No doubt this concert, recorded at Graz’s elegant Stefaniensaal, is aimedprimarily at Bartoli-philes, who will not be disappointed; it’s predictably impressive, if a shade short. Mozart’s so-called concert arias are formidable pieces, some actually alternatives for his own and other operas, but others, in particular Bella mia fiamma, created to challenge ambitious singers such as Josepha Duschek. Bartoli copes with characteristic aplomb, tossing off bravura trills and alarming roulades just effortfully enough not to be infuriating. The advantage of video, though, is that we can actually see the feeling with which she infuses even the most conventional sentiments, as vivid as her stage interpretations – though with her characteristically earthy twinkle never far off. I am far from an idolator, but I enjoyed it greatly, the more so because of her obvious rapport with Nikolaus Harnoncourt. He follows through with a Prague Symphony that opens with considerable grandeur, and continues spirited and energetic, but, despite some splendid playing, slightly lacking in warmth – more Don Giovanni than Figaro, but none the less enjoyable.

What’s more, though, this is one of the best-recorded concerts I have ever seen, not just in its excellent picture and first-rate surround-sound, but in its video direction. Shooting in a lower, mellower light than usual, Brian Large captures the platform drama in vividly immediateclose-up, without Karajan-style excesses. The fascinating documentary extras reveal how this is done – including little robotic cameras peering Dalek-like at the players, admirably undisturbed. The Harnoncourt-Bartoli rehearsal dialogue (in English) sounds a touch stilted, but leaves no doubt of their commitment. It’s reflected throughout this well-produced disc; for once even the notes are exemplary.