Customer Reviews

Renée Fleming: Bel Canto

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

This is Bel Canto at its finest! Beautiful, haunting and moving! I love Renee, she's gorgeous, very talented and the best soprano I ever heard!

i just wanted to point out that i too, a lot of times, think that renee fleming can be affected and insincere with her vocalism. but in this repertoire, i believe that is more appropriate. this is a playful type of singing that allows for more creative licensure and self-expression.
and as far as rubato goes and slowing of pace during the cabalettas, most larger voice sopranos have to slow this type of music because, more often than not, bigger voices just don't move as quickly. i personally don't think her high notes are screeching either. they are full voiced, strong, and sustained.
and i think her trills are glorious: the best since sutherland.

I've been an opera-goer for 40 years. I heard Sutherland, Sills and even Tebaldi. I never thought that the Golden Age would one day return but it did! Renee Fleming has a big, luscious lyric voice. The suggestion that she should do Turandot is stupid, if she does this opera and she will do Liu. But she isn't made for the war-horses. Who needs the 1556868563 recording of La Traviata or Turandot? She recorded neglected masterpieces like Donizetti's Rosmonda, Massenet's Thais, then there is her glorious Rusalka... And her Strauss&Mozart interpretations will send you to heaven! Hers is the most beautiful voice today. I can only laugh at those green youngsters who call this sweet lady (I had the honour to meet her) mannered or even evil. She is the new Queen of opera!

The Queen of bel canto remain undisputely Dame Joan Sutherland. But the young Fleming may be her successor.

I purchased this CD early when it was released in France in June, and it has become my absolute favorite Renee Fleming CD, as well as my favorite CD of any soprano...period. This recording captures the essence of what has made Fleming the singer of the ages that she is...stunning breath control, a super-smooth, creamy tone, an amazing vocal range, and the unmatched ability to mold and shape phrases effortlessly. Some complain about her vocal "mannerisms," but I call it intelligent personality. In any case, such "mannerisms" have never been more tastefully done as in this recording, and I believe that all will agree what a historic accomplishment it is. With this CD, Renee Fleming has truly brought herself to the next level of opera singing, if that's even possible, to truly be among the greats...Tebaldi, Callas, Caballe. After so long of darkness, she has revived the light that is "Bel Canto." In general, Renee Fleming is probably one of the most technically sound singers of all time. No one currently can match her ability to control the voice as assuredly as she does, however she wants to do so. I respect the risk that she takes in inputting various "interpretations" into the music: this shows guts and brilliance, whether one agrees with her interpretation or not. Regardless, she remains a singer of phenomenal gifts, and we must come to appreciate the blessings of her existence during our lifetimes, as a singer of her caliber only comes around once in a lifetime. Here is a brief review of each scene:

La Sonnambula: Fleming's singing here is nearly flawless, ranks among the best Sonnambulas that I've ever heard live or on CD. Her intonation is perfect, her diction amazing, her ability to color her tone with both sadness, joy, and life: simply breathtaking. Listen to her refrain of "Ah! non credea, Ah! non credea"...the belllike clarity and passion at which she emits "Ah!" is one for the gods. Every note fits into place, and is colored appropriately. Simply stunning! I also particularly like her return to Bellini's original version of "Ah! non giunge" versus the souped-up version that we hear too often. She is true to the composer in only adding ornamentation the second time around. In one word: brilliant.

Maria Padilla: A rare opera to be heard, and Fleming delivers an exquisite rendition. In the tricky cabaletta section, Fleming handles it with exceptional abandon. High C's placed and colored perfectly, pyrotechnic trills, and almost flawless two octave runs in succession...is this humanly possible?

Semiramide: Fleming, once again true to her form. Simply must be heard to be believed. I run out of adjectives to describe how wonderful her singing is! She does add some "jazzy" ornamentations that may beget some criticism, but overall, a very technically brilliant rendition.

Pirata: Now THIS is the Pirata that we've been hoping to hear. After her questionable concert in Paris, in which some say she overdid herself with swooping tones and over-the-top emotion, here she delivers a thoughtful and balanced rendition...with serenity where serenity is necessary, and incessantly energetic passion in the final minutes. Makes one look forward to her production with the Met later this year.

