Elena Dan

Elena (Burlacu) Dan (or Nina, 1967-1996) was a Romanian opera singer.

Biography

The younger sister, and only sibling, of Angela Gheorghiu, Elena Dan was born in 1967 in Adjud, Romania. She joined Angela at the music boarding school in Bucharest and also graduated from the Bucharest Music Academy. She made her international debut in Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore" at Opera National De Lyon in 1996. The opera was filmed and recorded and is still available on DVD and CD.

Angela and Elena were, as Angela puts it 'inseparable, like twins' [Matheopoulos, H., 'Diva: the New Generation' (Northeastern University Press, 1998), p.75] . In 1994, Angela Gheorgiu described Elena as follows: 'she is more beautiful than I and sings even better!' [Matheopoulos, H., 'Diva: the New Generation' (Northeastern University Press, 1998), p.88] . Angela dedicated her 'Mysterium' recording to her sister. [ [http://groups.msn.com/AngelaGheorghiuFans/elena.msnw Angela Gheorghiu Fans ] ]

Elena Dan died in 1996 in an accident. [Matheopoulos, H., 'Diva: the New Generation' (Northeastern University Press, 1998), p.88] Angela Gheorghiu commented, 'she was more than a sister to me... She was only a year younger. We were inseparable almost like twins, although she was blonde and green-eyed. She was another me. But, of course, it's worse for my mother. She is really very badly hit.' [Matheopoulos, H., 'Diva: the New Generation' (Northeastern University Press, 1998), p.88]

Recordings

*Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore (Alagna, Gheorghiu, Scaltriti, Alaimo, Dan / Pido, Lyon Opera (CD - complete recording) (Decca, 1997)
*Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore (Alagna, Gheorghiu, Scaltriti, Alaimo, Dan / Pido, Lyon Opera (DVD ) (Decca, 1997)
*Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore (Alagna, Gheorghiu, Scaltriti, Alaimo, Dan / Pido, Lyon Opera (DVD Special Edition with Highlights CD) (Decca, 2002)

References

External links

* [http://angela-gheorghiu.tripod.com/id1.html Angela Gheorghiu fansite with information about Elena Dan]