Soprano Bartoli: My voice has more colors, shadow  LONDON Thu
Dec 27, 2012 9:42am EST  Italy’s mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli
stands near her wax statue at the Musee Grevin in Paris June 28,
2011. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen   Credit: Reuters/Jacky Naegelen
LONDON (Reuters) - Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli has
released a year-end blockbuster that is part mystery story, part
research project and shows off a voice which only seems to
improve with age.  Bartoli's latest deluxe-packaged album
"Mission" (Decca) is devoted to the music of the late 17th-
century Italian composer, diplomat and perhaps spy, Agostino
Steffani.  Steffani may have been a bit overlooked as a result
of his appearance at the end of the Renaissance and at the
beginning of the Baroque periods - until Bartoli's interest
alighted on him.  "The variety is amazing in the music of
Steffani, the slow arias have very beautiful melodic lines, they
are unbelievable, it's quite hypnotic music," Bartoli said in a
telephone interview from Paris.  Since