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Angela Gheorghiu first captured international attention in 1994 and rose rapidly to first-class star status. This 2001 recital, from the same opera house where her La traviata set the audience and critics on fire, shows the qualities that have made her one of the most acclaimed opera singers working today. Gheorghiu's best-known roles are in the romantic and verismo operas of the 19th and early 20th centuries, sampled here in beautifully interpreted arias of Massenet, Charpentier, Puccini, and Cilea. In this music, her identification with the role is total, her voice tonally opulent, emotionally expressive, and exquisitely controlled. When her selections venture outside that rather restricted category, the results are equally impressive. A charming novelty is the folk-flavored aria by Romanian composer Tiberiu Brediceanu. Gheorghiu's 18th-century arias give Handel and Mozart a refreshing energy, and she is captivating in "I could have danced all night." The disc is in widescreen anamorphic format with DTS, Dolby Digital 5.0, and PCM stereo sound, and EMI's booklet is a model of what all DVD releases should offer but seldom do. --Joe McLellan
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