Sacrificium Decca 478 1521

Bartoli takes on the advanced repertoire of the Castrati in this disc. The title refers to the sacrifice singers had to make in their youth to enable careers as Castrati until the barbaric practice was outlawed by Napoleon. The sound and vocal technique of the Castrati were highlights of 18th-century opera, and most of the arias on this disc are world premiere recordings. Listening here to the technical and vocal demands they pose,

it is easy to understand why. Bartoli’s virtuosity is quite staggering and well up to the demands of the material. Whether her voice – which is obviously feminine in timbre – replicates the sound that these exotic singers made is open to question. However, this is a fascinating disc, opening a window on to a world that has long since disappeared and which has been largely obscured to us.

See deccaclassics.com COLMAN MORRISSEY