Cecilia the diva returns

Cecilia Bartoli performs Sunday at Hill.

When the reigning princess of opera, Cecilia Bartoli, canceled several performances last March, rumors flew. The Italian sweetheart with the golden voice backed out of a week's worth of appearances, including one in Ann Arbor, and blamed it on a bronchial infection. The circumstances were suspicious: An international broadcast with the Metropolitan Opera was on the calendar and the conductor, James Levine, was ill. Cecilia has become a diva, worried music-lovers the world over.

But Ken Fischer, director of the University Musical Society, said this week that Bartoli fans need not fret. The renowned mezzo-soprano, he said, was indeed sick.

"She sounded like a baritone," said Fischer, who received a warning call from Bartoli's manager just days before her scheduled Ann Arbor appearance. The prognosis was bad, her manager said, so Fischer "went home, grabbed a change of clothes and drove to Akron," where Bartoli had performed that night. The next day, he and the singer met for lunch.

PREVIEW
	Cecilia Bartoli Sunday at 4 p.m. Hill Auditorium $10 for students

"She and I sat at a table drinking tea and lemon," he recalled. "When Cecilia said 'Ken, I cannot sing,' I was there - and absolutely positive this woman was ill."

Bartoli offered a written apology to the crowd and promised to reschedule.

This Sunday, Bartoli will prove herself a woman of her word at her Hill Auditorium recital. The program, similar to the one she was to sing in March, includes Vivaldi, Schubert, and Rossini.

Not every canceled concert was rescheduled and Fischer said Ann Arbor audiences are among the fortunate for many reasons. The fine acoustics of Hill Auditorium lured Bartoli back, he said, as did memories of positive receptions she received in 1993 and 1995.

But UMS also knows how to court an opera superstar.

When she arrives in Ann Arbor, Fischer explained, the letter of greeting is in her native Italian.

"She knows we love her and we are understanding," Fischer said. "She does feel that the arms of the community are around her."

That may not still be the case. Bartoli's 1993 recital was sold out, and most tickets to her 1995 performance were sold weeks in advance. This year, empty seats remain, making $10 student rush tickets an inexpensive option.

Perhaps Ann Arborites think Bartoli has lost her charm or are worried she will cancel again. Fischer called her a "good friend" and said he doesn't think a cancellation is likely.

09-19-97