Verdi Heroines

Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu is at a significant crossroads for a singer: past the heady days of her sudden, youthful stardom in the mid-1990s initiated by her legendary Covent Garden La Traviata, but still forging a mature identity, both vocally and interpretively. The results of this in-betweenness can be frustrating, as Gheorghiu at this point clearly doesn't seem light enough for Gilda's "Caro nome" in Rigoletto (the weakest cut on this recital), but still needs to develop the heavier sound and heft needed for such Verdi heroines as Aida. That said, Gheorghiu's attempt to position herself at the head of the new generation of Verdi sopranos has a lot going for it--most important, the mesmerizing quality of her uniquely dusky timbre and the conviction of her vocal acting (it's even able to come across on CD). Just listen to how she can encode unhappiness in her phrasing--a prerequisite for a Verdi heroine--as Aida, or transient but intensely sought peace as Leonora, or, in the longest sc na here, as an appealingly multilayered Desdemona (quite possibly the recital's best cut). There's also the exciting polarity of Gheorghiu's leaps from chest voice to a high perch (at the end of the lengthy Don Carlo sc na) to signify the traversal of as many emotions, though she practically throws away what should be a killer moment with her disappointing attack on the high pianissimo at the end of "Morro, Ma Prima in Grazia.". The chemistry between Gheorghiu and conductor Riccardo Chailly that was so remarkable on their Boh me is even more powerful here, and Chailly's ear for detail enables the arias to unfold against a canvas of vibrant colors; the symphonic dimension he gives to the orchestral prologues (especially in the Don Carlo and Otello scenes) adds depth and perspective. --Thomas May

1. "Mercè, dilette amiche" - "Mercè, dilette amiche" 4:04
2. "Tu che le vanità" - "Tu che le vanità" 10:09
3. Caro nome - Gualtier Maldè! ... Caro nome 6:26
4. Qui Radames verrà!...O Patria mia - Qui Radames verrà!...O Patria mia 6:33
5. Che più t'arresti?...Tacea la notte placida - Che più t'arresti?...Tacea la notte placida 8:09
6. "Morrò, ma prima in grazia" - "Morrò, ma prima in grazia" 4:08
7. Come in quest'ora bruna - Come in quest'ora bruna 6:26
8. Pace, pace, mio Dio - Pace, pace, mio Dio 5:47
9. "Era più calmo?..."Piangea cantando".."Ave Maria" - "Era più calmo?..."Piangea cantando".."Ave Maria" 15:13