安格拉·乔治乌 Angela Gheorghiu

Angela Gheorghiu(Romanian pronunciation:anˈd͡ʒela ɡe̯orˈɡi.u; néeBurlacu; born 7 September 1965) is a Romaniansoprano.

Since her professional debut in 1990, she has performed in leading roles of several operas at New York'sMetropolitan Opera, London'sRoyal Opera House, theVienna State Opera, Milan'sLa Scala, and many other opera houses in Europe and the United States. She has a substantial discography primarily withEMI ClassicsandDeccaand is especially known for her performances in the operas ofPuccini.

Biography

Early life

Gheorghiu was born in 1965 inAdjud, Romania. Along with her sisterElena Dan, she sang opera music from an early age.[2]At age 14, Gheorghiu began to study singing at theNational University of Music Bucharest, primarily under Mia Barbu. Her graduation in 1990 followed the overthrow ofNicolae Ceaușescuthe previous year, enabling her to seek an international career immediately. Her professional opera debut took place at theCluj-Napoca Romanian National Operaas Mimì inLa bohèmein 1990, the same year she won third prize in the Belvedere International Competition.

Career in 1990s and 2000s

Gheorghiu made her international debut in 1992 at theRoyal Opera Houseas Zerlina inDon Giovanni.She debuted at theVienna State Operaas Adina inL'elisir d'amoreand at theMetropolitan Operaas Mimì inLa bohème.In 1994, she was auditioned by the conductor SirGeorg Soltifor a new production ofLa traviataat the Royal Opera House. Her debut as Violetta led her to international stardom.

Gheorghiu has concentrated her repertoire on several different roles: Violetta, Mimì,Magda, Adina, andJuliette. In 2003, she debuted as Nedda inPagliacciand as Marguerite inFaust. A soprano with a large range and a dark coloured voice,Gheorghiu is also able to singspinto sopranoroles. She sang in her first Tosca at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 2006. Her performance was an overall success, although because the famousZeffirelliproduction of 1964 was replaced by a new production (which premiered with her), there was comparison between the Toscas of Gheorghiu andMaria Callas, for whom the Zeffirelli production was designed.

In December 2000, Gheorghiu performed the title role in the filmTosca, directed by Benoit Jacquot, together withRoberto AlagnaandRuggero Raimondi.One year later, in 2002, Gheorghiu interpreted Juliette in the movieRoméo et Juliette, alongside Roberto Alagna andTito Beltrán, also released on DVD.

Gheorghiu took part in many concerts, singing alone or together with her colleagues. Among the most important ones, the reopening of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden (1999) andTeatro Malibranin Venice (2001) and at the opening the new Opera House in Valencia, in the presence of theQueen Sofiaof Spain (2005). She sang at theProm at the Palace(2002), the event that marked theGolden Jubilee of Elizabeth II, a concert that is available on DVD. In 2012, Gheorghiu was the guest of honor at a London Royal Opera House gala which was also attended byElizabeth II. The Romanian soprano sang at the event, which was organized to raise funds for the Royal Opera House Foundation.[9]She also sang at theQueen Beatrix's Jubilee Gala in Amsterdam (2005), at the New Year's Eve Concert atPalais Garnierin Paris (2006), at the Met Summer Concert inProspect Park, New York (2008), and at the Memorial Concert forLuciano PavarottiinPetra, where she also performed an unconventional duet of "Là ci darem la mano" from Mozart'sDon GiovanniwithSting(2008).

In 2009, Gheorghiu was invited to honorGrace Bumbryduring the 32nd AnnualKennedy Center Honors, in Washington, DC. She performed "Vissi d'arte" from Puccini'sToscain the presence ofBarack Obama.

Career in 2010s

In November 2010, Gheorghiu made her debut inFrancesco Cilea'sAdriana Lecouvreur, a new production of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.The Observerwrote, "It's hard to imagine anyone bettering Angela Gheorghiu in this part. Her voice, feather-light and creamy yet with a core of steel, matches the liquid way she moves on stage. She's a natural actress and made the improbable death scene heartbreakingly believable and her signature aria 'Poveri fiori' simply unforgettable."[12]The Daily Telegraphwrote, "Adriana is known as a nice, easy sing for ageing or challenged prima donnas (no difficult top notes, and a tame orchestra), so Gheorghiu, in her vocal prime, should have found it a doddle. But her first aria was bumpy and nervous, and she fudged the end of the second. Elsewhere, in duet and declamation, she often sang exquisitely."

