Angela Gheorghiu - Casta Diva / Pido

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The title Casta Diva tells all. This recital disc shows soprano Angela Gheorghiu reaching out beyond the lyric Verdi-Gounod-Massenet-Puccini repertory in which she made her name and edging into the gymnastic world of coloratura and bel canto--with some measure of success. Her opening number, the eponymous Bellini "Casta Diva," doesn't show Gheorghiu at her best: the sound is hollow rather than serene and just a touch too fluttery in the vibrato to feel comfortable. But in other arias from La Sonnambula, I Puritani, and Guglielmo Tell, she seems on surer ground--though even here, the fioritura can be rushed and swallowed when it needs to be approached with measured confidence. Of course, the technique is there, as are the eloquence and subtlety--but take this disc as a token of things to come rather than evidence of what has already arrived. That way, you'll be pleasantly surprised as opposed to slightly disappointed. --Michael White

Tracks:

Casta Diva
Una Voce Poco Fa
Lascia Ch'lo Pianga
Qui La Voce Sua Soave...Ah! Rendetemi La Speme...Vien, Diletto
D'amor Sull'ali Rosee
Werther! Qui M'aurait Dit La Place...Des Cris Joyeux D'enfants
Je Marche Sur Tous Les Chemins...Obeissons Quand Leur Voix Appelle - Nicolas Rivenq
Non! Non!...Ah! Je Veux Vivre Dans Le Reve
L'amour Est Enfant De Boheme
Carreau, Pique...La Mort! En Vain Pour Eviter Les Responses
Depuis Le Jour
Vissi D'arte
Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta
O Mio Babbino Caro

Customer Reviews:

I know... it's not helpful if I don't agree with you, but...........2006-10-26

This is a collection of previously released arias so there's nothing new if you were looking to see if she had improved or something which I was.
Angela has a lovely voice and is lovely to look at. These things are obvious. But one does ask if we have made what you look like more important than what you sound like in opera. I can hear that she sings flat quite a bit. Her rendition of "Depuis le jour" is truly awful. Tremulous, and under pitched singing make it difficult to bear listening to. (If you want to hear a great one check out a young Leontyne Price or Sills) Angela has really great phrasing which makes the under pitched singing all that more of a mystery. Also her low notes, which can be raspy and breathy are very unattractive- as well her transitions between chest & head voice are really glaringly bad. She also slows things down sometimes not out of dramatic effect but when she needs more time to make a "beautiful sound" (something Kiri used to do too.) Which I'm sure the average composer if asked would not be too keen on. Her pronounciation is suspect too. I've heard a tripthong on her Italian vowel u many times. I know, she's from somewhere other than Italy- but so are most opera singers. If one is proclaiming themselves a DIVA then these things should be already taken care of - in my humble opinion- which doesn't matter because she's sold tons of recordings. I listened to the whole CD then admit to having given it away to a friend. Is this the Emperor's clothing or am I the only one that can hear these things? If she had bad phrasing but sang on pitch I would overlook that in view of the loveliness of her voice- but let's face it, these aren't Pendereckian compositions with suggestions for pitches- the composers wrote the pitches indicated for a reason. Sounds like I'm being too harsh? well, I feel the same way about Andrea Boccelli- lovely voice, flat way too much of the time. So now the whole world can hate me for thinking 2 commercial successes don't sing on pitch with the consistency expected at this level.
I know... this isn't helpful because you disagree. It's okay, there may be one person out there who would like an honest opinion even if they disagree, after all, I did cover, in detail, the perfomance and the performer and isn't *that* what these reviews are here for? to help people decide? :)

A True Diva.......2006-04-15

Her interpretation of Casta Diva revealed that Gheorghiu was the true Diva here, sensitive, expressive and yet dignified. She is a wholistic mixture, melting together her talents of beautiful voice, perfect technique and dramatic expression, which not only applies to each song, but often to the phrase or word level. She can convey the emotion of the piece without putting her voice in physical distress. She can also dial in the appropriate amount of "darkness" in her voice for the occasion and dramatic effect.

I do not think she sounded like Callas, whose voice appeared to be stronger and thicker, but less pure and agile than Angela's. Callas always seemed to have some tension in her voice, loud or soft. Gheorghiu can relax or tense up her voice as needed, increasing the dramatic effect, in both her low and higher registers. Finally Angela's lower voice is unmatched in its expressiveness and unstressed purity.

This CD is highly recommended but in order to experience her full artistic talents, including acting, get her DVDs.

Excellent voice!.......2006-02-24

If Maria Callas had a great voice, it would have sounded like this.

A Diva ? A Copycat.......2005-12-24

Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu's "Diva" album: Is this supposed to be a tribute to Maria Callas ? Every time I hear Gheorghiu sing, she sounds like Maria Callas. She's a soprano who is riding on the wave of Maria Calla's past fame. Their voices are very similar..ie. If you put on a Maria Callas record album of the same arias (most notably "Casta Diva", "Una Voce Poco Fa", "D'amor Sull'ari Rosee" "Je Veux Vivre", "Depuis Le Jour" "Vissi D'Arte and "O Mio Babbino Caro." Gheorghiu is an attractive, Mediterrenean-looking woman and her voice is a lot like Callas. I'm assuming audiences adore her because their guilty secret is that they want to see a Maria Callas re-born once more. But on the risk of being too critical, I will admit she has more beautiful tones. She and her husband Roberto Alagna sit on top of the opera world as its most charming, exciting couple/performers. Gheorghiu has a beautiful voice, with dramatic bite and radiant lyrical capacities. However, she has hard one too many Callas records and copied them.

