#34. Cecilia Bartoli

The Ultimate 50

34. Cecilia Bartoli

2010 Update

A "build your own magazine" website provided a page from a 2007 Italian publication, where Cecilia flips her still-magnificent long hair. But to get to that picture with the head thrown back....

....she has to start with the head lowered. The magazine includes this photo, apparently taken mid-flip. It appears to show Cecilia's hair covering her face, but it's so dark that it's hard to tell.

Bartoli's own website had this picture headlining the "photos" section - and that leaves the fall beyond question. Even with her hair pinned back, a breeze from behind puts a strand across her left eye. Only one strand, after all these years?! Indeed. So her hair record remains as impressive as her musical recordings.

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2008 Update

We post this as Cecilia tours Europe, backing a new album called Maria. We can only hope she performs with hair as long and tempting as this -- supported by little more than the shoulders. It's still overflowing with waves, but we were sad to find it a bit oily-looking in some pictures.

Sometimes Cecilia accompanies herself on stage -- for instance, with castenets. That action can put the hair in motion -- but it still hasn't moved down into her eyes, to our knowledge.

To be sure, she can place the hair close to collapse -- this close in one photo shoot. The good news is that Cecilia now has her own web site (perhaps managed for her), where you can admire these and many more photos of a true Super-Hair classic.

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2006 Update

Classical music fans rejoiced when Cecilia released a new album in late 2005. And Hair Fans must have really rejoiced at the sight of this cover, with her long locks falling back fabulously.

And when the head tilted down -- no problem. Hair came in front of the right shoulder, but in wonderful line.

An online search found some signs Cecilia might be trimming her hair to shoulder length. If she does, we hope that's only a temporary move for a role. She's still impressively unbeaten from what we've found, which with longer hair is NOT easy. Enjoy some more examples of Bartoli at her best, from the web site of a fan in France.

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2004 Update

Cecilia doesn't perform as often in public these days. That's good for her voice, but bad for the Hair Fans who might want to admire her style in public. Our picture from CNN.com is the closest recent one we could find, from a concert. The hair is still long and curly, and seemingly unpinned here -- but the ear provides security for the look.

As Cecilia gives fewer performances, current photo collections of her seem harder to find. But you might want to try a video collection assembled by her record label, to admire some of her many top-level looks. (And if you find any where her hair collapses, please let us know.)

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2002 Update

From all the photos we've seen, Cecilia hasn't changed her style much in recent years. We're smiling as we write that. We've come to like her long locks straighter, instead of curlier. But even when she drops a curly strand very close to her eyes, it stays perfectly in position.

Cecilia represented Italy in our World Cup and beat higher-ranking Ultimate style Gabriela Sabatini, but she fell a few votes short of sneaking into the playoffs. The best of several galleries we've found to show off her flowing style is this one from Norway, because it displays her great hair in a variety of styles and situations. (Including a close call or two, like this one.)

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