In July 2011, Gheorghiu sang the title role inToscaat the Royal Opera House conducted byAntonio Pappano, and the following September returned there for the revival ofFaust, which was broadcast live in cinemas all over the world. In April 2012, she appeared for the first time at theTeatro Colón, Buenos Aires, in a concert of duets with Roberto Alagna.

In February 2012, Gheorghiu was the special guest at theVienna Opera Ball, where she performed accompanied by conductorGeorges Prêtreand theVienna State OperaOrchestra.

In June 2012, Gheorghiu celebrated 20 years since her debut on the stage of the Royal Opera House, London, by performing inLa bohèmewith Roberto Alagna. In July 2012, she held her firstmaster classat theGeorg SoltiAccademia inCastiglione della Pescaia, Italy. She returned toTuscanyfor a second masterclass at theGeorg SoltiAccademia in 2016.[16]In November 2012 she returned to San Francisco Opera to perform in Puccini'sTosca. In an interviewwithKurierfrom February 2014, Gheorghiu expressed interest in performing the role of Norma and in recording the role of Desdemona inOtello. Her most recent role debut was as Charlotte in Massenet'sWertherin March 2015 at theVienna State Opera, to great critical acclaim.Gheorghiu also performed the role of Charlotte in August 2015 at theSalzburg Festivalin a concert version with great success.

In July 2015, Gheorghiu made her debut at theVerbier FestivalinSwitzerlandwith guitaristMiloš Karadaglićin a special recital at The Église.

In October 2015, Gheorghiu appeared for the first time ever in Australia, performing in two exceptional gala concerts at theSydney Opera Houseand at Hammer Hall,Arts Centre Melbourne.In November 2015, Gheorghiu performed at the Richard Tucker Opera Gala, "opera world’s most highly anticipated event of the season", atDavid Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, inNew York City. The gala was broadcast on February 5, 2016 onPBS.Gheorghiu also sang at the Richard Tucker Opera Gala in 1999.In November 2015, Gheorghiu sang at the Elena Obraztsova Opera Ball atBolshoi Theatrein Moscow, Russia.[26]On the 29 November 2015, Gheorghiu held a humanitarian concert at theRomanian Athenaeumto raise funds for the victims of theColectiv nightclub fire. The concert was organized in partnership with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir and conductor Tiberiu Soare.In December 2015, Gheorghiu sang together withRamón Vargasand Ghiță Petean in a gala concert atOpéra de Monte-Carlo. All proceeds from this concert went to the Foundation established in the disappearance of Ramon Vargas's son, Eduardo, at the age of six ("Fund in memory of Eduardo Vargas").

In 2016, Gheorghiu returned in the title role of Puccini'sToscaat theRoyal Opera Houseand received great critical acclaim.Gheorghiu was scheduled to appear in 5 performances, but sang in a total of 7 performances.She also returned as Tosca at theWiener StaatsoperalongsideJonas KaufmannandBryn Terfelin April 2016. In September 2016, Gheorghiu performed inToscaat theStaatsoper Berlinwith "loud and prolonged ovation".

2017 marks 25 years since Gheorghiu's international debut at the Royal Opera House in 1992.She performed there inAdriana Lecouvreurin February 2017.In October of that year she made her house debut at theTeatro MassimoinPalermo, again as Adriana Lecouvrer.

Awards and honors

Gheorghiu has recorded many recital albums and complete opera recordings and often appears on television and in concerts. Although Gheorghiu has not won an individual Grammy award, theEMIrecording ofJules Massenet'sManonwith Gheorghiu in the title role won the 2001Gramophone Awardfor "Best Opera Recording" and was nominated for "Best Opera Recording" in the 2002Grammy Awards.[39][40]The EMI recording ofToscawith Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna and Ruggero Raimondi in the title roles brought her theDeutscher Schallplattenpreisaward in 2002.

Gheorghiu has won 5Gramophone Awards, most recently forMadama Butterflyin 2009.She has also wonGramophone Awardsin 1997 forPuccini'sLa rondine(Record of the Year),in 2000 for her album "Verdi Heroines" (Decca): Best Recital and Classic fM People's Choice Award in 2000 and 2001.

In 2002, Gheorghiu won theEcho KlassikAward for "Female Singer of the Year".

She also wonDiapason d'OrAwards, Choc du Monde de la Musique in France, Cecilia Prize in Belgium, the ItalianMusica e dischi, Foreign Lyric Production Award, the United States Critics' Award.

Gheorghiu won the title of Female Artist of the Year at theClassic Brit Awardsin 2001 and 2010.

In 2004, Gheorghiu won theVictoires de la musique classiqueaward for the best opera recording forBizet'sCarmen(EMI Classics).

