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</ref> In October 2009, Alagna said in an interview in ''[[Le Figaro]]'' that he and Angela Gheorghiu had separated.<ref>Lutaud, Léna [http://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/2009/10/08/03006-20091008ARTFIG00663-roberto-alagna-et-angela-gheorghiu-se-separent-.php "Roberto Alagna et Angela Gheorghiu se séparent"], ''[[Le Figaro]]'', 8 October 2009. Accessed 8 October 2009</ref> Following the separation, Gheorghiu declined to appear opposite him in ''[[Carmen]]'' at the [[Metropolitan Opera]] in December 2009.<ref>Bernheimer, Martin [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/7aaf88fc-f953-11de-80dc-00144feab49a.html "Carmen"], ''[[Financial Times]]'', 4 January 2010. Accessed 7 January 2010</ref> Alagna and Gheorghiu announced that they were back together in March 2011.<ref>''Bucharest English Herald'' 14 Mar 2011 story – Angela Gheorghiu and her husband, tenor Roberto Alagna are back together</ref><ref>Alagna in an interview in the September 2011 Diapason</ref>. In January 2013, Gheorghiu announced that they had agreed to divorce <ref>http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2013/01/its-over-operas-glamour-pair-to-divorce.html</ref>.
</ref> In October 2009, Alagna said in an interview in ''[[Le Figaro]]'' that he and Angela Gheorghiu had separated.<ref>Lutaud, Léna [http://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/2009/10/08/03006-20091008ARTFIG00663-roberto-alagna-et-angela-gheorghiu-se-separent-.php "Roberto Alagna et Angela Gheorghiu se séparent"], ''[[Le Figaro]]'', 8 October 2009. Accessed 8 October 2009</ref> Following the separation, Gheorghiu declined to appear opposite him in ''[[Carmen]]'' at the [[Metropolitan Opera]] in December 2009.<ref>Bernheimer, Martin [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/7aaf88fc-f953-11de-80dc-00144feab49a.html "Carmen"], ''[[Financial Times]]'', 4 January 2010. Accessed 7 January 2010</ref> Alagna and Gheorghiu announced that they were back together in March 2011.<ref>''Bucharest English Herald'' 14 Mar 2011 story – Angela Gheorghiu and her husband, tenor Roberto Alagna are back together</ref><ref>Alagna in an interview in the September 2011 Diapason</ref>. However, in January 2013, Gheorghiu announced that they had agreed to divorce.<ref>Eden, Richard. (6 January 2013). [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9782692/Angela-Gheorghiu-and-Roberto-Alagna-bow-out.html "Opera’s Posh & Becks, Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna, bow out"]. ''[[Daily Telegraph]]''. Retrieved 7 January 2013.</ref>.


Alagna has worked together on several projects with his brothers Frédérico Alagna and the stage director and composer [[David Alagna]]. The three brothers recorded an album of light music, ''Serenades'', and worked together on the younger brother David's opera based on [[Victor Hugo|Hugo's]] ''Last Day of a Condemned Man''. Alagna has often sung Alfano's Cyrano opposite his sister-in-law [[Natalie Manfrino]] as Roxanne.
Alagna has worked together on several projects with his brothers Frédérico Alagna and the stage director and composer [[David Alagna]]. The three brothers recorded an album of light music, ''Serenades'', and worked together on the younger brother David's opera based on [[Victor Hugo|Hugo's]] ''Last Day of a Condemned Man''. Alagna has often sung Alfano's Cyrano opposite his sister-in-law [[Natalie Manfrino]] as Roxanne.

Revision as of 07:53, 7 January 2013

Roberto Alagna in 2004

Roberto Alagna (French pronunciation: [ʁɔ.bɛʁ.to a.la.ɲa]; Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto aˈlaɲɲa]) (born 7 June 1963) is a French tenor. He was born in Clichy-sous-Bois, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.

