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The voice of Renée Fleming is one of the most beautiful in opera. Her wide range of roles, from Handel's Alcina to her appearance in Previn's A Streetcar named Desire, display a breadth of interest in and curiosity about the byways of opera. This recital covers some of the greatest soprano arias from Bellini to Puccini. All have been recorded many times, and most listeners will have a favorite version as a touchstone performance. As lovely one may find much of the singing, it is possible to be troubled by this disc. Perhaps in an effort to avoid the criticism of blandness often applied to Kiri Te Kanawa, Fleming has gone too far in trying to inflect every word with deep meaning. The tempo and phrasing are played-with so much that at times you may be reminded of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, although Fleming never goes to her extremes. There are times when just allowing the music to makes its point is enough. The recitative preceding Nedda's "Bird song" in I Pagliacci is simply too weighty for the character. Unfortunately the recitative to the Adriana Lecouvreur aria is omitted -- and that would be the place for such an approach. "Casta diva" needs to have its cabaletta to fulfill the form of the piece. The French arias are the best items, and it is good to have a recording of the "Bolero" from Verdi's Les Vèpres siciliennes in the original French. Fleming's high E at the end is fine, but Mackerras should have utilized the traditional concert ending; the coda is too long for recital purposes. Nitpicking aside, there is fine singing on this disc -- but its approach is too intellectual for the content.
© TiVo
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Gianni Schicchi (Giacomo Puccini)
Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor, MainArtist - Giacomo Puccini, Composer - Giovacchino Forzano, Author - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Dante Alighieri, Author, Original Text Author - Jonathan Stokes, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Haas, Producer - Philip Siney, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
Madama Butterfly, SC 74, Act II (Giacomo Puccini)
Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor, MainArtist - Giacomo Puccini, Composer - Luigi Illica, Author - Giuseppe Giacosa, Author - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Stokes, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Haas, Producer - Philip Siney, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
La bohème, SC 67, Act II (Giacomo Puccini)
Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor, MainArtist - Giacomo Puccini, Composer - Luigi Illica, Author - Giuseppe Giacosa, Author - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Stokes, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Haas, Producer - Philip Siney, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
Turandot, SC 91, Act I (Giacomo Puccini)
Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor, MainArtist - Giacomo Puccini, Composer - Giuseppe Adami, Author - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Renato Simoni, Author - Jonathan Stokes, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Haas, Producer - Philip Siney, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Carlo Gozzi, Author, Original Text Author
℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
Pagliacci, Act I (Ruggero Leoncavallo)
Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor, MainArtist - Ruggero Leoncavallo, ComposerLyricist - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Stokes, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Haas, Producer - Philip Siney, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
Adriana Lecouvreur, Act I (Francesco Cilèa)
Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor, MainArtist - Francesco Cilea, Composer - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Arturo Colautti, Author - Jonathan Stokes, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Haas, Producer - Philip Siney, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
La Wally, Act I (Alfredo Catalani)
Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor, MainArtist - Alfredo Catalani, Composer - Luigi Illica, Author - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Stokes, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Haas, Producer - Philip Siney, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Wilhelmine von Hillern, Author, Original Text Author
℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
Manon, Act I (Jules Massenet)
Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor, MainArtist - Jules Massenet, Composer - Philippe Gille, Author - Henri Meilhac, Author - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Stokes, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Haas, Producer - Philip Siney, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
Manon, Act II (Jules Massenet)
Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor, MainArtist - Jules Massenet, Composer - Philippe Gille, Author - Henri Meilhac, Author - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Stokes, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Haas, Producer - Philip Siney, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
Carmen, WD 31, Act III (Georges Bizet)
Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor, MainArtist - Georges Bizet, Composer - Henri Meilhac, Author - Ludovic Halevy, Author - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Stokes, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Haas, Producer - Prosper Mérimée, Author, Original Text Author - Philip Siney, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
Roméo et Juliette, CG 9, Act I (Charles Gounod)
Charles Gounod, Composer - Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor, MainArtist - Michel Carre, Author - Jules Barbier, Author - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Stokes, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Haas, Producer - Philip Siney, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
Simon Boccanegra, Act I (Giuseppe Verdi)
Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor, MainArtist - Giuseppe Verdi, Composer - London Voices, Choir, MainArtist - Arrigo Boito, Author - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Francesco Maria Piave, Author - Jonathan Stokes, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Haas, Producer - Philip Siney, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
Norma, Act I (Vincenzo Bellini)
Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor, MainArtist - Vincenzo Bellini, Composer - Felice Romani, Author - London Voices, Choir, MainArtist - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Stokes, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Haas, Producer - Philip Siney, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
I vespri siciliani, Act V (Giuseppe Verdi)
Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor, MainArtist - Giuseppe Verdi, Composer - Eugene Scribe, Author - London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Charles Duveyrier, Author - Jonathan Stokes, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Haas, Producer - Philip Siney, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
Album review
The voice of Renée Fleming is one of the most beautiful in opera. Her wide range of roles, from Handel's Alcina to her appearance in Previn's A Streetcar named Desire, display a breadth of interest in and curiosity about the byways of opera. This recital covers some of the greatest soprano arias from Bellini to Puccini. All have been recorded many times, and most listeners will have a favorite version as a touchstone performance. As lovely one may find much of the singing, it is possible to be troubled by this disc. Perhaps in an effort to avoid the criticism of blandness often applied to Kiri Te Kanawa, Fleming has gone too far in trying to inflect every word with deep meaning. The tempo and phrasing are played-with so much that at times you may be reminded of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, although Fleming never goes to her extremes. There are times when just allowing the music to makes its point is enough. The recitative preceding Nedda's "Bird song" in I Pagliacci is simply too weighty for the character. Unfortunately the recitative to the Adriana Lecouvreur aria is omitted -- and that would be the place for such an approach. "Casta diva" needs to have its cabaletta to fulfill the form of the piece. The French arias are the best items, and it is good to have a recording of the "Bolero" from Verdi's Les Vèpres siciliennes in the original French. Fleming's high E at the end is fine, but Mackerras should have utilized the traditional concert ending; the coda is too long for recital purposes. Nitpicking aside, there is fine singing on this disc -- but its approach is too intellectual for the content.
© TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 01:04:47
- Main artists: Renée Fleming London Philharmonic Orchestra Charles Mackerras
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Decca Music Group Ltd.
- Genre: Classical
© 2000 Decca Music Group Limited ℗ 2000 Decca Music Group Limited
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