Magic Moments of Music: Angela Gheorghiu sings La Traviata at Royal Opera House

It’s 1994. One evening, the BBC replaces their usual prime-time program with a live broadcast of an opera: Verdi’s La Traviata, an unprecedented choice. Conductor Sir Georg Solti was behind this unusual request. The reason? He wanted to introduce the world to the young soprano playing the lead role: Angela Gheorghiu. Adapted from Alexandre Dumas fils’s novel La Dame aux camélias, La Traviata is one of Verdi’s most beloved masterpieces. The opera tells the poignant story of Violetta Valéry, a doomed courtesan who sacrifices her happiness for Alfredo, the man she loves. When Solti auditioned Gheorghiu for the role of this tragic character, it was a revelation. She was “young, elegant, with a voice filled with passion”: all the qualities that Verdi himself would have wanted.

In this episode of the Magic Moments of Music series, opera singers Frank Lopardo, Elsa Dreisig, and conductor Marie Jacquot, among others, revisit this unforgettable performance that left a lasting impression on audiences and propelled Angela Gheorgiu to international stardom.