Early years

Alagna was born outside of the city of Paris in 1963 to a family of Sicilian immigrants. As a teenager, the young Alagna began busking and singing pop in Parisian cabarets,[1] mostly for tips.[2] Influenced primarily by the films of Mario Lanza, but also from recordings of many historic tenors, he then switched to opera, but remained largely self-taught.[3][4]

Career

After winning the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition, an initiative backed by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, that started in Modena in 1988, Alagna made his professional debut as Alfredo Germont in La Traviata with the Glyndebourne touring company.[5] This led to many engagements throughout the smaller cities in France and Italy, mainly again as Alfredo, a role he would eventually sing over 150 times. His reputation grew and he was soon invited to sing at major theaters such as La Scala in 1990, Covent Garden in 1992 and the Metropolitan Opera as Rodolfo in 1996. His performances of Roméo in Roméo et Juliette by Charles Gounod at Covent Garden in 1994 (opposite Leontina Vaduva) catapulted him to international stardom.[6]

Alagna opened the 2006/07 season at La Scala on 7 December 2006 in the new production of Aïda by Franco Zeffirelli. During the second performance on 10 December, Alagna, whose opening performance was considered ill-at-ease, was booed and whistled from the loggione (the least expensive seats at the very back of La Scala), and he walked off the stage. The tenor's reaction to his public criticism was denounced as immature and unprofessional by La Scala management and Zeffirelli, who said, "A professional should never behave in this way. Alagna is too sensitive, it is too easy to hurt his feelings. He does not know how to act like a true star."[7] The role of Radames was taken over successfully for the rest of the performance by his understudy Antonello Palombi, who entered on stage wearing jeans and a black shirt.[8]

In 2007 while at the Metropolitan Opera singing the role of Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly, Alagna replaced the indisposed tenor Rolando Villazon as Romeo in Roméo et Juliette opposite soprano Anna Netrebko for two performances in September and two performances in December. His wife had flown to New York to be with him for the September engagements, and as a result was fired from the Lyric Opera of Chicago for missing her rehearsal dates for La Bohème. Alagna was also engaged by the Metropolitan Opera at the last minute to cover for the indisposed Marco Berti in a 16 October 2007 performance of Aida. After the performance, the audience gave him a standing ovation.[9] The 15 December performance of Roméo et Juliette starring Alagna and Netrebko was broadcast by the Met into 447 theaters worldwide in high definition and seen by about 97,000 people.[10] Controversy, however, continued to shadow his career. In September 2011, a disagreement with the veteran conductor Alain Lombard in rehearsals for Gounod's Faust forced the Paris Opéra to choose between conductor and star tenor. They chose Alagna and Lombard had to leave.[11]

Repertoire

In recent years Alagna has been an advocate of restoring to prominence neglected French operas - Alfano's Cyrano de Bergerac, Massenet's Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame, Lalo's Fiesque, and new works - Vladimir Cosma's Marius et Fanny and his brother David Alagna's Le dernier jour d'un condamné. He has also recorded light music with an homage album to Luis Mariano, Sicilien, and Pasión.

Personal life

Alagna's first wife, Florence Lancien, died of a brain tumor in 1994; they had one daughter, Ornella, who was born in 1992. In 1996, he married Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu.[12] The couple have often sung together onstage, and have made many recordings together both of duets and arias and complete operas. Their joint album, Duets & Arias, peaked at #42 in the UK Albums Chart in May 1996.[13] The two singers also starred in a film version of Puccini's Tosca directed by French film director Benoît Jacquot.[14] In October 2009, Alagna said in an interview in Le Figaro that he and Angela Gheorghiu had separated.[15] Following the separation, Gheorghiu declined to appear opposite him in Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera in December 2009.[16] Alagna and Gheorghiu announced that they were back together in March 2011.[17][18]. However, in January 2013, Gheorghiu announced that they had agreed to divorce.[19].

Alagna has worked together on several projects with his brothers Frédérico Alagna and the stage director and composer David Alagna. The three brothers recorded an album of light music, Serenades, and worked together on the younger brother David's opera based on Hugo's Last Day of a Condemned Man. Alagna has often sung Alfano's Cyrano opposite his sister-in-law Natalie Manfrino as Roxanne. The government of France named Alagna a Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur in 2008.