UH WILL THE REAL CALLAS PLEASE STAND UP?.......2004-11-22

WHY IS IT THAT EVERY TIME I HEAR HER SING SHE SOUNDS LIKE MY OLD RECORDINGS OF CALLAS?? THIS CHICK NEVER SEEMS TO DO ANYTHING ORGINAL!!! IN THE ENTIRE CD I FELT LIKE I RATHER LISTEN TO CALLAS THAN TO THIS CALLAS WANNABE

Average customer rating:

Who knew!
An interesting entry into coloratura soprano territory
A definite wobble.
El retorno de la Callas.
Good starting place into dangerous territory

Angela Gheorghiu - Casta Diva / Pido

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Diva
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Roberto Alagna & Angela Gheorghiu - Duets & Arias
Puccini

ASIN: B00005K3PY
Release Date: 2001-08-14

Tracks:

Aria: Casta Diva - Chorus Of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Cabaletta: Ah! Bello A Me Ritorna - Chorus Of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Scena: S'allontanano Alfine!
Romanza: Selva Opaca
Aria: Qui La Voce Sua Soave - Ah! Rendetemi La Speme
Cabaletta: Vien, Diletto
Aria: Ah! Non Credea Mirarti
Cavatina: Una Voce Poco Fa...
Atto I: Io Sono Docile
Scena: L'ora Fatal S'appressa
Preghiera: Giusto Ciel! In Tal Periglio - Angela Gheorghiu/Chor Of The Royal Opr House, Covent Garden/Terry Edwards
Scena: Piangete Voi? - Terry Edwards
Cabaletta: Al Dolce Guidami Castel Natio - Terry Edwards
Aria: Regnava Nel Silenzio
Lucia Di Lammermoor: Atto I. Cabaletta: Quando Rapito In Estasi

Amazon.com

The title Casta Diva tells all. This recital disc shows soprano Angela Gheorghiu reaching out beyond the lyric Verdi-Gounod-Massenet-Puccini repertory in which she made her name and edging into the gymnastic world of coloratura and bel canto--with some measure of success. Her opening number, the eponymous Bellini "Casta Diva," doesn't show Gheorghiu at her best: the sound is hollow rather than serene and just a touch too fluttery in the vibrato to feel comfortable. But in other arias from La Sonnambula, I Puritani, and Guglielmo Tell, she seems on surer ground--though even here, the fioritura can be rushed and swallowed when it needs to be approached with measured confidence. Of course, the technique is there, as are the eloquence and subtlety--but take this disc as a token of things to come rather than evidence of what has already arrived. That way, you'll be pleasantly surprised as opposed to slightly disappointed. --Michael White

Customer Reviews:

Who knew!.......2007-05-25

When I first listened to this CD, I was rather surprised, much like I was when I first listened to Renee Fleming's Bel Canto CD. I always thought that Gheorghiu was just a dramatic/spinto soprano...it never occured to me that she was anything close to a coloratura...although I think all classical singers should have velocity, even if they rarely call on it. She does surprisingly well with all the melismas...not like sills, sutherland, dessay or gruberova, but she stills manages them quite nicely. I also never knew she had an altissimo range...of course I know that the soprano voice doesn't stop automatically at High C, but you just never think about sopranos such as gheorghiu having D's and E-flats. She weathers her acuti (extreme high notes) well...she sometimes sounds like she doesn't know what to do with them once she is up there, but they sound nice anyway. This CD consists of several fav's such as Casta Diva, Una Voce Poco Fa, Regnava nel silencio/Quando rapito, Qui la voce/Vien diletto...all staples of the coloratura repertoire...and she does some not so famous ones, such as selections from William Tell, The siege of Corinth, and Anna Bolena. A nice mix I would say. Overall, this is an enjoyable recital...you get to hear Gheorghiu singing some of your favorite bel canto arias, and you get to hear her singing entirely different styles than you're probably used to hearing her sing

An interesting entry into coloratura soprano territory.......2007-01-07

This represents a major excursion of soprano Angela Gheorghiu into the world of coloratura. First, what is coloratura in opera? The Wikipedia says: "In the bel canto era, all singers had to be coloratura specialists, that is, they had to be able to add ornamentations to the written music." Ornamentation includes trills, runs, and other vocal effects (such as appoggiaturas and acciaccaturas), many of which leave the listener in awe.

