Renée Fleming - Visions of Love ~ Mozart Arias / Mackerras

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Artist), Orchestra of St. Luke's (Artist), Sir Charles Mackerras (Artist), Renée Fleming (Artist), Krista Bennion Feeney (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 17, 1996)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B00000429M
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,077 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #3 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Fleming, Renée
  • #11 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Featured Performers, A-Z > C to G
  • #58 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Arias > General AAS

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Renee Fleming....what a beautiful voice!, November 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Renée Fleming - Visions of Love ~ Mozart Arias / Mackerras (Audio CD)

This is the first solo album of Renee Fleming. I do love her singing. Her beautiful voice is pleasant to hear and too beautiful. And her voice is suited well to these Mozart arias. I enjoyed hearing it.

As many reviewer says, aria from "Die Zauberflote" is bad, not singing but conducting. That's why I rated this 4, not 5. If I rated it about singing only, this is 5 stars. If only the conductor had conducted it more relaxed.

Happily, we can hear many recordings featuring her every month. But I don't want her to be the 2nd Cheryl Studer.

Anyway, I recommend it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ah, I feel it..., June 2, 2002

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Renée Fleming - Visions of Love ~ Mozart Arias / Mackerras (Audio CD)

In my opinion, there are certain arias that Renée Fleming sings better than anyone else (not all on this disc). Those would be "Ave Maria" from Otello (her "Signatures" album), "The trees on the mountains" from Susannah ("I want Magic!"), "Mìsíèku na nebi hlubokém (O silver moon)" from Rusalka, and (get this--) "Ach, ich fühl's" from Die Zauberflöte. I don't know why Pamina isn't one of her signature roles like Desdemona or the Marschallin. She has the perfect tone for this aria -- sad and sympathetic, with fullness to get the point across thoroughly. And thank you Mackerras for not taking us through that nautiously slow common tempo that make you want to fall asleep. I've listened to this aria over and over again and I can't get sick of it. It's the perfect aria for any heart-breaking situation and Renée fulfills Mozart's wishes. Another highlight from this CD is the one from Zaide, "Ruhe sanft." Quite beautiful and again, tempo really moved it along nicely. I just wished she could have recorded these years later when her high notes bloomed more. Perhaps she'll record them again. Beautiful, Renée.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Imprecise but a Much-Needed Dose of Humanity, December 6, 2000

By 

M. Bish (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Renée Fleming - Visions of Love ~ Mozart Arias / Mackerras (Audio CD)

This is a lovely collection of Mozart that consists of 12 pieces: 11 opera arias (one is an alternate version of the deservedly famous "Deh, vieni" from LE NOZZE DI FIGARO) and 1 concert aria. Sir Charles Mackerras conducts ably as always and the Orchestra of St. Luke's performs wonderfully under his direction. Ms. Renee Fleming is in her usual vocal form: resplendent and confident. However, not all of the pieces chosen suit her vocally. On tracks 3 and 10 she sounds very uncomfortable and there is a tightness that never leaves due to the unrelentingly high tessitura. In fact, in the aria "Lieve son al par del vento" she sounds wild and what are supposed to be stratospheric notes are little more than barely controlled squeaks/shrieks. Coloratura territory, I'm sure. However, she has a facility for trills and roulades that is generously glimpsed on this disc and otherwise she is fluent in Mozart's stlye. The singing is idiomatic and her diction admirable. Highly recommended.

Also, if you like this disc, may I suggest the following: Cecilia Bartoli's MOZART PORTRAITS and Kathleen Battle's SINGS MOZART #1 (under Previn) and #2 (under Levine).