Renée Fleming

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Surely, Renée Fleming has one of the most beautiful voices to be heard anywhere today. It combines velvety warmth, creamy richness, soaring radiance, and flawless purity, and seems to flow out without effort, every tone impeccably centered and in tune, capable of almost too much variety of color and nuance. Fleming's breath control is incredible; she can spin out long, arching phrases and build up climaxes with thrilling intensity. The program of this recital displays Fleming's vocal and dramatic gifts to full advantage, and includes both familiar and lesser-known arias from Italian and French operas. Although some of these are not in her repertoire, she clearly feels close to them. The three opening Puccini favorites from Gianni Schicchi, Madama Butterfly, and La Bohème are a bit fussy and over-inflected, hardly suited to the characters' simplicity; but, from then on, Fleming seems completely at one with both her tragic and her lighthearted heroines. She captures their warm inwardness, rapture, passion, ecstasy, and desperation; darkening and lightening her voice at will. Her top notes soar gloriously, her trills laugh. The orchestra is splendid, supporting her all the way and sounding wonderful. --Edith Eisler

Product description

1. Gianni Schicchi - "O mio babbino caro" 2:52 2. Madama Butterfly / Act 2 - Un bel dì vedremo 4:55 3. La Bohème / Act 2 - "Quando men vo" 2:51 4. Turandot / Act 1 - Signore, ascolta 2:58 5. Pagliacci - "Stridono lassù" 5:03 6. Adriana Lecouvreur / Act 1 - Io son l'umile ancella 3:57 7. La Wally / Act 1 - Ebben? Ne andrò lontana 5:05 8. Manon / Act 1 - Je suis encore tout étourdie 3:58 9. Manon / Act 2 - Adieu, notre petite table 4:30 10. Carmen / Act 3 - "Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante" 6:28 11. Roméo et Juliette / Act 1 - "Ah, je veux vivre" 3:43 12. Simon Boccanegra / Act 1 - Come in quest'ora bruna 6:15 13. Norma / Act 1 - Casta Diva 7:38 14. I vespri siciliani / Act 5 - Merci, jeunes amies 4:34, ISBN13: B00004YLU5 ISBN10: B00004YLU5 Material Type: audioCD