Customer Reviews

Star Crossed Lovers: Placido Domingo & Renee Fleming

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While both Domingo and Fleming are among today's outstanding singers, this is a very dissappointing disc. Even in the Othello selection, which comes from their normal operatic repetoire, they are not engaging. The dramatic tension is suprisingly slack. Unless you need to have every disk they made, pass this one up.

To write a bad review of something created by such major talents as Placido Domingo and Renee Fleming feels a little like kicking a puppy, but this really is a terrible CD. Like the people who built the Titanic, you have to wonder how so many talented people could create something that went so horribly, horribly wrong. Domingo and Fleming are mediocre at best in their renditions of West Side Story selections. The operatic selections from 'Faust' and 'Otello', where they should shine, are not selections that listeners would immediately go to mentally when thinking 'love songs' and the interpretations feel like there is no love there. We KNOW these artists are fantastic--that is why this CD is so disappointing. Fleming's renditions of Duke Ellington classics are painful to listen to, both over-blown and seriously missing the emotional context of the lyrics. Domingo's "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" is touching and shows his great vocal skill, but it's hardly worth getting this CD for one selection. Their duet on "Lippen schweigen" from 'The Merry Widow,' which, considering the popularity of the song and their immense talent should be a knock out, is sadly unsatisfying. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra does a fine job with the instrumental prologue from West Side Story, but again, fans would be better served getting the entire WSS sound track elsewhere. There are many excellent versions from which to choose. Several selections have piano accompaniment only, without full orchestra, which gives part of the CD the feeling of a recital recording. In summary, fans should run, not walk, to the nearest outlet that sells this and beg them to stop. These great talents should not be remembered by this lackluster collection. They are so much better than this.

I loved this. I thought Renée was just wonderful. It's so wonderful when we have opera singers who grace our ears with doing something out of there element and doing it PHENOMINALLY!! So it's nice to have Renée singing the "Tonight" duet with Domingo in West Side Story. But I do agree with the reviewer below me, in that Domingo sounds a little operatic for this role. After all, it is a musical (not everyone's as versatile as our diva). Her "Somewhere" is just gorgeous, althought, my favorite "Somewhere" is sung by Jessye Norman (for all you West Side Story finatics out there). My personal favorites on this disc are the jazz songs by Renée. Who knew she had such a talent for jazz? I wish there were more Renée Fleming jazz recordings out there.

I must say that this album was not what I had hoped, and as it was my introduction to Renee Fleming, it was sometime before I bought another of her CDs. Domingo, I would hope, would have better judgement in his recordings, for I found this album nowhere near standard.

Please only purchase this item if you have enjoyed better works from both artists, for it was my introdution to them both, and I regret to say that I was most dissapointed! ~

This recording is just great. When I first saw it in the store, I was so affraid that this would be a live recording. Its not! Yay! The only thing I did not like about this recording was the West Side Store Prologue. Renée would make a really good Maria. Placdio would not make that great of a Tony. He really is limited to opera and art song. Renée, however, can do it all. I really love Renée's "Prelude to a Kiss". I have this song on a recording with Kathleen Battle and I have to say that I really prefer Renée's rendition much better. I say so because I think jazz should be for bigger voices. Renée shines on this recording and blows Placido out of the water. Get this for Renée but not for Placido.

This is a lovely CD with a diverse selection of arias and songs. I would especially recommend it for listeners who would like to learn more about classical music. All performers are very good.