Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu announce divorce.
by Paul J. Pelkonen
Tenor Roberto Alagna and soprano Angela Gheorghiu, whose 1996 marriage catapulted both singers to operatic stardom, have announced their "imminent" divorce after 16 years of marriage.
The report comes from an interview the soprano gave with the news agency Mediafax.
"We have decided to divorce by mutual agreement and in perfect friendship," Ms. Gheorghiu said. (Her remarks are translated here from the French.)
The Alagna-Gheorghiu story begins at Covent Garden, when the singers met in a performance of Puccini's La bohème. They played Rodolfo and Mìmi. She was a divorcée and he was a widower with one daughter.
In April of 1996, they were performing the same roles at the Metropolitan Opera, marking Mr. Alagna's house debut. Ms. Gheorghiu had bowed in La bohème in 1993.
On April 27th, the singers arrived at a gala concert celebrating James Levine's 25 years at the Metropolitan Opera. They had been married that day. They celebrated by singing "Suzel, buon di" by Pietro Mascagni, (also known as the "Cherry Duet" from L'Amico Fritz) and brought down the house. The marriage was blessed by then-Mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani.
by Paul J. Pelkonen
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| Better days: Robert Alagna (l.) and Angela Gheorghiu as Ruggero and Magda in Puccini's La Rondine. Image © 2009 The Metropolitan Opera. |
The report comes from an interview the soprano gave with the news agency Mediafax.
"We have decided to divorce by mutual agreement and in perfect friendship," Ms. Gheorghiu said. (Her remarks are translated here from the French.)
The Alagna-Gheorghiu story begins at Covent Garden, when the singers met in a performance of Puccini's La bohème. They played Rodolfo and Mìmi. She was a divorcée and he was a widower with one daughter.
In April of 1996, they were performing the same roles at the Metropolitan Opera, marking Mr. Alagna's house debut. Ms. Gheorghiu had bowed in La bohème in 1993.
On April 27th, the singers arrived at a gala concert celebrating James Levine's 25 years at the Metropolitan Opera. They had been married that day. They celebrated by singing "Suzel, buon di" by Pietro Mascagni, (also known as the "Cherry Duet" from L'Amico Fritz) and brought down the house. The marriage was blessed by then-Mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani.