Discography

Albums

Year Album Credits Charts Certification
BEL
(Wa) 		FR ES SWI MEX
1996 Chants sacrés — 19 — — —
2001 Puccini: Tosca Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna and Ruggero Raimondi — 89 — — —
2002 Donizetti: Lucie de Lammermoor Natalie Dessay, Roberto Alagna, Ludovic Tézier and Evelino Pidò — 150 — — —
2003 Bizet: Carmen Gheorghiu & Alagna — 59 — — —
2005 Chante Luis Mariano 14 4 — 89 —
2006 Tenor 86 40 — — —
Viva Opéra! 29 43 — — —
2007 Credo - Airs sacrés 56 18 — — —
2008 Sicilien 4 2 — 71 —
2009 Le jongleur de Notre-Dame — 198 — — 94
Sicilien - Live 72 56 — — —
2010 Hommage à Luis Mariano - C'est magnifique! 53 27 — — —
Les stars du classique — 191 — — —
2011 Pasión 5 4 34 100 —
2012 Pasión Live — 80 — — —

Singles


Musical roles

Role Piece Composer
Alfredo La Traviata Verdi
Manrico Le Trouvère Verdi
Don José Carmen Bizet
Rodolfo La Bohème Puccini
Roméo Roméo et Juliette Gounod
Edgardo Lucia di Lammermoor Donizetti
Edgar Lucie de Lammermoor (French adaptation) Donizetti
Fritz L'amico Fritz Mascagni
Hoffman Les Contes d'Hoffman Offenbach
Mario Cavaradossi Tosca Puccini
MacDuff Macbeth Verdi
Nemorino L'elisir d'amore Donizetti
Paolo Francesca da Rimini Zandonai
Roberto Roberto Devereux Donizetti
Cyrano Cyrano de Bergerac Alfano
Don Carlos Don Carlos Verdi
Don Carlo Don Carlos (Italian adaptation)]] Verdi
Werther Werther Massenet
Le Chevalier des Grieux Manon Massenet
Jean Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame Massenet
Faust Faust Gounod
Hoffmann Les Contes d'Hoffmann Offenbach
Ruggero La Rondine Puccini
Orfée Orfée et Eurydice Gluck
Pinkerton Madama Butterfly Puccini
Turiddu Cavalleria rusticana Mascagni
Canio Pagliacci Leoncavallo
Duc de Mantoue Rigoletto Verdi
Fiesque Fiesque Lalo
Marius Marius et Fanny Cosma
Radamès Aida Verdi
Rodrigue Le Cid Massenet

References

  1. ^ December 12, 2011 (12 December 2011). "How Roberto Alagna learned to sing in bars". Artsjournal.com. Retrieved 30 April 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ H.W. Wilson Company (1997). "Current Biography" (Document). H.W. Wilson Company. p. 8. {{cite document}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |editor-last=, |volume=, and |editor-first= (help); Unknown parameter |contribution= ignored (help)
  3. ^ "Matinee Idol". The Metropolitan Opera News. Retrieved 3 July 2008. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ Duffy, Martha (29 April 1996). "So Happy Together". Time. pp. 83–84. Retrieved 3 July 2008. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Cummings, David M. (2003). International Who's Who In Classical Music 2003. London, England: Europa Publications. p. 9. ISBN 1-85743-174-X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ Waleson, Heidi (18 November 1995). "Alagna Slated For Tenor Stardom". Billboard. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 3 July 2008. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ Owen, Richard (12 December 2006). "Tenor who stormed off La Scala stage vows he will return". The Times. UK. Retrieved 3 July 2008. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ "Booed tenor quits La Scala's Aida". BBC News Online. 11 December 2006. Retrieved 3 July 2008. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ Deseret Morning News, 21 October 2007, page E9, Associated Press/Verena Dobnik, "Once-booed tenor wows the Met"
  10. ^ "Metropolitan Opera's broadcast is a digital gift." Newport News Daily Press, 23 December 2007 [1]
  11. ^ September 16, 2011 (16 September 2011). "Tenor kicks conductor out of Paris – so what else is new? (update)". Artsjournal.com. Retrieved 30 April 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Fuller, Amanda E. "Alagna, Roberto, and Gheorghiu, Angela". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 3 July 2008. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  13. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 18. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  14. ^ Smith, Steve (11 May 2002). "Love Story". Billboard. p. 16.
  15. ^ Lutaud, Léna "Roberto Alagna et Angela Gheorghiu se séparent", Le Figaro, 8 October 2009. Accessed 8 October 2009
  16. ^ Bernheimer, Martin "Carmen", Financial Times, 4 January 2010. Accessed 7 January 2010
  17. ^ Bucharest English Herald 14 Mar 2011 story – Angela Gheorghiu and her husband, tenor Roberto Alagna are back together
  18. ^ Alagna in an interview in the September 2011 Diapason
  19. ^ Eden, Richard. (6 January 2013). "Opera’s Posh & Becks, Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna, bow out". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 January 2013.

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