[LJ2ME] October Fest 5 of 12: Angela Gheorghiu
If she didn't have top billing, Angela Gheorghiu might have had her thunder stolen by tenor Marius Manea, whose bright, clear voice harked back to a young Bjorling in its elegance. Time after time, he surprised and pleased the audience with his sterling form, but if one were to nitpick, there was that slight quasi-phlegmetic quality bordering on a gargle in the higher held passages. But he deserves his bouquets for holding his own against the star soprano. She was a vision in her three costume changes. First in black, heavily bejewelled and fur-trimmed, then in a turquoise with silver brocade Oriental-inspired gown borrowing elements from the Japanese kimono, the Chinese qipao and the Vietnamese aodai all at once, and finally in a scarlet dress with a sheer bodice cut down to there that left nothing to the imagination. The diva was one in every sense of the word, looking and sounding the part. Her voice effortlessly projected to the depths of the house, the top notes slicing through the orchestration albeit one tamed by the conductor. Her chest register was a little suspect though, when required these passages came across garbled and indistinct in pronunciation and heavy and belaboured in delivery. Still, the starving audience lapped up her performance like beggars to the feast. Called out time and again, encores were granted, teasing with an O mio babbino caro that wrapped up with an ethereal whisper. The pair then set the house on fire with a sultry Granada before bringing the roof down with the Traviata Libiamo. The best thing this evening? No microphones!