Gheorghiu does not appear to be a natural coloratura soprano. While coloratura technique can be used by any singer from bass to soprano, male or female, we normally think of sopranos in this context. We also normally think of coloratura sopranos as having lighter voices that can reach those high notes and have the agility to command the ornamentation called for. Of course, as I recall, Joan Sutherland, one of the great coloratura sopranos of the 20th century, began as a dramatic soprano (although my memory may betray me). Certainly, the voice of Gheorghiu is darker than a Beverly Sills, for example. But the true test: What about the ornamentation and agility?

In short, my answer is "not bad." Her trills are not great, but some who essay the coloratura repertoire ignore trills entirely (listen to Maria Callas, for example); others stun, such as Joan Sutherland. While Gheorghiu is no Sutherland (or Sills), she is on a higher plane than Callas. She shows vocal agility in traversing some of the prime coloratura territory for sopranos. The cabaletta to "Casta diva" (from Bellini's Norma) is nicely done; just so, the cabaletta from I Puritani, "Vien, diletto," is competently done; she is able to show agility in Rossini's "Una voce poca fa" (from Il Barbiera de Siviglia), although her voice is darker and heavier than many others who take this tune on. The great test on this CD: her rendering of Mad Lucy's "Quanto rapito in estasi" (from Lucia di Lammermoor). This is not Sills or Sutherland. But it ain't bad! In cabalettas such as this, it's not the first time through that is of interest for the coloratura soprano. The first time through, the singer demonstrates that she can hit the notes and has some coloratura technique. It's the second time through, when the vocal pyrotechnics should emerge. And Gheorghiu's second time through features more ornamentation and vocal effects. She takes it up a jot from the first time through this great cabaletta.

In the end, Angela Gheorghiu is not Sills or Sutherland. But there aren't too many at that level to begin with. She does a pretty good job, and the CD is worth a listen. If nothing else, compare current sopranos who essay the coloratura repertoire with predecessors such as Sills and Sutherland. Gheorghiu need not feel embarrassed with her work on this CD.

A definite wobble........2006-05-17

Angela Gheorghiu may very well be 'the next Callas'. Callas' overuse of chest voice and forcing out high notes that aren't comfortably in her range are all here, as well as some additions: poorly executed coloratura, uneven vowelisation, often dodgy tuning, an uneven scale through the voice, unbalanced resonance and a distracting wobble present at various times throughout the recording (there's vibrato, and then there's a lot of vibrato, and then there's a wobble, and this is a definite wobble). And the girl lacks Callas' utterly unique connection to text and drama.

These are beautiful pieces, probably some of the hardest, if not the hardest, written for the soprano voice, for the technique demanded by the bel canto literature is extreme. And Angela Gheorghiu just isn't there. If you want these beautiful pieces sung by a soprano with the technical capacity to sing them beautifully, look up Edita Gruberova. She may not have the astounding breath and support of Dame Sutherland, or the supreme expression of La Divina, whom both have have produced some admirable and recommendable recordings of many of these arie, but she is as good a combination of the two as I can think of in this repertoire.

El retorno de la Callas........2004-04-07

Como no podía ser de otro modo, de nuevo esa gran artista que es ANGELA GHEORGHIU consigue un trabajo redondo, esta vez ofreciendo versiones de las mas celebres arias belcantistas. La Gheorghiu (mas conocida por sus aportaciones a otro tipo de repertorios) ofrece en este disco su voz bellisima, segura en todas las zonas de la tesitura y su expresividad extraordinaria caracteristica. EVELINO PIDO y los cuerpos estables del Covent Garden acompañan a la perfeccion a la Gheorghiu, lo que redondea un disco que es un nuevo exito para sumar a la lista de triunfos de esta genial artista. BRAVA ANGELA!

Good starting place into dangerous territory.......2003-02-21

Angela Gheorghiu is a beautiful woman who happens to have a lovely, dark voice capable of many colors. Her voice is immediately recognizable. She dives head first into this recital of technically difficult and dramatically challenging arias. Some arias are performed superbly. Others need more work. She has good Italian throughout this disc. She is a speaker of the language, so to say that she has bad Italian shows ignorance on the part of the one reviewer who said disparaging remarks about her diction. She does not have intonation problems on this disc. Her "Casta Diva" sounds far too studied and detached. She sounds as if she wants to perform the aria brilliantly in terms of simply pulling it off rather than investing her entire dramatic intelligence into it. The arias from "Guglielmo Tell" and "L'Assedio di Corinto" are performed superbly with a lot of dramatic commitment. Her coloratura throughout is secure, but it does not have the same fluidity that Sutherland and Sills commanded. However, to criticize her good coloratura technique is too narrow-minded. She is not a true coloratura. Keep that in mind. The "Anna Bolena" aria is sung well. The first half is done superbly, but the requisite nostalgia in the second half is missing. She tries, but fails to convince. Her "Una voce poco fa" is sung brilliantly, but without any charm or wit. It is too bad. The arias from "La Sonnambula" and "I Puritani" are sung nicely, but the high E's are not really secure. She needs to work on those notes. She also lacks a real trill. Her "Lucia di Lammermoor" excerpt is good, but Sutherland and Sills have sung it better. Sills also sang it with more convincing emotion. Overall, this disc is a good look at what may come from Gheorghiu in the future in the bel canto repertory.

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