The Gheorghiu effect

In an interview article that began by exploring connections between"(anti)diva," "mundane," and "Jennifer Larmore," Sarah Jones of the Scotsman reveals she really wanted to do an interview with her diva Angela Gheorghiu instead. Jones was so bored she had to make an emergency phone call to one Christine Brewer, to add considerable "mass" to her wilting article. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the early diva headline in Gotham is Angela opening the Met season while housewine diva Renée cowers into the second evening with a Manon recycled from her Paris CD/DVD. And no, we're not fooled by the "all-star" casting of the prima gala. We know the evening's all about Angela, like we know the evening's not about Isabel Bayrakdarian. Angela rises for Act 2 of Tosca, which should just about eliminate any residual urge to stay for Act 3 of Samson (yet another recycle job) with Bush friend Denyce Graves (who sings nothing but) and Placido Domingo (who'll sing anything, given time and make-up). It gets juicier. Later in the season, Angela makes peace with Franco Zeffirelli. We'll be there to cover that too.