WE ARE
Committed to Opera
On February 21, 2021 at 3pm EST, the MET Orchestra Musicians will present soprano Angela Gheorghiu in concert from Bucharest’s stunning Romanian Athenaeum. This opera star, since her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1993, is one of the most beloved sopranos on the planet and was slated to return to the Met in the 2020/21 season. Ms. Gheorghiu will also appear in a live chat session at the conclusion of the event. The MET Orchestra Musicians will collaborate from New York City through the wonder of technology.
Ms. Gheorghiu will sing one of opera’s most beloved arias, Dvořák’s Song to the Moon (Rusalka) in a special arrangement for soprano and bass quintet. Additionally, she will perform the stirring Our Father by Anton Pann – a tribute to the nine musicians from the MET Orchestra who have quietly retired during the pandemic.
Angela Gheorghiu states: “My fellow colleagues and I speak about how happy we are for being part of the “Metropolitan Opera family” – for me, since my Met debut in 1993, these are not just empty words, and I want to show my love, my respect and my real support for all of them through facts, through offering my voice for this cause, in a special appearance during their next virtual concert and joined by MET musicians.
A great opera performance does not mean only great singers, but also a great orchestra, a great chorus and many more great people working for the whole production, every day. Without our colleagues, musicians from the orchestra and chorus, we cannot be real Opera Stars, only by ourselves. Without all of these artists and company members, opera would not exist, it would be impossible… And this is why I invite everybody to help the Met family… my family… our family!”
PROGRAM:
String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 77 by Antonín Dvořák
Nancy Wu and Bruno Eicher, violins; Désirée Elsevier, viola; Kari Jane Docter, cello; Leigh Mesh, double bass
Our Father (Tatăl nostru) by Anton Pann, arr. Andrei Tudor
Angela Gheorghiu, soprano; Nancy Wu and Bruno Eicher, violins; Désirée Elsevier, viola; Kari Jane Docter, cello; Leigh Mesh, double bass; Greg Zuber, percussion
Song to the Moon from Rusalka, Op. 114 by Antonín Dvořák, arr. Désirée Elsevier
Angela Gheorghiu, soprano; Nancy Wu and Bruno Eicher, violins; Désirée Elsevier, viola; Kari Jane Docter, cello; Leigh Mesh, double bass