Armida: The opera that made her famous, and she shows us why in this recording. So demanding is this opera, but so wonderfully does Fleming deliver that one can truly reject the notion that this role is unsingable...not to Callas and now Fleming, that is!

Lucrezia Borgia: She nails every note, hitting a high-G, a few high-Cs, and an explosive high-e flat held for five seconds at the end. What a way to finish off more than a hour of sheer divinity.

As you can tell, this CD is a must have for everyone: Renee Fleming lovers, opera lovers, music lovers, and lovers of things amazing and beautiful in this world. 5-stars is simply not a high enough rating.

Yeah, Fleming is evil inacarnate... Sure! Renee Fleming's chest register forced? Hah, who are you listening to? Beverly Sills? Oh no, Sills had no low notes... So who is it? Hollow mushy Sutherland? And Sutherland and Sills recorded so much "second class" Music... Sutherland's "I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls" is laughable for example. Fleming has nothing to prove, even Caruso sang with "popular" artists, as did di Stefano. And Tebaldi! And Sills! And Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras, Sumi Jo etc. etc. Renee Fleming evil...now we see were your hatred, your insipid hatred comes from. Go, worship your second class chirpers and forget it. Unseemly picture of Renee? It's beautiful! Far more beautiful than haggard Sills and Sutherland or whoever! I pity you, for you'll never enjoy opera truly. You live of hatred, you sad creature!

I wonder why this person keeps posting the same malicious reviews over and over. I didn't listen to his garbage and bought this CD. I was floored. This woman is singing her heart out, absolutely beautiful. America has a leading primadonna, hail Renee Fleming!

I had the honour to hear three of the greatest Lucrezias ever: Caballe, Gencer and Fleming. All three had their merits and I must say that Fleming was the definite package. A beautiful voice, a dramatic actress, a singer willing to challenge every risk and a great technique. Add to that her lovely looks and sweetness in person. Of the three she was the combination of a lovely voice & drama and good looks & acting. I wouldn't want to erase Caballe&Kraus out of my memory. But they are the past, as was Leyla Gencer and her glorious Gennaro, José Carreras. Fleming sang this role to perfection. And regarding tacky ornamentation: I heard Sills doing Lucia with Carreras (A recording exists) and what she did there blows Renee's "tacky" ornaments out of the water. She disfigured every line Donizetti wrote with senseless, mannered ornaments. A shame because I love her studio-Lucia.

While Sutherland may have had the better technique Fleming easily outshines that bore with her diction, her more beautiful voice, her acting, her looks on stage, the colours of her voice etc. I find Sutherland to be completely boring and dull. I'd rather hear Fleming TODAY, mannerisms and all. Sutherland was the past, Renee is the future!

Judging from other reviews, Renee Fleming's release BEL CANTO is causing quite uproar. People either love it, or hate it. Those who dislike it most seem to be offended that Ms. Fleming is put in the same category as Sutherland, Sills, or Callas. This is probably a bit unfair. First of all, most opera buffs tend to follow a grandparent rule, namely we reject the parents and love the grandparents. So it is quite natural for many people to hold current singers in distain while praising the virtues of previous generations. Keep in mind that Callas, Sutherland, and Sills were not always highly regarded in their day as they are today. It would not be all that surprising if in a few years, people at this same site will want to return to the great yesterdays when we had stars such as Renee Fleming.

If we compare this disc to those from past divas, listeners may believe that something is missing. Many of the ornamentations that stars of yesteryear put on pieces are missing from Fleming's disc. Her interpretation is technically correct, but the lack of "Prima Donna" ornamentation does make the recording somewhat flat. Musically, Fleming strives for authenticity and this is something she achieves rather well. Many of the pieces are not familiar to the general opera lover, so it piques a listener's interest. The Orchestra of St. Luke's has a lush sound and is well conducted by Patrick Summers.

This is not my favorite Renee Fleming recording, but it does demonstrate her musical ability and I am glad to have it in my collection. I might not recommend it to a person who enjoys "opera's greatest hits collections" (though these are fun to listen to while driving), but opera lovers should enjoy this compilation.