Notes and Editorial Reviews
She could have sung all night - and still they'd have begged for more
The audience is clearly out for an orgy of diva-worship, applause after every song, so this is a recital to be enjoyed in the spirit of indulgence. It’s a bit odd to hear “Plaisir d’amour” in Italian right at the start, and although Angela Gheorghiu sings that and the succeeding group of 18th-century songs and arias by Scarlatti, Parisotti and Gluck with plenty of luscious tone, like many singers before her she is using these ancient airs to give the proceedings a gentle start. The songs by Bellini and Donizetti suit her better, but it’s the Verdi group that is the heart of the first
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half. “In solitaria stanza”, with its main theme closely resembling “Tacea la notte” from Il trovatore, must rank as one of the loveliest things she has recorded. This is framed by the coquettish “Stornello” and the almost raucous “Brindisi” (nothing to do with La traviata).
The second half opens with a French group, the Gounod Sérénade and Bizet’s “Chant d’amour” nicely contrasted, love songs in relaxed and urgent moods. It is the Massenet “Elégie” that benefits from Gheorghiu’s operatic experience: here are words and music given equal importance to make a miniature drama. The songs by Romanian composers Alfred Alessandrescu, Diamanti Gheciu and Tiberiu Brediceanu are sung with obvious affection and relish; in these, and throughout the recital, Jeff Cohen provides sensitive and idiomatic accompaniment. Brediceanu’s “Bade, pentru ochii tai” is a particularly haunting melody. To end this group, Gheorghiu sings a classic of Romanian operetta, “Te iubesc” from Gherase Dendrino’s Lasati-ma sa cant, a beautiful slow waltz, and another song that suits her perfectly. The encores, including “I could have danced all night” (no comment), seem to provoke a certain amount of heckling from the audience, to which Gheorghiu responds simply with “Grazia”. The recording catches the mood; it was obviously a fun evening.
-- Patrick O'Connor, Gramophone [11/2007]
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Works on This Recording
1.
Plaisir d'amour by Johann Paul A. Martini
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: Classical
Written: by 1775; France
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 4 Minutes 26 Secs.
Language: Italian
2.
Il Pompeo: O cessate di piagarmi by Alessandro Scarlatti
Performer:
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano),
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano)
Period: Baroque
Written: 1683; Rome, Italy
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 2 Minutes 52 Secs.
Language: Italian
3.
Se tu m'ami by Alessandro Parisotti
Performer:
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano),
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 3 Minutes 30 Secs.
Language: Italian
Notes: This composition was originally attributed to Giovanni Battista Pergolesi.
4.
Paride ed Elena: O del mio dolce ardor by Christoph W. Gluck
Performer:
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano),
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano)
Period: Classical
Written: 1770; Vienna, Austria
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 3 Minutes 52 Secs.
Language: Italian
5.
Ariette (6) da camera: no 1, Malinconia, ninfa gentile by Vincenzo Bellini
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1829; Italy
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 1 Minutes 29 Secs.
Language: Italian
6.
Ariette (6) da camera: no 2, Vanne, o rosa fortunata by Vincenzo Bellini
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: by 1829; Italy
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 2 Minutes 24 Secs.
Language: Italian
7.
Soirées d’automne à l’Infrascata: no 4, Me voglio fa' na casa "Amor marinaro" by Gaetano Donizetti
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 2 Minutes 33 Secs.
Language: Italian
8.
Stornello by Giuseppe Verdi
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: by 1869; Italy
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 1 Minutes 48 Secs.
Language: Italian
9.
Romanze (6) (pub. 1838): no 3, In solitaria stanza by Giuseppe Verdi
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: by 1838; Italy
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 4 Minutes 32 Secs.
Language: Italian
10.
Romanze (6) (pub. 1845): no 6, Brindisi by Giuseppe Verdi
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1845; Italy
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 2 Minutes 23 Secs.
Language: Italian
11.
Sérénade by Charles Gounod
Performer:
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano),
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1857; France
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 3 Minutes 53 Secs.
Language: French
12.
Chant d'amour by Georges Bizet
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1872; France
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 3 Minutes 33 Secs.
Language: French
13.
Elégie by Jules Massenet
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: circa 1869; France
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 2 Minutes 33 Secs.
Language: French
14.
Lasati-ma sa cânt: Te iubesc by Gherase Dendrino
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: Romania
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 3 Minutes 46 Secs.
Language: Romanian
15.
Canzoni napoletane (3): no 1, 'A vucchella by Francesco Paolo Tosti
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1907; Italy
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 2 Minutes 23 Secs.
Language: Italian
16.
My Fair Lady: I could have danced all night by Frederick Loewe
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1956; USA
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 2 Minutes 18 Secs.
Language: English
17.
Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro by Giacomo Puccini
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1918; Italy
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 2 Minutes 12 Secs.
Language: Italian
18.
When my love's curtain by Alfred Alessandrescu
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: Romania
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 2 Minutes 23 Secs.
Language: French
19.
And if by Tiberiu Brediceanu
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: Romania
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 3 Minutes 6 Secs.
Language: French
20.
Little flower on the water by Tiberiu Brediceanu
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1917; Romania
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 1 Minutes 43 Secs.
Language: French
21.
My love, because of you by Tiberiu Brediceanu
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1923; Romania
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 3 Minutes 3 Secs.
Language: French
22.
Alas my darling, we cannot love by Tiberiu Brediceanu
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1905; Romania
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 3 Minutes 32 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: This selection is part of a medley which also includes "My darling, I am full of love for you."
23.
My darling, I am full of love for you by Tiberiu Brediceanu
Performer:
Jeffrey Cohen (Piano),
Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1920; Romania
Date of Recording: 04/03/2006
Venue: Live La Scala Opera House, Milan, Italy
Length: 3 Minutes 32 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: This selection is part of a medley which also includes "Alas my darling, we cannot love."
Sound Samples
Il Pompeo: O cessate di piagarmi
Malinconia, ninfa gentile
Composizioni da camera per canto e pianoforte (ed.R.Mingardo): Me Voglio fà 'na casa (Canzone napoletana) Volume I
Composizioni da camera per canto e pianoforte: In solitaria stanza (Jacopo Vittorelli)
Composizioni da camera per canto e pianoforte: Brindisi (Maffei) (1a Versione - secondo l'autograph)
Vai, badita, dragi ne-avem
Lasati-ma sa cint: Tu iubesc
My Fair Lady: I Could Have Danced All Night
Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro (Lauretta)
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