|
Saturday
August
3rd
2002
ANGELA
GHEORGHIU
(1965)
soprano
Angela
Gheorghiu
was
born
in
Romania,
and
graduated
from
the
Bucharest
Music
Academy
in
1990.
Her
magnificent
voice
and
dazzling
stage
presence
have
established
her
as
a
unique
international
opera
star.
Since
her
1992
debut
at
Covent
Garden,
Ms
Gheorghiu
has
been
in
constant
demand
in
opera
houses
around
the
world,
and
is
considered
by
critics
to
be
one
of
the
finest
sopranos
of
her
generation. Her
recordings
have
received
widespread
critical
acclaim
and
have
won
many
prizes
as
Gramophone
Awards,
choc
du
Monde
de
la
Musique,
Diapason
d’Or
Awards,
the
Belgian
Cecilia
Prize
etc…
At
the
Classical
Brit
Awards
in
May
2001,
she
won
the
title
of
Female
Artist
of
the
year.
In
January
2001,
she
performed
in
Verdi's
Requiem
with
the
Berlin
Philharmonic
Orchestra
and
was
recorded
live
and
then
released
her
CD
in
August
2001.
On
this
occasion,
she
was
given
the
title
Chevalier
de
l’Ordre
des
Arts
et
des
Lettres
by
the
French
Ambassador
in
Berlin.
ROBERTO
ALAGNA
(1963)
tenor
Roberto
Alagna
was
born
in
France.
Following
musical
studies
in
Paris,
he
won
first
prize
in
the
1988
Luciano
Pavarotti
International
Competition
in
Philadelphia.
He
appeared
in
the
most
prestigious
international
opera
houses.The
remarkable
critical
acclaim
received
by
Roberto
Alagna
following
his
performances
as
Roméo
at
Covent
Garden
in
November
1994
confirmed
his
status
as
the
finest
lyric
tenor
of
his
generation.
In
1994,
Roberto
Alagna
was
named
Personnalité
Musicale
de
l'Année
by
the
French
national
press,
and
in
April
1995
he
was
awarded
the
prestigious
Laurence
Olivier
Award
for
Outstanding
Achievement
in
Opera.
In
1996,
he
was
appointed
a
Chevalier
de
l'Ordre
des
Arts
et
Lettres
by
the
French
Ministry
of
Culture
and,
in
1997,
named
Lyric
Artist
of
the
Year
by
the
Victoires
de
la
Musique
Française.
In
February
2001,
Roberto
Alagna
was
presented
with
'La
Medaille
Vermeil
de
la
Ville
de
Paris'
by
the
Mayor
of
Paris,
Jean
Tibéri,
which
is
the
highest
distinction
that
the
Mayor
can
bestow
on
a
French
citizen.
Roberto
Alagna
and
his
wife
Angela
Gheorghiu
have
seperatly
interpreted
the
most
important
roles
of
the
opera.
Since
1996,
they
released
many
recordings
on
duet
such
as
Puccini's'
La
Bohème,
Tosca
and
Il
Trittico,
Donizetti's
L'Elisir
d'Amore,
Duets
&
Arias,
Gounod's
Roméo
et
Juliette,
Massenet's
Manon
and
Werther,
Simply
the
best
night
at
the
Opera,
Verdi
per
Due,
Verdi's
Requiem,
etc.
Together
they
appeared
in
many
roles
such
as
in
Roméo
et
Juliette in
March
2000
at
the
newly
re-opened
Covent
Garden
Opera
House.
The
Evening
Standard
described
Alagna's
Roméo
as
"uniquely
special,
in
a
class
of
its
own".
They
also
interpreted
La
Bohème in
Paris
and
performed
in
the
opera-movie
‘Tosca’
by
Benoît
Jacquot.
The
movie
was
presented
at
the
Venice
Film
Festival
in September
2001
and
applauded
by
the
critics
and the
public.
The
lyrical
couple
was
given
on
January
23rd the
most
sought
after
prize,
the
victory
of
honor,
during
the
9th annual
classical
music
victory
award.
Giorgio
Croci
conductor
At
the
tender
age
of
eight
Giorgio
Croci
could
already
play
the
violin.
Later
he
studied
composition
at
the
Conservatory
of
Verona
under
the
master
Franco
Ferrera.
He
began
his
brilliant
career
in
1977
at
the
International
Festival
of
Barga
where
he
directed
Rossini's
opera,
La
Gazette;
the
following
year
at
the
Barga
Festival
Mr.
Croci
had
a
huge
success
with
la
Traviata of
Verdi.
He
has
worked
with
many
of
the
most
prestigious
orchestras
in
Europe,
including
Salzburg,
Parma
and
both
the
Philharmonic
and
Roman
Arena
of
Verona.
From
1984
onward
he
has
given
concerts
all
over
Europe
with
the
great
orchestras
of
our
time,
including
the
Berlin
Philharmonic.
