Newark, NJ. (Concerts And Recitals).(Concert Review)

Cecilia Bartoli has famously commented that, for her, "crossover" does not mean altering her repertory to suit her record company's or her audience's tastes, but rather having her audience cross over to her repertory. Bartoli goes all out in her mission, and this fall, on a rare U.S. recital tour, she presented her latest selections at NJPAC's Prudential Hall (Sept. 27): songs and arias ranging from the early-seventeenth century (Caccini, Barbara Strozzi, Monteverdi, Broschi, Vivaldi) through the nineteenth century (Bellini, Donizetti, Viardot, Bizet, Rossini) to the twentieth century. (Montsalvatge's "Cancion de Cuma para dormir un negrito" was her last encore.)

In a shimmery burgundy gown and looking very well rested (Bartoli sailed on a luxury cruiser from Europe to the U.S.), the mezzo bounded onstage with gusto, ready to enjoy herself, and to entertain. In the first half, accompanied by the early-music ensemble Le Musiche Nove, she tackled Italian love songs with plenty of white tone (used to stunning effect in Caccini's "Amirilli") and real rhythmic drive, as in the pulsating last third of Monteverdi's "Quel sguardo sdegnosetto." In Strozzi's "Che si puo fare," she tossed off the final bit with a wry look that mocked the speaker's endless, seemingly bottomless self-pity. Vivaldi provides a showcase for Bartoli: in his "Tra l'Erbe i Zeffiri" cantata, her staccato notes seemed literally to pop out of her mouth on the word "l'onda" (the waves), and her trills in the upper range were lovely. Bartoli isn't afraid to make an ugly sound; in Vivaldi's "Armatae face, et anguibus," she literally screamed "Furiae" (the Furies).

Her turbo-charged coloratura is certainly unconventional (yes, it sounds aspirated), but she provides such fireworks, and sings with such precision, color and variety, that it is hard to complain. Bartoli's upper range is a strength: she effortlessly flung out silvery notes above the staff in Broschi's "Son qual nave." She is particularly effective when she lightens and thins out her sound, giving the voice an added sparkle and focus; this happens most often in earlier music. Of the later ...