2009-11-18 15:49:17 - The Yellow Hall was all of the sudden too small for the many people who wanted to attend the first performance ever in Romania of Donizetti's masterpiece Gemma di Vergy. The number of seats was increased so that everyone could assist at the event: the performance with the two-act opera on a libretto inspired by one of the novels of Alexandre Dumas-Father: Charles VII chez ses grands vassaux.

Performed for the first time ever in Romania, at the Bucharest National Opera, under the guidance of celebrated soprano Mariana Nicolesco, Donizetti's Gemma di Vergy proved to be a triumph.

Gemma di Vergy contains sublime pages and, if it is rarely staged, this also occures because of the great virtuosity requested from the soprano and the tenor, as well as in other Donizetti operas, like Parisina d’Este, recently performed for the first time ever in Romania, at Bucharest National Opera, with an enormous success, by almost the same cast.

Soprano Aurelia Florian (Gemma) shines with unimaginable artistry through all voice registries, highs notes, pianissimi, and through her capacity of giving expressive values to each musical phrase. Just like tenor Bogdan

Mihai (Tamas), tenore di grazia among the world's best in this repertoire, in which he secured a great success on the international stage. Like the arias of the soprano and the tenor, their duet, one of the most beautiful pages in the entire opera, triggered standing ovations from the audience.

The intervention of the other performers, baritone Dorin Mara (Count), bass Horia Sandu (Guido) or mezzosoprano Sidonia Nica (Ida di Gréville), was also remarcable, the interpreters being permanently encouraged by the audience's enthusiastic applause. The same warm applause went out to master accompanist Ioana Maxim at the end of the performance.

Acclaimed by the public, Mariana Nicolesco, a legendary interpreter of Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti, called by the international media Regina del Belcanto, Queen of Belcanto, and who made possible this incredible achievement of the Bucharest National Opera, declared: “Our performance with Donizetti’s Gemma di Vergy is a very important moment in the history of Romanian opera theater. I can safely say that there are only a few opera houses in the world capable to provide such a high-level interpretation of this masterpiece of belcanto, the supreme art of singing. I am proud of my young friends”

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