The most famous arias and love duets will be performed next Saturday, November 16, in the Municipal House with the Albanian tenor Saimir Pirgue. They will be accompanied by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.
The 59-year-old Romanian star is one of the most outstanding dramatic sopranos of today. Critics especially appreciate her specific and easily recognizable full voice color, even in the middle and lower position, technical precision, but also expression, emotional depth and acting talent. He applies it to the full mainly in passionate, tragic roles.
“Returning to the Czech Republic makes me very happy, I have pleasant memories of the concerts here,” says Angela Gheorghiu. “The audience here is always warm, passionate about classical music and opera, perhaps because you have a significant musical heritage of outstanding composers,” he adds.
On the program of the evening in the Smetana Hall of the Municipal House, which she called Diva forever, she included famous arias, especially by Giacomo Puccini, whose death will be 100 years this month. However, Puccini roles have long been a pillar of her repertoire, whether it is Madama Butterfly or Tosca in the operas of the same name, or Mimì from Bohemia. The latter, with which she debuted in 1992 at London’s Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, marked a turning point in her career. In the same year, she performed the same role at the Vienna State Opera and the New York Met.
Careful preparation
Another worldwide success for Angela Gheorghiu was La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi. Just like Violetta, in 1994 she gave such a captivating performance at Covent Garden that the British BBC changed the program because of her. The exceptionality lay in the almost perfect combination of voice, acting skills and capturing the psychology of the character, recalls radio director Peter Maniura.
The Prague concert will also remind of Verdi’s operas, in addition to Traviata, compositions from Nabucco, Masquerade
Angela Gheorghiu is known for meticulous preparation for each role. Before the first performance, he studies the libretto and its language, the story of the opera or the psychological motivations of the characters. Concert singing is therefore more complicated for her in a sense, because she does not concentrate on just one aspect. “I put my whole heart and soul into every performance, not only vocally, but also artistically, I am 100% there, portraying a certain character. In a concert, it is harder in a way, because there are more characters, I have to sing in different languages and styles, all in one evening, ” he describes.
In Prague, he is especially looking forward to duets with forty-three-year-old Saimir Pirgue from Albania. “I have performed with him many times in operas and concerts all over the world. He is a great musician and shares my passion for opera. I believe that an evening including arias and opera duets is more attractive for the audience. Opera duets are usually love duets, and so they can charm people,” he comments.
Pirgu started as a Mozart singer, gradually working his way to a more lyrical and dramatic repertoire. He created the central pair with Angela Gheorghiu in Bohème and Traviata, and many appreciated not only their singing interplay, but also the emotional tension between the characters.
The Czech National Symphony Orchestra will accompany them under the baton of the Bulgarian conductor Nayden Todorov. The singer is also looking forward to the city, which she describes as one of the most beautiful. After all, the country is connected to filming. “My first recording in Prague was for the opera film Romeo et Juliette with the conductor Anton Guadagno and the Chamber Orchestra of the Czech Philharmonic. This incredible production was filmed entirely at the fairytale castle Zvíkov and I have priceless memories of it,” he recalls.
She filmed this French operatic adaptation of the Shakespeare drama by Charles Gounod in 2001 in southern Bohemia with her then life partner and singer Robert Alagna. Many local singers and actors performed in it, as well as Kühn’s mixed choir or members of the State Opera. That same year, the couple appeared in the award-winning film version of Tosca directed by Benoît Jacquot, which garnered rave reviews at the Venice Film Festival.
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Angela Gheorghiu will sing Puccini, Bizet, Verdi and Mascagni in Prague. | Photo: IMG Artists
Angela Gheorghiu has performed on most of the leading opera stages. She also sang for the British, Spanish and Dutch queens, as well as for Pope John Paul II.
Compared to other singers, Angela Gheorghiu’s voice has not undergone a fundamental change even with age. It still maintains the gloss in the highs and the color in the lower positions. “He hasn’t changed much over the years, also because I’ve been careful, some would say too careful, in choosing roles. For me, quality is more important than quantity. I prefer to act in fewer roles and leave a strong statement in each one,” she says.
Live, she dazzles not only with her technique, but also with her charisma, earning her the title of an opera diva. She looks charming and likes to emphasize her charm with luxurious, elegant gowns or accessories.
“Nowadays, this term is used in various contexts, sometimes perhaps too much. But the real diva comes from the divine, intangible and means an honest artist who maintains a certain aura or mystery on and off the stage and makes the audience dream,” he adds as an invitation to his Prague concert.
What is Angela Gheorghiu’s connection to Giacomo Puccini’s works?
The article highlights the celebrated Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu’s return to the Czech Republic, where she reminisces about the warmth of the local audience and the country’s rich musical heritage. Her concert at the Smetana Hall features famous arias, especially from Giacomo Puccini, as this month marks the 100th anniversary of his death. Puccini’s roles, such as Madama Butterfly and Tosca, are significant to Gheorghiu’s repertoire, with her debut in Mimì from La Bohème marking a pivotal moment in her career.
Gheorghiu is known for her meticulous preparation for performances, emphasizing the need to embody each character fully. She expresses a unique challenge in concert performances due to the variety of styles and languages she must navigate in a single evening.
The concert will also include duets with the talented Albanian tenor Saimir Pirgu, with whom she shares a strong musical rapport. The Czech National Symphony Orchestra will accompany them, directed by Bulgarian conductor Nayden Todorov. Gheorghiu reflects on her deep appreciation for Prague, recalling memorable past projects, including an opera film she recorded in Southern Bohemia and the acclaimed film version of Tosca.
the article portrays Angela Gheorghiu not only as a remarkable performer but also as someone who deeply values her artistic connections and the cultural experiences she has encountered throughout her career.