Angela Gheorghiu - Mysterium ~ Sacred Arias

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
At first glance, this looks like another of those star turns in which a highly publicized singer tackles material calculated to broaden her appeal. But it's much more than that, for Angela Gheorghiu, in addition to possessing one of the great voices of our day, exhibits an affinity for most of the 15 selections on this highly attractive disc. She opens with Romanian Orthodox works that are compelling in their heartfelt simplicity. The rest of the program includes standards, like the Schubert Ave Maria, and traditional Christmas songs, such as "O Holy Night" and "Adeste fideles" (both gorgeously sung with a restraint that averts sentimentality), along with others ranging from the familiar to the seldom heard. One of these rarities is the high point of the disc: Niedermeyer's "Pieta, Signor," sung with spectacular intensity and boasting some thrilling trills. Gheorghiu's so good that this Christmas stocking stuffer becomes a disc for all seasons. --Dan Davis

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One can argue with 'sacred', and 'arias' is a misnomer. This is a strange mixture of items from Bach to twentieth-century Romanian, but ignore the generic titling and sit back to share with Angela Gheorghiu songs which are 'for her a musical affirmation of faith'. Some of the items, such as Wiegenlied and Auf Flugeln des Gesanges should be accompanied by the piano and do not benefit from the orchestral arrangements, that to the Brahms song being mushy and nebulous. The Mendelssohn strikes me as... read more

Angela Gheorghiu - Mysterium ~ Sacred Arias

Tracks:

Tatl Nostru
Priveghiati Si Va Rugati
Stihuri Din Catavasiile Intampinarii Domnului
Lubi-Te-Voi, Doamne
O Holy Night
Mille Cherubini In Coro
Pie Jesu
Wiegenlied, Op.49 No.4
Auf Flugeln Des Gesanges, Op.34 No.2
Salve Regina
Ave Maria
Pieta, Signore
Quia Respexit
Ave Maria (Ellens Dritter Gesang)
Adeste, Fideles

Amazon.com

At first glance, this looks like another of those star turns in which a highly publicized singer tackles material calculated to broaden her appeal. But it's much more than that, for Angela Gheorghiu, in addition to possessing one of the great voices of our day, exhibits an affinity for most of the 15 selections on this highly attractive disc. She opens with Romanian Orthodox works that are compelling in their heartfelt simplicity. The rest of the program includes standards, like the Schubert Ave Maria, and traditional Christmas songs, such as "O Holy Night" and "Adeste fideles" (both gorgeously sung with a restraint that averts sentimentality), along with others ranging from the familiar to the seldom heard. One of these rarities is the high point of the disc: Niedermeyer's "Pieta, Signor," sung with spectacular intensity and boasting some thrilling trills. Gheorghiu's so good that this Christmas stocking stuffer becomes a disc for all seasons. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

No. Simply no. Sloppy, badly articulated, meaningless.......2006-05-09

I admire Angela Gheorghiu's voice enormously. It's a fabulous colour - dark, with strength and metal and passion - and she's clearly a very intelligent singer. I've heard her doing some wonderful things, but side by side, I've heard her perpetrate some atrocities. Her Verdi album was for the most part phenomenally good (with the exception of an atrocious "Caro nome"); her Puccini album had some excellent things in it; her singing of Amina in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore was surprisingly delightful; her Violetta in La Traviata was wonderful to watch and mostly beautiful to hear. But this!

No. And no.

Almost invariably, singers who produce a "Sacred Album" seem determined to display the very worst of themselves. Renee Fleming perpetrated a sloppy sentimentality that one feared only too likely to occur in her recent album; Sumi Jo produced some of the most horrid sounds in the worst of taste that could be possible with a voice that is as good as hers; and so on and so on. Yet there are exceptions to the "Sacred Album" rule of thumb... and I had hoped this album would be one of them.

It was not. Almost without exception, this was unremittingly awful. It is not one of Ms Gheorghiu's better efforts. Admittedly, there are times when Ms Gheorghiu has produced recordings that are not worthy of her talents - I call to mind her completely unstylistic "Lascia ch'io pianga", among others - but the voice itself is a very, very good voice indeed, not a "run of the mill" voice. I suppose one must expect the good with the bad when one listens to such a unique talent as this often fabulous soprano.

I'm so sorry... but this was one of the bad.

I love it with my whole heart!.......2005-12-15

This won't be as long or detailed or even knowledgable as the previous two reviews. Fortunately, they are both positive where it counts - Angela is well-named, has the voice of an angel. Soft, textury, intense, variegated as some of the yarns I love to knit!

I'm not sure if there could be a human being in the world who failed to appreciate and LOVE this CD. My whole heart adores listening to it!

Janet Knori, author of "Awakening in God"

Classic beauty.......2005-12-10

This is such a beautiful collection, and you can hear that these songs mean a lot to Angela Gheorgiou. I really like the concept of this album, putting together Western classics and spritual songs from her homeland. She sings these very traditional songs like O Holy Night with so much feeling. Her English is very nice, very clear. Mille Cherubini In Coro and other commonly performed Christmas songs sound very fresh in her interpretation. The classical sacred works like Pie Jesu are great too, this piece she sings in such simple, soft, unbelivably beautiful way. The chorus is fantastic, they have a unique sound.
I like the cover too, Angela is made to look like an angel from Orthodox icon.
If you can find copies of this album, it's well worth getting.

WOW.......2005-11-26

A friend of mine suggested this release after I kept on raving on how beautiful Renee Flemings recording of Sacred Songs was. And Ms. Gheorghiu certainly doesn't have to hide behind Renee! Her voice has a tad more ping than Renee's and it's slightly darker but it has this mysterious glow (Excuse my bad descriptions) that makes each of these songs unforgettable. A perfect addition to my ever growing collection of operatic discs. Brava Angela!