She was honoured with "La Medaille Vermeille de la Ville deParis" and she was appointed an Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettresand Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture and by her native countryRomania.

In December 2010, Gheorghiu was namedDoctor Honoris Causaby the University of Arts in Iași (Romania)[50]and the Star of Romania, the highest decoration given by the President of Romania.[51]In October 2012, Gheorghiu received theNihil Sine Deoroyal decoration fromKing Michael I, honoring her contribution to promoting Romanian culture in the world.[52]In 2013, the DVD ofAdriana Lecouvreurreleased byDeccawhere Gheorghiu plays the title role won at theInternational Classical Music Awardsfor Best DVD Performance.

In May 2014, Gheorghiu was included in theGramophone Hall of Famethat celebrates the men and women whose contributions to classical music recording have proved the most influential and inspiring.In October 2014, Gheorghiu received the honorary title of Doctor Honoris Causa from theGheorghe Dima Music Academyin Cluj-Napoca.In October 2015, Gheorghiu was awarded the European Cultural Award in a special gala ceremony inDresden,Germany.

In March 2019 she received the Global Star award in the "BraVo" International Professional Music Award fromJohn Travoltain a ceremony held inBolshoi Theatre.

Gheorghiu at the Met and elsewhere

On occasion, Gheorghiu has had difficult relationships with opera house managements and directors. Some, but not all, of them have stemmed from her opposition to directors who, as she put it in an interview withABC"want to express their own fantasies, forgetting about the characters. At times, she says, what they put on stage goes against both the story and the music."[60]She has attributed her outspokenness to her upbringing in Romania under thetotalitarianregime of Nicolae Ceaușescu:

"Because I grew up in a country where there was no possibility of having an opinion, it makes me stronger now. Lots of singers are frightened about not getting invited back to an opera house if they speak out. But I have the courage to be, in a way, revolutionary. I want to fight for opera, for it to be taken seriously. Pop music is for the body, but opera is for the soul."

Gheorghiu had a problematic relationship with formerMetropolitan OperaGeneral ManagerJoseph Volpeafter her debut there as Mimì in 1993. In 1996, Gheorghiu was cast as Micaela in a new production ofBizet'sCarmen, oppositeWaltraud MeierandPlácido Domingo. The production byFranco Zeffirellicalled for Micaela to wear a blonde wig, which Gheorghiu disliked. When the Met toured the production in Japan in 1997, she refused to wear it on the first night to which Volpe famously declared, "The wig is going on, with you or without you" and replaced her with an understudy.

She appeared at the Met again in 1998 for six performances of Gounod'sRoméo et Juliettewith her husband, tenor Roberto Alagna as Roméo. Volpe had planned to engage Gheorghiu in Violetta Valery for a new production ofLa traviata, to premiere in November 1998 and directed by Zeffirelli. Alagna was to sing the role of Violetta's lover, Alfredo Germont. According to Volpe, Gheorghiu and Alagna argued with the staff and the director over production details and continually delayed signing the contract. They eventually signed their contracts, and faxed them to the Met one day past their deadline. Volpe refused to accept them. The production opened withPatricia RacetteandMarcelo Álvarezas the lovers.

Despite these issues, Gheorghiu and Alagna returned to the Metropolitan Opera for five performances of Donizetti'sL'elisir d'amorein 1999 and for four performances ofFaustin 2003. Gheorghiu also performed at the Met as Liù in Puccini'sTurandotin 2000; as Violetta inLa traviataoppositeJonas Kaufmannin 2006 and 2007; as Amelia in Verdi'sSimon Boccanegrain 2007; as Mimì inLa bohèmein 2008; as Magda in the 2008/2009 season in the ROH/SFO production ofLa rondine, the Met's first performance of the opera since 1936; and for the 2009/2010 season she appeared as Violetta, replacing her previous engagement as Marie Antoinette in a rare revival ofJohn Corigliano'sThe Ghosts of Versailles, which was replaced due to the recession.

In September 2007, Gheorghiu was dismissed fromLyric Opera of Chicago's production ofLa bohèmeby General Manager William Mason, for missing rehearsals and costume fittings, and generally "unprofessional" behavior. Gheorghiu said in a statement that she had missed some rehearsals to spend time with her husband, who was singing at the Met inRoméo et Julietteand rehearsing for Puccini'sMadama Butterflyand added, "I have sungBohèmehundreds of times, and thought missing a few rehearsals wouldn't be a tragedy. It was impossible to do the costume fitting at the same time I was in New York.

