Cecilia Bartoli: An Italian Songbook
The Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli is one of the most charming  and talented singers to appear on the scene in recent years, and this collection  of Italian songs by three great opera composers--Bellini, Donizetti, and  Rossini--is a most deserving bestseller. There are many small pleasures in the  selections, which reflect the bel canto predilections of their authors, and  Bartoli renders them artfully. Some will be familiar even to casual listeners  (Rossini'sLa Danza, the famous tarantella); others will be new to most,  but equally deserving of a hearing. The sensitive and skillful accompaniment is  by conductor-pianist James Levine.--Sarah Bryan Miller