Sacred music from an angelic voice.......2004-03-01

'Mysterium', Angela Gheorghiu's offering of sacred music from both the Romanian Orthodox and Western spiritual traditions, is a very personal statement from this great soprano. She grew up during the infamous Nicolae Caescescu dictatorship, where religious music, though barely tolerated, was still one of the few ways one could express oneself and escape the terrors of everyday life. All of this music, both Romanian and European, has very strong spiritual and emotional significance for Gheorghiu - in fact, the album is dedicated to her sister `Nina' (Elena Burlacu Dan, who was killed in a car accident in 1996). The soprano's astonishing voice, huge palette of tonal colors, superb technique, dramatic fire, and most importantly, her genuine faith, total sincerity and commitment, and her humility make this CD a must for anyone even remotely interested in any of this repertory.

One of the things I most admire about Gheorghiu is her desire to share the music of her homeland with the rest of the world, and this CD begins with four mesmerizing selections of music from the Romanian Orthodox Church by late 19th and 20th century composers. These evoke for Gheorghiu and the listener the awe and mystery of Romanian monasteries with their incense and candle wax. Although this music is traditionally sung a capella, it is here sung with orchestral accompaniment - Gheorghiu did check with religious authorities in Bucharest to make sure this was, er, kosher. Actually, some of the intervals and melismas are very reminiscent of Jewish music, and I'd be very interested in learning which tradition borrowed what from whom. The first sound we hear on the disc is the toaca, a wooden percussion instrument used in lieu of bells to call the faithful to prayer. This leads into `Tatal Nostru', a Romanian version of The Lord's Prayer, which immediately shows the arresting, soulful quality of Gheorghiu's voice and ends on a gorgeous floated 'Amen'. `Privegati e si rugati' (`Watch and Pray') is equally beautiful. `Stihuri din Catavasiile intampinarii Domnului' (Verses from the Tellings of the Meetings of the Lord') is the most elaborate of the compositions here, a call and response on the words 'Slava tie Doamne' ('Glory to you, O G-d) contrasting with the more introspective `Iubi-te-voi, Doamne' (`I love Thee, O Lord').

It is a pity that Gheorghiu couldn't devote an entire album to this Romanian music. In particular, I wish she had sung the stunning carol `O ce veste minunata' that her husband Roberto Alagna recorded for his Christmas album, if for no other reason than Decca would have provided the texts and translations that EMI didn't! Still, the Western material which follows is of a very high standard. I applaud Gheorghiu for bringing out such rarities as the Puccini 'Salve Regina' and the Mascagni 'Ave Maria' (based on the intermezzo from 'Cavalleria Rusticana'), in addition to the famous Schubert version of the prayer. And, of course, we have 'popular' sacred songs and Christmas carols that are also dear to the soprano. An otherwise stunning version of `O Holy Night', with rich, broad phrasing and a spectacular high C, is marred slightly by her singing it in English instead of the original French. `Mille cherubini in coro' is the sweetest and tenderest lullaby imaginable, as is the famous one by Brahms. We go a bit more into 'art song' territory with Gheorghiu's laughter-filled, tender and seductive 'Auf Flugeln des Gesanges'. Oratorios are represented by 'Quia respexit' from the Bach Magnificat, which makes me eager to hear Gheorghiu sing the soprano lead in the Mozart as well as the Verdi Requiem she has already recorded, and the 'Pie Jesu' from Faure Requiem. Despite Gheorghiu's palpable sorrow, this is a bit of a disappointment because she seems to have trouble actually pronouncing the word 'requiem'. A truly 'joyful and triumphant' 'Adeste Fideles' concludes the album.

However, the highlight of the Western pieces is Louis Niedermeyer's `Pieta, Signore'. I was surprised that Gheorghiu included this since it is a piece I usually regard as tenor property - I have recordings by Bjorling, Kraus, and Pavarotti. She makes this into a mini-opera, a drama of repentance and plea for G-d's mercy with glowing tone, impassioned urgency, and magnificent trills. I only wish she had taken the reprise pianissimo as Bjorling did.

Of course, one must acknowlege the superb work of the Madrigal Choir, who are full and equal partners to Gheorghiu - I'm a choral singer, so I know! The blend of sound is gorgeous and they are adept in every style and in every language on the program, English included. I hope to find other CDs featuring them, and that Gheorghiu (who loves them) works with them again. Ion Marin does a fine job conducting the London Philharmonic and instilling the proper Romanian spirit into these English musicians.

I have somewhat mixed feelings about the notes. Although there is good biographical information about Gheorghiu and her relationship to this music, there isn't enough information about the music itself, and some of the comments about the 'desacralized cosmos' come off as somewhat pretentious for a CD booklet. Also, the Madrigal Choir sing in all the Romanian selections, not just the two they are credited for. Finally, the cover really is unfortunate. I understand that they were trying to paint Gheorghiu as a Romanian Orthodox icon, but it comes out looking rather cheesily new age/heavy metal.

This CD was intended as a companion to the superb BBC documentary `Angela Gheorghiu's Romanian Journey' where the soprano travels to the astoundingly beautiful Romanian `painted churches', narrates a history of the Romanian Orthodox Church and its music, and sings several several selections from this album. I can only pray that this is released on DVD or at least shown in the US. In the meantime, with 'Mysterium' you can have a religious music experience far classier than the average 'diva/divo Christmas album' and hear a singer who truly has 'sacred fire' in her soul.

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