Angela Gheorghiu

Love her or not, Angela Gheorghiu has certainly maintained herself as one of the great drawcards of modern operagoing.  She is the epitome of the modern Opera Diva due initially to EMI marketing her as the obvious successor to Maria Callas in their catalogue.  

I have to admit to initially being somewhat cautious in my approach to Gheorghiu.  Alarm bells are instantly set off in my head when someone is compared to Callas in their press releases, especially at such an early age as Gheorghiu was. She has shown herself to be a strong and individual Artist in her own right, no mere imitator and now I absolutely adore her.

              

Despite the hype, there is something utterly engaging about her that I find completely captivating.  She may not have the biggest voice out there, may not take as many vocal risks as her predecessors, but she does possess a vocal glamour and a certain breathy quality to her soprano that is highly appealing.  Her dark vocal colour and superb breathe control elevate her to a level worthy of the acclaim and her recordings are certain to be considered as classics of our time, and justifiably so.

I'm very happy that she has established herself in the roles of the Verismo greats, such as Fedora, Adriana Lecourveur and Tosca.  I'm simply dying for her Francesca da Rimini, should she ever record it.  These roles are perfect for her Fach, and ultimately perfect for her personality, which shines through her performances.

Today the Diva celebrates her 49th birthday.  To me she is an inspiration whose talent deserves to be celebrated and adored.  Angela Gheorghiu - I wish you the happiest of birthdays.

               

For my review of her recording for Deutsche Grammaphon of Giordano's Fedora click here.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

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