Angela Gheorghiu - Live from La Scala

famous, but overrated and capricious singer

I suggest that one _listen_ to this undeniably attractive singer, without ever having _seen_ her....

Long term observers are simply not taken by the _exterior_ to the degree that the public is, and consistently place her and her voice in the middle rank of popular sopranos. There are issues with the musicality, the accuracy, phrasing, etc, even the voice -- though its timbre is usually considered attractive -- that are apparent to professionals, that are simply not raised by those who admire the exterior.

What "professionals"? Consider thelong-term musicologist-bloggers, and also the experienced opera house directors, who have a well-developed sense of integrity, and a sense of what professional behaviour consists. Her firing by the LOC was not an isolated instance of her unprofessionalism by any means. Musicians need all the rehersals they can get, and she is famous for missing those --- _everywhere_ .

And, like all AG's recordings, this one has been _heavily_ modified by sound engineers. (Notice too how many used CDs are available of AG's recordings... suggesting that they are not recordings that one will want to return to again and again. Her recordings, to me, always seems "flat" as art, and I donated all mine... December 9, 2007

Bold and Beautiful

Earlier this year, I attended Ms. Gheorghiu's debut recital in Los Angeles at LA Opera with great expectations of the diva. To the delight of all in attendence, her program consisted of some of the most beloved and popular arias the world of opera has to offer. Whether Juliette or Carmen or Eliza Doolittle during the encore, you believed in each portrayal by Ms. Gheorghiu. (Before the recital, I had the pleasure of experiencing her supernatural voice and acting skills in Pagliacci and La Boheme with her husband Roberto Alagna as well.) In this extensive live recital recording from La Scala, Ms. Gheorghiu's choices once again reveal her intense passion, purity of voice and keen intelligence. This is a program of supreme subtlety and honesty of heart. Indeed, Ms. Gheorghiu triumphs yet again to add to her growing legacy as one of the best living opera singers internationally. October 16, 2007

A lovely Italian-French song recital from a reigning diva

Angela Gheorgiu doesn't owe her fame simply to being the female half of a glamorous husband-wife opera duo. From the beginning the Rumanian diva has been the better musician of the two, and her voice encompasses a huge range of roles, basically the same lyrico-spinto range as Cheryl Studer's. Ms. Gheorgiu can record anything she wants, and here she's opted for a song recital with piano. The texts are divided between French and Italian, the two languages in which she has scored her greatest triumphs.

Since Amazon has given up on reviewing clasical music and providing adequate information about the contents of CDs, here's the program:

O del mio dolce ardor (Gluck). Piacer d'amor (Martini). O cessate di piagarmi (Scarlatti). Se tu m'ami (Parisotti). Malinconia ninfa gentile (Bellini). Vanne o rosa fortunata (Bellini). Me voglio fa'na casa (Donizetti). Stornello (Verdi). In solitaria stanza (Verdi). Brindisi II (Verdi). Serenade (Gounod). Chant d'amour (Bizet). Elegie (Massenet). Sub perdeaua dragei mele (Alfred Alessandrescu). Si daca (Diamanti Gheciu). Floricica de pe apa (Tiberiu Brediceanu). Bade pentru ochii tai (Tiberiu Brediceanu). Vai badita dragi ne-avem (Tiberiu Brediceanu). Lasati-ma sa cant : Te iubesc (Gherase Dendrino). A Vucchella (Tosti). I could have danced all night (Lerner / Loewe). O mio babbino caro (Puccini).

Becasue she starts out with Martini's famous cross-over hit, Plaisir d'Amout (here translated into Italian), one may suspect that Gheorgiu will steer away form serious expresssion, but in fact her capacity to communicate deep emotion remains extraordinary. The voice is in good shape, the colorature firm when it is called for, and the tone noticeably dakre than when the singer was young. One needs only sample Massenet's "Elegie" to realize that this opera star is also a major artist in the field of song. I've never encountered her accompanist, Jeff Cohen, but he's outstanding in his own right.

In all, this recital is an excellent addition to Gheorgiu's ever-growing discography. August 28, 2007

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