and acting are equally outstanding, they do more than just singing here and when they sing you can tell they are living the mood and words of the piece. All in all, delightful and a must for opera fans or of these singers. 10/10 Bethany Cox