Bartoli’s superb performance in Gioachino Rossini’s L'Italiana in Algeri at the Salszburg Festival, directed by the BAFTA-winning duo stage directors Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier, is one of the highlights of the Rossini celebrations on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the composer's death. 
"The role of Isabella - a clever, independent woman with an adventurous streak - is sung to perfection by Cecilia Bartoli” (The New York Times).
In the staging, which plays with preconceived notions regarding clashing cultures, Mustafa is no longer an Ottoman king but instead a kind of local gangster who smuggles electronics at the port of modern-day Algiers. Tenor Edgardo Rocha is outstanding as Lindoro, Isabella’s lover, rising without effort to a flowing and moving performance. Rebeca Olvera sings the role of Elvira, who finally regains her husband’s favour, with ease and beauty, while José Coca Loza is impressive in the role of Haly with his short aria in praise of Italian women. With Alessandro Corbelli as a clumsy Taddeo, laughter is guaranteed.