Angela Gheorghiu Concert at LA Opera
March 22, 2007
* Notes *
Soprano Angela Gheorghiu gave a concert in Los Angeles last Saturday. The program was divided into a French section and an Italian section, there was much Gounod, Massenet, and Puccini. The orchestra played several overtures, some interspersed with the arias to give Gheorghiu time to rest or change outfits.
Gheorghiu's technique is excellent, and her voice is lovely. Her choice in arias was not exciting at all, though her renditions of the "Habanera" and "Pace, pace mio Dio" were strong. In general, she seemed rather detached from the music, this was especially noticeable in the Puccini.
Eugene Kohn did not keep the orchestra together, his conducting was not something I'd care to hear again.
* Tattling *
Angela Gheorghiu gave 5 encores, including a song in Romanian and "I Could Have Danced All Night." She sang the latter quite terribly, just as an opera singer would. She also wore three different gowns during the evening, a orange-red one, a white maternity-looking one, and a black-beaded spidery one.