Customer Reviews

Renée Fleming - Strauss Heroines / Bonney, Graham, Eschenbach

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

OK, I have to admit that for me Fleming is the beautiful lyric soprano in the world today - not since the young Te Kanawa have I heard a more purely beautiful sound and she is much more attentive to the words than the New Zealand singer ever was. Strauss suits her supremely well. The disc is dominated by her Marschallin - a role which fits her like a glove. Vocally there are no problems for her - it's surprisingly straightforward from the technical viewpoint but great Marschallins have to discover the character in a sense beneath the notes. Recorded quite closely Fleming is beautifully understated. For all the huge orchestral forces she creates a real feeling of intimacy. The playing is full of beautiful detail but ultimately a little too langorous for my taste - some of the tempi are very slow indeed. Bonney and Graham are fully in the picture but this is Fleming's disc, proving once again that this lovely singer is entering her prime. I hope there are many glorious years ahead.

Strauss has long been a passion and, as such, I was bitterly disappointed at Ms Fleming's rendition of the glorious Four Last Songs, one of my personal favourites. I found the singing too tame and calculated - Renee Fleming does Schwarzkopf. It was thus with a certain amount of trepidation that I approached this disc, only to have my proverbial socks knocked off. At the start of the Marchallin's famous monologue one is immediately struck by the broad tempo and the deceptive clarity Eschenbach musters from the incredible forces of the WPO. Fleming starts the scene rather routinely, but as it develops one is transported by the intensity, culminating in a glorious re-entry from Susan Graham's radiant Octavian. The achingly sad postlogue to the first act cannot but raise a lump in the throat of any true Strauss lover and, I wager, in most lovers of any kind of opera. This prepares the ground for the final scene from Act 3, which is truly unlike anything I have heard at all. The tempo is almost suicidally slow, but Eschenbach obviously knows what he can get out of his singers, because, with the added magic of Barbara Bonney's superlative Sophie, the scene bristles with intensity. The unsingably long vocal lines seem to flow from the performers like streams of the finest French Champagne. Even the infamous repeated top C's reveal no strain at all. The recital might have stopped here, with the haunting intensity of the two lovers' final duet and Fleming's masterfully resigned 'Ja, ja' haunting the listener for months to come. But no, they go onto equally great heights (I am afraid to say 'greater', as that seems impossible) with the Arabella duet. Having heard Ms Bonney live in Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam I could picture her in this scene, supporting the glorious Arabella of Fleming with those once again impossible floating top notes. It is a marvel in recording history. The Capriccio finale is perhaps the perfect closing to this disc. Fleming has a chance to 'run the gamut A to Zee' in one of Strauss's most diversely challenging scenes and she does it in great style. It is wonderful to hear a great Strauss singer still in her prime - may we have all these operas complete, hopefully with as excellent a supporting cast. The three ladies recently had a triumph in Paris with Rosenkavalier and I can only turn deep shades of green that I was not there to experience it.

I have long enjoyed Renee Fleming's performances, and this CD is no exception. Some may carp that she is too young for the Marschallin, but she makes a strong point that the Marschallin was 35. Although one would think age would help in the interpretation of the Marschallin's deep and profound thoughts, Fleming connects with the underlying emotions of the piece and makes a musical statement that is truly remarkable. Her singing on the Arabella and Capriccio selections are no less well-sung and thought out, and she is partnered by two other lovely singers, Susan Graham and Barbara Bonney. I have all of Fleming's other CDs and have one question: Is there anything this woman can't sing, and sing well?! From Tchaikovsky to Mozart, from dramatic to coloratura, from a rich chest register to an effortless high E flat (and beyond on her Mozart CD) -- the woman has the most perfect technique. Listen to everything you can from this amazing artist.

On February 10 I heard Renee Fleming sing the Marschallin at the Metropolitan Opera. This recording fully captures the beatuy of her voice and her nuanced interpretation of that music. The Met perfomance also featured Susan Graham as Octavian, and her appearance on the CD is most welcome. Her contribution cannot be overstated. She has a strong, beautiful voice which brought the house down at the Met. This recording will show you why. There are really two Strauss heroines on this recording; Renee Fleming and Susan Graham. If you care anything about this music, don't miss it.

Renee Flemings' latest highly anticipated recording, Strauss Heriones is indeed a fascinating and unique listening experience. Fleming proves herself worthly of being noted as THE Strauss soprano of today. The lyrical creaminess of her exceptional soprano, along with her marvleous acting ability and great sensitivity to Strass' women protagonists and their psychological underpinings, makes her ideal in this repertoire. She is without a doubt the best exponent of this repertoire since Kiri ti Kanawa, (whom I had the opportunity to see in the PBS telecast of Der Rosenkavelier). However, Fleming's sharp interpretative skills far surpass Te Kanawa's, (who was more the singer than the actress).

