Product Description

Soprano sensation Renee Fleming performs American arias by Bernard Herrmann, Douglas Moore, George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber, Andre Previn and Igor Stravinsky.
Genre: Classical Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 15-SEP-1998

Track Listing

1. Wuthering Heights, opera: I have dreamt
2. The Ballad of Baby Doe, opera in 2 acts: The Letter Song
3. The Medium, opera: Monica's Waltz
4. Porgy and Bess, opera: Summertime
5. Porgy and Bess, opera: My man's gone now
6. Glitter and Be Gay, for soprano & orchestra (from 'Candide')
7. Susannah, music drama in 2 acts: Ain't it a pretty night!
8. Susannah, music drama in 2 acts: The trees on the mountain
9. The Rake's Progress, opera in 3 acts: No word from Tom... I go, I go to him
10. Vanessa, opera, Op. 32: He has come, he has come!... Do not utter a word, Anatol
11. A Streetcar Named Desire, opera

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #118084 in Music
• Brand: FLEMING,RENEE
• Released on: 1998-09-15
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .26 pounds

Amazon.com
Like Dawn Upshaw's The World So Wide on Nonesuch, this program is such an inviting cross section of American opera of the last 50 years, you wonder why more of it hasn't been recorded. Composers include Carlisle Floyd, Douglas Moore, Samuel Barber, and Gian Carlo Menotti, whose childlike "Monica's Waltz" from the otherwise lurid opera The Medium is a highlight. Old favorites are here, such as Gershwin's "Summertime." And new favorites, too: Andre Previn's forthcoming "A Streetcar Named Desire" graciously offers Straussian lushness and bitonal wind-instrument details suggesting Blanche DuBois's mind departing from reality, all sounding remarkably true to Previn's pre-World War II upbringing in Berlin. This dramatically alert arioso isn't so melodically memorable but makes all necessary dramatic points eloquently. Though she performs vividly throughout, Fleming often lets her vocal tone overwhelm articulation of the words--a middling drawback. And comedy is not her thing: Bernstein's "Glitter and Be Gay" is way too hammy. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews

She IS magic!
Renee Fleming is simply astonishing. There is apparently little she can't sing. So much on this disc is so good it's hard to pick out highlights. Nevertheless...

The aria from Wuthering Heights that opens the disc is one I'd never heard before, and it is truly gorgeous music that suits Ms. Fleming's gorgeous voice perfectly.

I was astonished by her performance of "My Man's Gone Now." Generally, I think of Ms. Fleming as suited primarily to "lighter" voiced roles, but her performance of this aria showed beautiful darker colors. An earlier reviewer hit the nail right on the head: while I had always found the sound of Ms. Fleming's voice to be quite similar to Kiri Te Kanawa's (albeit deployed with FAR greater musicianship and intelligence), I found her sounding very much like Leontyne Price on this track.

I thoroughly enjoyed her performances of the arias from The Rake's Progress and Vanessa (oh how the latter opera calls for an up-to-date recording -- and it should feature Ms. Fleming in the title role).

The "title track" is a tasty little teaser that should make anyone want to hear -- or, better yet, see on DVD -- her performance as Blanche du Bois in Andre Previn's operatic Streetcar. Being a tremendous fan of the play and of the movie, I was dubious about this opera, but Ms. Fleming gave an even more moving portrayal of Blanche than did Vivien Leigh.

But what keeps causing me to hit the repeat button on my CD player are the arias from Susannah -- particularly "Ain't It a Pretty Night." The sheer sound of her voice in this aria is amazing. But her interpretation is astounding. She captures Susannah's sweetness and innocence, but also colors her voice in such a way that indicates that she senses the hoorible fate that is to befall her and make her truly a tragic heroine.

I must note that Ms. Fleming does miss the mark somewhat on Glitter and Be Gay, but it's a relatively minor misstep relative to the joys of the rest of the CD

Aguably my favorite collection by this singer
Renee Fleming's legacy is growing fast. Already we have at least a dozen fine recordings, including her superb Richard Strauss songs, a collection of more well-known opera arias, and her surprisingly moving work in "A Streetcar Named Desire."

This disc may be my favorite, however, mostly because it includes so many marvelous pieces that are not very well known. The opener, from Bernard Herrmann's "Wuthering Heights," is stunning. Why is this not recorded more often? (Granted, Ms. Fleming has now set the performance bar pretty high.) The two arias from Carlisle Floyd's "Susannah" are better known, but receive extra-special treatment here.

James Levine and the Met Orchestra are up to their usual high standard and could not be more sympathetic collaborators, and the sound overall is glorious.

There is not a misstep anywhere in this collection - an outstanding example of a great singer presenting a highly unusual program.

Truly the Beautiful Voice
As a young soprano, Renee Fleming is one of my favorite artists for both pleasure listening and study. This collection is an incredibly strong and interesting look at American Opera, which tends to be overlooked in classical study. Ms. Fleming does an extremely capable job with the lyrics, (never an easy job in English!) and also shows tremendous power as an actress. Personally I find her "Glitter and be Gay" one of the most enjoyable tracks, though it admittedly suffers from being miked and a little over-amplified (stage laughter does not record well in any situation). But Fleming conveys a great deal of energy, and the comic melodrama which makes Cunegonde tempting as a role. By far the best tracks are from Floyd's "Susannah", especially the folksy "Trees on the Mountain". It more than explains why Fleming is the definitive Susannah today. The weakest track is "The Letter Aria", Baby Doe as a role does not seem to "fit" the voice particularly well, and Fleming's attack is a bit off. Otherwise, however, all the tracks are remarkable technically and artistically. "I Go to Him" is an unexpected highlight, and "Monica's Waltz" is simply inspiring.