Angela Gheorghiu: Live From La Scala

Her magnificent voice and dazzling stage presence have established her as a unique international opera star. For the last 12 years, Angela Gheorghiu has been in constant demand in opera houses and concert halls around the world. So it is a surprising fact that she only made her debut at La Scala last year with a recital accompanied by pianist Jeff Cohen, now to be released on disc. If you want to hear her melt her way through glorious French chansons, or sparkle with brilliance in bel canto by Donizetti and Verdi, this CD is a must. ‘The public feels so close and intimate. There’s really nowhere to escape,’ says Angela Gheorghiu about the challenge of giving recitals. ‘To make my debut at La Scala with a recital… I think it was very courageous,’ she continues with justifiable pride. To make those first steps on the legendary La Scala stage less daunting, she chose works primarily by opera composers. ‘They’re less like songs, more like arias. I thought that for such a big house it would be more appropriate,’ she says. As you can hear from the rapturous reception, her decision went down well with the notoriously hard-to-please audience. Gheorghiu’s recital falls into four sections. She begins with a selection of arie antiche, continues into the bel canto and then French repertoire, and finishes with pieces from her native Romania.