27.03.2012

Cecilia Bartoli: “Kazan is above all the city of Shaliapin”

(Kazan, March 26, Tatar-inform, Lucia Kamalova). The world opera scene star Cecilia Bartoli (coloratura mezzo soprano) will on Tuesday perform at the Saidashev Concert Hall in Kazan. On Monday she for the first time came to Kazan and gave a news conference for the local media.

Before Kazan she brilliantly performed in Saint-Petersburg and Moscow.

“I have for a long time not seen such a reaction from the Moscow audience, it was a stunning success,” the Russian concerts organiser, Viktor Chernomyrdin Fund humanitarian projects head Svetlana Chernomyrdina, shared with journalists.

Bartoli showed up at the conference in a strict black suit and a good mood. The photographers and cameramen were only allowed five minutes, to take pictures of her, and were then asked to leave. Bartoli answered all the questions very emotionally, with a smile on her face. She conceded she liked Kazan and was “impressed by the cultural diversity”. While she was on the train she even had a thought of stopping over at other Russian cities, to give concerts, she shared.

“Kazan is part of the mini tour of Russia. For us, lyrical singers, Kazan is mainly the city of Shaliapin, who did a lot for the Russian and foreign music. I do hope I will bring to Kazan something new from Italian composers,” Bartoli said.

From this year Cecilia Bartoli is the head of the Salzburg Festival’s opera part.

“We will cooperate with the greatest performers, to prepare an exclusive programme for this festival,” Bartoli shared with the audience, adding that Russian artistes were going to take part in the festival. Invitees are Valery Gergiev, Chulpan Khamatova and Anna Netrebko.

The star visitor did not rule out herself taking part in the Kazan-based Shaliapin Festival, should her tight touring schedule permit it.

In Kazan, the singer will present a programme called Soiree Rossinienne, featuring rarely performed romantic songs by Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Bizet, Viardot and Malibran.

The tickets at prices ranging from 2 thousand roubles (about $70) have been sold out in Kazan. One of the concert organisers is the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Singing Centre.

Cecilia Bartoli has set some incredible records, selling over 8 million album copies and for over 100 weeks staying in international pop charts. The singer appears in the largest opera festivals in the best known concert halls and opera theatres in Europe, the US and Japan.