Gheorghiu Replaces Voigt as Tosca

Due to an attack of acute colitis, American soprano Deborah Voigt has withdrawn from the role of Tosca for all performances at the Royal Opera House next month. The role of Tosca will now be sung by Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu on 9, 14 and 16 July, while Nelly Miricioiu (another Romanian) will sing the role on 11 and 18 July.

Gheorghiu returns to sing the title role which she sang for the first time on stage when the production was new in June 2006. She made her debut with The Royal Opera as Zerlina (Don Giovanni) in 1992 and her many roles with the Company have included Mimì (La bohème), Liù (Turandot), Nina (Chérubin), Violetta (La traviata), Juliette (Roméo et Juliette), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Antonia (Les Contes d’ Hoffmann), Amelia (Simon Boccanegra), Marguerite (Faust) and Magda (La rondine).

Nelly Miricioiu has previously sung the role of Tosca at Covent Garden in 1996 and again in 2001 and 2004. She made her debut with The Royal Opera in 1982 as Nedda (Pagliacci) and her other roles for the Company include Musetta (La bohème), Antonia (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), Marguerite (Faust), Valentine (Les Huguenots), Margherita/Elena (Mefistofele), the title role in Norma and Elizabetta (Roberto Devereux) in concert.

The rest of the cast remains unchanged with Marcello Giordani as Cavaradossi, Bryn Terfel as Scarpia, Kostas Smoriginas as Angelotti, Jeremy White as Sacristan and Martyn Hill as Spoletta. Jacques Lacombe conducts all performances.

– Simon Thomas