At the Barbican last night.
Now, I have to state up front, I really like Angela Gheorghiu as a singer, and I have enjoyed every performance I have seen her in, on stage and on DVD. But there is something about her that brings out the inner bitch in me - which, let's be honest, doesn't lie very far beneath the surface. If you find bitchiness reprehensible, tough!
First of all, I must comment on her wardrobe for the evening. I was really quite shocked at her first dress, which I immediately assumed was from Primark. But as they don't display their wares on their site, it's impossible to prove. I then decided that it was a cheap - very cheap - rip-off of Anna Netrebko's Estrada gown, seen at the same venue six months ago. Some inspired surfing helped me to identify it as being straight from the Littlewoods catalogue. I did feel that by her age, 45 or whatever, she really should stop dying her hair black. Her natural colour is no darker than mine, but even though I am considerably younger, I find blonde and auburn highlights work a treat.
For the first half of the second half, she appeared in this Dorothy Perkins gown. I think it would have looked better if she had worn a bra underneath. Even though she isn't blessed in that department, gravity has taken its inevitable toll. For the latter part of the second half she wore a red satin dress. It was actually quite nice, or, would have been in the next size up. Didn't really go with the gold glitter shoes. And then, afterwards, she appeared for a signing in a tight red skirt, a shiny gold jacket and a pair of shoes that managed to make Sarah Brightman's look classy - I think it was the wrap-around-the-calves ribbons that really set them apart.
Now for the music:
Verdi Overture: Nabucco
Giordani 'Caro mio ben'
Handel 'Lascia ch'io pianga'
Mascagni Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana
Leoncavallo 'Stridono lassu' from I Pagliacci
Puccini 'Ch'il bel sogno di doretta...' from La Rondine
Puccini 'In quelle trine morbide' from Manon Lescaut
Bizet 'Habanera' from Carmen
Tchaikovsky Overture: Romeo & Juliet
Puccini 'O mio babbino caro' from Gianni Schicchi
Puccini 'Un bel di vedremo' from Madama Butterfly
Nabucco Overture was a nice way to start off the evening; although a bit frustrating, because there are hints of Va pensiero in it, but without a chorus, it wasn't possible.
Angela's first two numbers were disappointing. The Giordani because she entirely failed to hit one key note and was a bit approximate to quite a few others. The Lascia ch'io pianga was the low point of the evening. She is emphatically not a Handel soprano. I felt she was attempting to be derivative of Renée Fleming in the inappropriately mannered and effortful performance. Some people claimed Angela made no effort whatsoever, which I think is unfair, because she clearly made a lot of effort in this. The last time I heard this performed live was by Carolyn Sampson, who made it sound so simple and effortless! Someone said the last time they heard Morticia sing it she forgot the words, causing audience member Cecilia Bartoli to chuckle heartily.
The Leoncavallo was fine, nothing special but nothing to make me shudder. And in the Ch'il bel sogno di doretta we did get a glimpse of what she is capable of when she applies herself. After the interval was more Puccini - okay, nothing special - and her best number of the evening, the Habanera from Carmen. It would be funny to say it was derivative of Warbling Barbie, but it wasn't. She had great pitch, a wonderful tone, a real sense of knowing what she was singing, and an understanding of how the character of Carmen is portrayed in the music. I am not sure she has the full range of low notes, but towards the bottom of her range she has gorgeous colour of tone, quite different from the bell like clarity of her beautiful notes towards the top.
Next came the highlight of the evening, Tchaikovsky's wonderful Romeo and Juliet overture. There was a time in my life that I must have played this about three times a week. I went off Tchaik for a while, but he seems to have crept up on me in the past year or so, and this piece is just so fabulously great. I was almost in tears. In fact, the only thing that ruins it is that it doesn't break into the 1812 Overture!
Angela returned, performed a couple of Puccini arias very pleasantly, and we waited with growing excitement for the encores. Having predicted them, we were absolutely right. First, Musika, the Romanian song that she often sings, which is pleasant. Next was 'I Could Have Danced All Night' - I can only quote my friend who has written "where the LSO did a superb job of drowning her out". And, finally, I knew it was going to be Granada because I could see the score on the music stands of the back row of the first violins. I really could not believe what she did. she actually failed to come on stage until after it had started. Absolutely derivative, ripped off from that silly joke that Pláci plays with the audience whenever he sings Granada - except that the point is, with him, everyone is expecting and wanting him to sing what is effectively a signature song, whereas, no one especially wants Angela Gheorghiu to sing it.
So, overall, it was an enjoyable evening, made more so by the fine London Symphony Orchestra under Ion Marin. But, especially when one considers what Ms Gheorghiu is capable of, it is annoying to be treated to something less. I think it's reasonable to compare her against her own high standards, it's just a pity she didn't match them.