In this CD, Fleming is also fortunate to have two experienced Strauss singers, mezzo-soprano, Susan Graham and soprano, Barbara Bonney teamed with her. Each with equally good presence and complete understanding of their characters. Graham sings an alluring and passionate Octavian with a gloriously rich mezzo, and Bonney sings a particularly sweet Sophie and an endearing Zdenka. Hearing these outstanding three performing so well together, one's appetite is wetted to hear them perform these Strauss masterpieces in their entireties--particularly Der Rosenkavelier.

Highlights for me on this magnigicent disc were the final trio of Der Rosenkavelier,(the gem of the entire recording)and the closing scene of Capriccio. The hauntingly beautiful final trio is representative of three outstanding passionate artists who love their music and who are giving it all through the heart. This concept is also significant in the Cappricco performance. In the booklet of the CD, Fleming remarked that this was her favorite piece on the CD; and you can tell this very plainly by hearing her completely passionate performance as the Countess--a role she has not yet sung on stage, and a role in which she will most certainly triumph in in the near future. This is a truly remarkable recording.

When I got this CD a couple of weeks ago, I was feeling alittle glum. The week before that I had just completed my Wagnercollection, and I didn't know what else to do. I kept wanting to get into more German opera--which, after a flirt with the French ("Faust", etc.) I just kept coming back to--but I didn't have a clue where to start. My previous experience with Richard Strauss was a highlight CD from the Schwarzkopf/Karajan recording of "Der Rosenkavalier", which really failed to impress me. Yet the thought that so many had named Strauss the successor to Wagner kept bothering me, as did "Der Rosenkavalier", which seemed to pop up on TV a little too frequently as of late; so, when I saw this very attractively packaged, hot-off-the-presses CD with a convincing programme, I just had to pay get it. Boy, I'm glad I did. The music, which sounded so stuffy and stifled in the Karajan recording, just radiates with warmth and charm here. I don't know if it's just that the sound is so much better or what, but after 5 minutes I was convinced. I don't know who is calling this stuff boring, but I hope the Muses hunt you down and give you what you deserve. And I don't know what your plans are, Mizz Fleming, but you and your girls had better get with it and record both "Arabella" and "Cappricio", which I understand from my research need fresh and authoritative recordings from a new generation of singers. Dear Reader, these ladies are just the ones to do it, and the conductor can come along as well. What I'm saying is this: this recording opened up a whole new world for me, and I will be forever grateful. I thought that Herr Strauss was for me a lost cause, but now I own a complete "Rosenkavalier" (the Haitink/Te Kanawa/Van Otter/ Hendricks extravaganza on EMI) and I have the Solti "Die Frau Ohne Schatten" coming for Christmas. This is great stuff, beautifully sung, beautifully played and permanently in my car where I can reach it whenever I need it. GET IT! END

This recording is absolut fantastic!!. Renee Fleming has made one of her best recordings, with a very sensible and tender (and whit a very beautiful voice also) encarnation of the Strauss heroines (Marschalin, Arabella and Capriccio's countess) with special apareances of Susan Graham, and Barbara Bonney (waht a pair! as Octavian and Sophie) and the legendary Walter Berry in a short part.
The orcherstra is great and Ensenbach conducts like a really expert in this repertory. This is a record that you must have if you are a Strauss lover, or if you want begin to love Strauss music.

For a Strauss and soprano lover this disc is enchanting. Warm,mellow,intense,floating, I love it. Fleming is a consummate artist and the choices of Graham and Bonney I find most fortunate as supplements.The orchestra soars in splendor. I liked the inclusion of the conversation in Arabella before the aria

"Strauss Heriones" has the best known post-Elektra Strauss nonmythical heroine arias and duets, done by the three most talented American sopranos on the scene today. It can stand alone. It also makes a great addition to anyone's favorite Strauss opera collection of Der Rosenkavalier, Arabella and Capriccio. The emphasis is squarely on the vocal. What glorious vocal it is! This is my desert island CD.

I have been listening to this CD practically nonstop since I saw Renee Fleming and Susan Graham perform "Der Rosenkavalier" at the Met last winter, and this recording continues to stagger me. The richness of Fleming's voice is perfectly tempered by the simplicity of her technique--she doesn't need to do anything fancy to get the emotion across, but her performances on every track are nothing less than heartbreaking. I can't recommend this recording more heartily.