Salieri: Concertos

Cast as the villain in the film Amadeus, the real Salieri was actually on much friendlier terms with Mozart. Their rivalry, within the greater context of Italian musicians favored over local Austrians by the court, was only over commissions and teaching appointments. Italians in Vienna held more prestige, especially in opera. Nevertheless, Salieri conducted Mozart works and as times and styles changed, gave music lessons to Beethoven, Hummel, Schubert and Liszt among many others.

This album, featuring the Budapest Strings (with woodwinds and horns when specified by the composer,) offers a fine selection of Salieri's lighthearted, tuneful and well-crafted instrumental works.

Arias by Cimarosa, Haydn, Mozart and Salieri

BBC Music Magazine: Opera Choice - January 2012

“Reiss is a properly pert Despina (Cosi) and an affecting Susanna...Her attention to detail in the recitative is scrupulous...Reiss's diamond bright coloratura is a mighty weapon...All told, this is a beguiling combination of top-drawer musicianship and fresh ideas about opera in Enlightenment Vienna.” --BBC Music Magazine, January 2012 *****

“What a stimulating assemblage of arias, and in intelligent, standard-setting performances...Unexpected insights arrives at every turn...Reiss makes [Salieri and Cimarosa] feel like worthy companions, always looking to find their specific character and never falling into soubrette cuteness...My favourite moment is how wonderstruck her Susanna sounds while absorbing the beauties of the night in the Act 4 Figaro aria.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2011

“Reiss has an agile, bell-bright, fluty timbre that's well suited to the soubrette and coloratura repertoire here. She's best in the showy numbers - the glittering roulades of the Mozart concert aria 'Ah se in ciel' and Salieri's 'Tremo bell'idol mio' are bright and fresh. She also displays a lovely line in the short, sweet 'Quando la rosa'” Classic FM Magazine, December 2011 ***

MP3 320 · 122 MB

The Salieri Album · Opera Arias

Gramophone Magazine Critic's Choice 2003

"This is crossover in the right direction - a major musician with a huge and loyal following taking her audience in the direction she wants to go - not vice versa. Bartoli has put rarities by Vivaldi and Gluck on the map and now she does the same for Antonio Salieri, best known for all the wrong reasons. As the villain of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus - though he does have some fantastic lines - Salieri's stature as a musician has been overshadowed. Enter Ms Bartoli to dispense some justice…" --Editor's Choice Gramophone Magazine

Salieri was born in Legnago, Italy, in 1750, just six years before Mozart, and died in 1825. He was resident in Vienna for most of his adult life and brought his many musical influences to bear on that city and on some of its most famous names, among them his pupils Beethoven, Schubert and the young Liszt. Many of his Italian operas were written for the Viennese court, and among his earliest successes can be considered Armida, first performed in 1771. Most of Salieri's operas were written during the 1770s and 1780s and include both comic and serious pieces.

MP3 320 · 152 MB