On Thursday, January 25^th, 2024, "Covent Garden" will hold a representation of Giacomo Puccini's opera, "La bohème", on the stage of the Royal Opera House in London. There are four Romanian soloists performing on said stage - the sopranos, Angela Gheorghiu and Simona Mihai, the tenor, Ștefan Pop, and the bass-baritone, Zoltan Nagy. The same musicians will also perform on January 24^th, February 1^st and 11^th. On this occasion, the artist from Cluj offered more details in a statement brought to us by Ioana Țintea.

"Coming back on this lyrical stage is, in fact, a confirmation and, at the same time, a reconfirmation, a reward, if you will, for the quality of the artistic act and the success granted by last season. For an artist, there is no greater reward than being invited once more to come and perform in such a well-known theatre.

The presence of my Romanian colleagues is a normal thing. There was no theatre that I haven't met Romanian colleagues in. As of now, there are five Romanian speakers here, including myself - Angela Gheorghiu, Simona Mihai, Ștefan Pop and our fellow colleague from Moldavia, Andrey Zhilikhovsky.

This series of La Bohème has a special significance for me since, this time, the role of Mimi will be performed by our grand soprano, Angela Gheorghiu, whose performance has been an established landmark for 33 years. I have been on the same stage with Ștefan Pop on many occasions, we are already friends and there is such chemistry and artistic friendship that has been developing between us. Simona Mihai left a long time ago from our country, she is an extraordinary colleague, a familiar presence at the Royal Opera House. Andrey is an internationally renowned baritone, an ideal Marcello. The family is whole again, and the joy and emotion of performing again are even greater.

Starting off with the classic enactment -otherwise, splendid - of Franco Zeffirelli, followed by those of Maurizio Scaparro, Robert Carson, Peter Konwitschny, or the modern one, directed by Damiano Michieletto, we've arrived at the one attributed to Richard Jones, which comes off as a rather less exuberant enactment in terms of aesthetics, and more of a stylized realism. The famous end-of-the-century Parisian mansard is presented more like a bridge, where there is less space to enact the mischief taking place in the first part of Act IV especially. Even a slight moment of not paying attention might often cost you a nasty bump caused by the low-hanging beams and the tight space. Movement is also extremely precise within the space which makes up the Momus café from Act II, the greenest space in all of our performance. In conclusion… discipline and maximum focus!

Rehearsals are pleasant and extremely funny thanks to the Romanian humour, thanks to that chemistry that exists between us.

The maestro, Evelino Pidò, a student of the great Claudio Abbado, is a conductor known for his strictness, rigour and precision in everything he does. Even though we've known each other for 17 years, this is the first time we are collaborating. I had the great joy and revelation of discovering some splendid elements connected to the way I perform. Collaborating with Evelino Pidò is, if anything, a win for me. Even though I performed "La bohème" a hundred times up until now, I have definitely broadened my horizons due to the maestro's ways of approaching things.

"Schaunard"offered me great satisfaction since I proved that you can stand out on an international level with this role that I believe,to this day, Puccini saw himself in. He is the flamboyant musician who shares his earnings with his comrades. At the same time, he is the most sensitive one of all. Vocally speaking, I was lucky enough to possess the exact type of voice that is needed for playing this role, the baritone-bass.

The first "Schaunard" was in Cluj, and the last one will be at "Covent Garden". I am pleased with this journey. In the future, I will approach a whole other repertoire at the Royal Opera House as well.

I am sending kind regards to all Romanian listeners and I thank you!"

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