Croci
made
his
debut
in
the
United
States
in
1994,
and
then
in
Japan
with
La
Traviata,
interpreted
by
June
Anderson.
That
same
year
he
was
named
Principal
Director
and
Artistic
Director
of
the
Arena
of
Verona.
To
mark
the
125th
anniversary
of
the
original
production
of
Aida,
Croci
produced
a
spectacular
performance
of
Verdi's
great
Egyptian
opera
in
the
splendid
setting
of
Luxor.
This
historical
event,
including
its
international
cast,
received
rave
reviews
from
the
public
and
critics
alike.
Since
then,
he
has
directed
many
operas,
and
last
year
gave
twenty
performances
of
Aida
in
Japan,
with
the
renowned
tenor
Jose
Cura.
As
of
this
year,
2002,
Giorgio
Croci
is
the
Principal
Director
of
the
Cairo
Opera
House.
The
lyrical
evening
of
the
Franco-Roumanian
couple
Alagna
&
Gheorghiu
accompanied
by
the
Lebanese
Symphony
Orchestra
is
the
major
Francophone
event
of
the
year
2002
.
Programme
I-
Orchestra
La
Traviata
:
Verdi
"
Parigi
o
cara"
(Duet)
Luisa
Miller
:
Verdi
"
O
fede
negar
potessi"
(Roberto)
La
Forza
Del
Destino
:
Verdi
"
Pace,
pace…"
(Angela)ORCHESTRA
-Otello
:
Verdi
"Gia
nella
notte
densa"
(Duet)
II-
Orchestra
-
Lucia
di
Lammermoor
:
Donizetti
"Ah
talor
del
mio
pensiero"
(Duet)
-
Madame
Butterfly
:
Puccini
"Un
Bel
di"
(Angela)
-Andrea
Chénier
Giordano
"Improviso"
(Roberto)
-Madame
Butterfly
:
Puccini
"Vogliotemi
bene"
(Duet)
Press
Review
TOSCA
(the
film)
-
A
GREAT
FAVOURITE
WITH
THE
CRITICS
Libération
"Roberto
Alagna
is
an
amorous
and
revolutionary
artist
perfectly
heart-breaking…Angela
Gheorghiu
almost
succeeds
to
make
one
forgets
the
reference
of
Callas".
Guardian "Alagna
makes
a
strong
viril
Cavaradossi…the
exceptional
performance
comes
from
Gheorghiu
in
the
title
role…hers
is
a
great
performance,
as
magnetic
as
Callas's,
rich
and
beautiful
as
well
as
dramatic".
Independent
on
Sunday "Gheorghiu
gives
a
performance
that
cuts
to
the
core
of
Puccini's
tragedy".
ANGELA
GHEORGHIU
-
"SHE
IS
THE
NUMBER
ONE"
BBC
Music
Magazine "Angela
Gheorghiu's
essentially
lyrical
soprano
ideally
suite
the
fragile,
simmering
sendibility
needed…Her
timbre
is
perfect"
Jazz
Music "This
CD
(Casta
Diva)
is
marvellous,
her
voice
is
wonderful!
It's
beyond
doubt
that
she
is
the
number
one".
Philadelphia
Inquirer "By
inviting
comparisons
to
the
incomparable
Maria
Callas,
Romanian
soprano
Gheorghiu
demonstrates
she
must
be
the
most
fearless
opera
singer
in
the
world".
The
Sunday
Times "The
young
Romanian
soprano…has
the
strength
of
personality,
the
potential
for
artistic
development
and
the
power
that
might
confer
diva
status
on
her…She
is
unquestionably
the
owner
of
the
most
individual
and
interesting
soprano
voice
today".
ROBERTO
ALAGNA
-
"IS
THE
REAL
THING"
Opera
News
magazine "Roberto
Alagna
has
presence
and
an
endearing
sort
of
bravado
that
keeps
everyone
on
edge…His
voice
is
heroic
yet
lyrical
with
an
urgent
poignancy
to
it…His
intense
focus
and
passionate
acting
are
impressive…Alagna
is
the
real
thing"
Le
Journal
de
Montréal "Roberto
Alagna
réussit
un
tour
de
force
qui
le
range
dans
la
lignée
des
plus
grands
représentants
de
l'école
française
du
chant.
La
qualité
de
ses
interprétaitons
se
traduit
par
une
prononciation
impeccable,
une
ligne
vocale
irréprochable
et
une
fine
sensibilité
dans
l'expression
des
émotions".
LES
9èmes
VICTOIRES
DU
CLASSIQUE
Le
Journal
du
Dimanche "Au
top,
le
ténor
Roberto
Alagna
et
sa
femme,
la
soprano
Angela
Gheorghiu,
qui
avec
Tosca
le
film
-opéra
de
Benoît
Jacquot
ont
élargi
le
public
du
lyrique.
Alagna
et
Gheorghiu,
couple-star,
ont
reçu
(le
23
janvier
2002),
une
Victoire
d'honneur
en
hommage
à
leur
fabuleux
parcours". |
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