Homage To Maria Callas

Catalogue # 0843772

Homage to Maria Callas is a collection of beloved French and Italian operatic masterpieces performed by Angela Gheorghiu, the defining diva of this century. The programme is inspired by the career and recordings of Maria Callas, the greatest diva of the last century. The arias are shared favourites of both Callas and Gheorghiu, and Angela’s new recording demonstrates once again her extraordinary vocal and emotional range.

Angela Gheorghiu said recently, “Callas was original in everything she did; she was a phenomenon. In every performance she gave her all. She was the most wonderful painter and you can always hear exactly the right colour in her voice. Just hearing her sound, you understand all the power or fragility of her emotions. That's a rare talent and a great gift.” Gheorghiu continued, “EMI was her record label and it’s mine too. It feels like a family”.

Recorded at London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios in London and in New York, the repertoire of Gheorghiu’s first studio recital in six years (during which time she recorded several complete operas, including a multi-award-winning Madama Butterfly), shows her versatility in lyric, spinto and mezzo roles, with each of which she feels a strong emotional connection. These include Mimi (La bohème), Marguerite (Faust), Imogene (Il pirata), Adriana (Adriana Lecouvreur - an opera which Gheorghiu added to her repertoire in 2010 to great critical acclaim), Maddalena (Andrea Chénier), Nedda (Pagliacci), Wally (La Wally), Medea, Chimène (Le Cid) and Delilah (Samson et Delilah). The new album also includes two arias from the opera that launched her career: La traviata by Verdi, New York Magazine praised at the time that “Her lady of the camellias is a worthy successor to Garbo and Callas.” Here she sings Violetta’s closing scene from Act I, in which the heroine wonders whether it is worth sacrificing her precious freedom to take young Alfredo as a lover. ‘It was very important for me to have this aria here. I’ve sung the role a lot on stage, but I haven’t ever recorded it in the studio’ adds Angela.

Angela Gheorghiu was born in Romania. In 1992, she made her international debut at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, followed the same year by debuts at the Metropolitan Opera and the Wiener Staatsoper. Since then, she has graced the stages of the world’s opera houses and concert halls, excelling both vocally and dramatically. Today, at the height of her career – and looking as glamorous as ever - she is widely recognised by critics and opera lovers as one of the great sopranos of all time.

Bellini: Col sorriso d'innocenza (from Il Pirata)
Bizet: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle 'Habanera' (from Carmen)
Catalani: Ebben? Ne andrò lontana (from La Wally)
Cherubini: Dei tuoi figli la madre tu vedi (from Medee)
Cilea: Poveri fiori (from Adriana Lecouvreur)
Giordano, U: La mamma morta (from Andrea Chénier)
Gounod: Ah! Je ris de me voir (from Faust)
Leoncavallo: Qual fiamma avea nel guardo!.... Hui! Stridono lassù (from I Pagliacci)
Massenet: De cet affreux combat…Pleurez, mes yeux ! (from Le Cid)
Puccini: Donde lieta usci (from La Bohème) Saint-Saëns: Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix (from Samson et Dalila)
Verdi: È strano! è strano!...Ah! fors è lui (from La traviata)

Sempre libera (from La Traviata)

with James Valenti (tenor)

Angela Gheorghiu (soprano)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Marco Armiliato