Six weeks later, Gheorghiu made her debut atSan Francisco Operareceiving favorable reviews for her Magda in that company's new production ofLa rondine.The San Francisco Opera production originated with London's Royal Opera House, where it premiered on May 7, 2002 with Gheorghiu and Alagna as Magda and her lover Ruggero. It is one which she particularly admires: "When the curtain opened onLa rondineat Covent Garden, the audience gasped and applauded. People want to dream. If directors want to do something new with operas, why not do something beautiful?"

On 31 December 2008, Gheorghiu premiered the new production ofLa rondineat the Metropolitan Opera, together with Roberto Alagna, Marius Brenciu,Lisette Oropesaand Samuel Ramey. The opera was last performed at the house over 70 years ago. She received some favorable reviews for her Magda: "Gheorghiu embodies the part, as actress and singer, with her natural charisma."[68]TheNew York Timesopinion was more mixed: "Vocally, both leads are somewhat disappointing. Ms. Gheorghiu, as Magda, sings with gleaming sound and wonderfully dusky colorings in the strong top register of her voice. But the earthy richness of her mid-range singing sometimes turns breathy, and her low voice is curiously weak."

In August 2009, Gheorghiu canceled all her scheduled 2010 Met performances ofCarmen, for "personal reasons".[70]It was to have been her first public performance of the title role (written for and normally sung by amezzo-soprano). This was later attributed to her separation from her husband, Roberto Alagna, who was scheduled to sing opposite her.She also cancelled other Met performances scheduled near the end of 2010. In March 2011 she cancelled all her scheduled performances of Gounod'sRoméo et Julietteat the Met, citing illness. Only days later she cancelled all her performances in the scheduled new production ofFaustduring the Met's 2011/2012 season. According to her manager, "She felt uncomfortable in the concept". Peter Gelb, the Met's general manager, said that her frequent cancellations had become "an increasingly difficult problem for (the Met)." Gelb went on to say that, as of then, plans were still in place for Gheorghiu's return to the Met stage. He also said, "This has nothing to do with wigs.

Gheorghiu returned to the Met in December 2014 to perform to great critical acclaim[73]as Mimì inLa bohème, oppositeMichael Fabiano.

Gheorghiu performed her first MetToscain theLuc Bondyproduction in the 2015/16 seasonwith great reviews: "the famous "Vissi d'arte" was easily the most poignant moment of the night from every angle...At the climax of the aria, her voice soared through the theater in painful anguish and her final notes were held out with seemingly endless breath";"The color of her voice is gorgeous—her tone is smooth and full, mellow but with a hint of lemon";"Her idiosyncratically alluring, sometimes maddening, always fascinating Floria Tosca inevitably became the evening’s unmissable raison d'être!".

Personal life

Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna at the2006 Cannes Film Festival

Divorced from her first husband, Romanian engineer Andrei Gheorghiu,from whom she retained her surname, Gheorghiu married tenorRoberto Alagnain 1996. The couple have sung together often on stage and on studio recordings.

In an interview withThe Independent, she mentioned Alagna's jealousy towards her decisions of performing with other artistic partners, especiallyJonas Kaufmann.In October 2009, Alagna said in an interview inLe Figarothat he and Gheorghiu had separated.

Following the separation, she declined to appear opposite Alagna inCarmenat the Metropolitan Opera in December 2009.The divorce, however, was called off in December 2009.In a March 2011 interview with theDaily Expressshe stated that she and Alagna were back together, and they were seen together in March 2011 backstage at London's Royal Opera House where Alagna was performing inAida. She also stated in the interview that she still wanted to sing separately from her husband for a while.Later that year, they jointly opened a Greek amphitheatre in theEmirate of Qatar.[84]In June 2012, they sang together in two performances ofLa bohèmeat The Royal Opera House to commemorate the 20 years since they had met in the very same production. They also sang at a joint concert in Buenos Aires, and planned to perform together inManon LescautandAdriana Lecouvreurin future seasons.In November 2011 withThe Daily Telegraph, on their separation Gheorghiu commented that "It was stupid of us to be apart."However, in January 2013, she announced that they had agreed to divorce.In an interview withGramilanoin April 2015, she again recalled Alagna's "pathological jealousy".

Gheorghiu's younger sister,Elena Dan, died in 1996 in a car crash.Four years later, after Elena's surgeon husband, Andrei Dan, died, she adopted their daughter, Ioana,who has studied in theUniversity of Kentand lived in London since.She decided not to have a child of her own in fear of the probable voice change after pregnancy.

After the divorce, she briefly dated singerCezar Ouatu.She has been in romance with Romanian dentist Mihai Ciortea, who is 22-years her junior, since autumn 2013.

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