Product Details

• Actors: Rene Fleming
• Format: AC-3, Classical, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, NTSC
• Language: Unknown (DTS 5.1), Unknown (PCM Stereo), Italian (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, English, Italian
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Decca
• DVD Release Date: April 11, 2006
• Run Time: 70 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000E97HTE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,616 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Renée Fleming, a.k.a. "The Beautiful Voice," is in fine form here, the voice gleaming with radiance in a November 2005 concert in Mainz Cathedral. With an orchestra under the baton of early music guru Trevor Pinnock, she opens with an abundantly embellished "Rejoice greatly," from Handel's Messiah and ends with Adolphe Adam's Christmas staple, "O Holy night" in a soupy arrangement by Chris Hazell. The musical highlights are the "Laudamus te" from Mozart's Mass in C minor and "L'Adieu des bergers" from Berlioz's L'Enfance du Christ, the former exciting for its coloratura, the latter a touch fussy, while in other selections, tonal beauty is bought with mushy diction. Chorus and orchestra get several selections for themselves, but the spotlight's on Fleming, very much the décolleté gowned diva. Mainz Cathedral is a handsome structure whose graceful columns and vaulted ceiling make for interesting visuals that complement the music. Added bonus songs include Bernstein's "A Simple Song" from his Mass, and a pair of traditional items including "Silent Night," these shot in front of a crèche and a Christmas tree with singer and accompanists wrapped in winter clothes. Extras include still photos and a film about the cathedral. Fleming's fans will snap this up. --Dan Davis

Product Description

SACRED SONGS - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas kitsch meets a glorious voice, December 23, 2006

By 

Emma de Soleil "I moved to the UK for another... (On a holiday In Ibiza, then back to the UK for studies) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Renee Fleming: Sacred Songs (DVD)

And the result is a DVD filled with luxurious singing and devotion. Moreso than on her album named Sacred Songs as well Renee Fleming sings with elegance and poise, giving even the most rehashed evergreen a life of its own. What I love most about this DVD is its simplicity. An old school diva in a beautiful, classy dress rather than a girl strutting around trying to be sexy. Her voice has a velvety warmth I miss in nearly ever other full lyric soprano we have these days. Genuine emotion is pulsing through her singing, she's an artist willing to take risks, never just a voice but always an artist. This DVD is excellent for the holidays ahead and I'll be playing it more than once for I'd rather hear Renee Fleming perform these pieces than yet another pop singer.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fleming - DVD Sacred Songs - Mainz Cathedral, July 26, 2006

By 

David Gray "Day" (Abertawe, Wales) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Renee Fleming: Sacred Songs (DVD)

Song selection - admirable
Vocal performance - Superlative, as you can nearly always expect from Renee Fleming.
Support performance - Very Good.
Setting - Excellent.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sounds as beautiful as Renee looks!, January 7, 2007

By 

Mr John Haueisen (WORTHINGTON, OHIO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Renee Fleming: Sacred Songs (DVD)

I first saw this performance on PBS, while looking for Christmas concerts.
Strange as this might sound, I had never heard Renee Fleming. I had seen several photos of her and assumed (wrongly!) that she was just another opera singer they were promoting to sell her recordings in other markets.

It was an eye-opener. Renee Fleming sings with precision and ease, and every song demonstrates that she has worked hard to acquire the education and training to make her singing seem effortless. On top of this, she sings with warmth and feeling, seeming to be enjoying the concert as much as those assembled in Mainz Cathedral, and we who watch it on dvd.

The only negative thing I would say is that I hated her dress--it simply was not at all flattering to her. But her good looks, her immense talents, her enthusiasm, and the beautiful Mainz Cathedral all contributed to make this a Christmas concert that is a gift to all who see and hear it. After some of Renee's brilliant embellishments, the camera even catches the face of one of the musicians whose face seems to indicate that she has just heard some superlative singing--that she was there to bear witness to an exceptional performance. Once you see it, I think you will agree--it's a magic moment--a magical Christmas concert.