Angela Gheorghiu - Eternamente: The Verismo Album (2017) CD-Rip

This studio album from soprano Angela Gheorghiu sometimes has almost the flavor of experiment as she tries to find new roles in the verismo repertory to replace the Puccini heroines with which she made her reputation. The results are a mixed bag, but for those specifically interested in verismo the album is probably a must-have: It's rare to hear a singer of Gheorghiu's caliber in novel works: a piece like Stefano Donaudy's O del mio amato ben, one of the 36 Arie di Stile Antico, both showcases the alluring cream of Gheorghiu's voice and enlarges the concert repertory. In general, the lighter the piece, the better it works here. "Vissi d'arte," from Puccini's Tosca, is right in Gheorghiu's wheelhouse, and in the colorful "Ed ora conoscetela," from the Leoncavallo La bohème, she sounds terrific. The title track by Angelo Mascheroni is another standout. The project of moving the singer into heftier repertory seems only imperfectly realized, however; in a piece like "Suicidio," from Ponchielli's La Gioconda, Gheorghiu seems underpowered. The Prague Philharmonic under Emmanuel Villaume seems to try to stay out of Gheorghiu's way, which is not always to the good. For several groups, including Gheorghiu fans, this will be a most welcome release.