Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A superb collection of Verdi sung with passion, 18 Jun 2001
I am so glad that I did not listen to the first reveiw of this album. Had I done so I would have missed such talent. Her colourfull voice would have inspired Verdi to write in earnest, The vibrancy and intensity pours through the speakers to hold you spell bound, an audible feast of perfection. Angela's ability to communicate through her voice is just amazing and I shall become an avid collector of her works. She should be seen more often on telestrial media to enable a fuller following. Track one is inspirational.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb !, 8 Jul 2000
By A Customer
Angela Gheorghiu has emerged as one of the leading sopranos today. She is going from strength to strength ever since her sensational 1994 Covent Garden Violetta and this disc amply demonstrates it. The recital is not merely a display of vocal glamour and versatility, but an in-depth exploration of the different psychological facets found in Verdi's operatic heroines. Angela's special gift, one that is given only to a few singers in history, is thinking herself from nowhere into the specific emotions of a particular character. Once she takes the plunge, she goes to the heart of the matter. This gift is abetted by her wide tonal palette and her acuity with words. Thus we have the 9 heroines assembled here as different and distint personalities: Elena's joy and elation, Elisabetta's dignified sorrow, Gilda's love-sickness, Aida's longings for her homeland, the Trovatore Leonora's ardent vows of love, the Ballo Amelia desperately pleading to see her child for the last time, the Boccanegra Amelia's sea-borne longings, the Forza Leonora's fatalism and Desdemona's sad forebodings. Outstanding amongst all the portrayals is Elisabetta's Act V scena from Don Carlos and I have no hesitation in declaring Angela's interpretation as THE best ever caught on records. Not only does she encompasses all Verdi's taxing vocal demands with natural grace and ease, she manages, more than any other soprano, except perhaps Maria Callas, to plough into the depth of the sad, young queen's soul, making her torments and plights utterly believable. This marvellous and magical performance serves as a template for the rest of the recital. Criticisms? Angela's voice admittedly sounds a bit too mature for Gilda and the Boccanegra Amelia. Both roles ideally call for a brighter and more girlish tone to better portray their youthful vulnerabilities. The Willow Song from Otello could perhaps be sung with greater pathos to make it ideal. Yet these are minor quibbles for a generally superlative achievement, one that demands to be heard and experienced. Even if you have doubts about Angela's credentials as a Verdian lirico-spinto, or preferences for this or that singer, don't miss this issue.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Among the best renditions I've ever heard of these arias, 28 May 2000
This splendid new recital disc, along with Gheorghiu's recent complete recordings of "La Boheme" and "Werther", prove that she possesses one of the most ravishingly beautiful, expressive, and versatile soprano voices in existence today. Though some may insist that she is a lyric soprano, who should not be treading into the demanding roles of Verdi's middle and later periods, Gheorghiu easily proves that she is perfectly capable of rising to the challenge, and presents arias that are technically secure and full of interpretive insight. In the selections from "I Vespri Siciliani", "Rigoletto," and "Il Trovatore," her trills, adept coloratura, and secure top evoke associations with Sutherland. In fact, hearing her live and on recordings, I've often thought of her as a worthy successor to Sutherland, my all-time favorite singer. Her high C in "O Patria Mia," a problem spot for many sopranos, is full and lovely, without any hint of strain. In "Pace, pace," she proves that there are significant reserves of power behind her lovely voice. Each character is individualized, illuminated by careful attention to text.It is no longer necessary to lament the absence of Verdian sopranos. With Angela Gheorghiu, Sondra Radvanovsky, Veronica Villarroel, Deborah Voigt, Maria Guleghina performing today, there are plenty of voices capable of singing Verdi's demandig female roles. Gheorghiu is an intelligent artist -- she won't sing Aida right away in the opera house, and risk damaging her voice; but she is perfectly capable of taking on Gilda, Desdemona, or the Trovatore Leonora right now. Let's hope that impresarios like Joe Volpe, at the Met, take notice, and offer her some meaty roles beyond just Liu and Mimi. I highly recommend this disc -- along with Fleming and Bartoli, Gheorghiu is undoubtedly one of the great artists of our time.
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~ Giuseppe Verdi
~ Pietro Mascagni
~ Alfred Alessandrescu
~ Giuseppe Verdi
~ Angela Gheorghiu
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