Renee Fleming Stunning at Carnegie
Intimate Concert Performance by Opera Diva
By: Susan Hall - Jan 12, 2011
Renée Fleming, Soprano
Hartmut Höll, Piano
Carnegie Hall, New York
January 11, 2011
Schoenberg, "Jane Grey," Op. 12, No. 1
Zemlinsky, Fünf Lieder:Vorspiel, Ansturm, Letzte Bitte, Stromüber Auf See
Korngold, "Sterbelied," Op. 14, No. 1
Korngold, "Das Heldengrab am Pruth," Op. 9, No. 5
Korngold, "Was du mir bist," Op. 22, No. 1
Brad Mehldau, Songs from The Book of Hours: Love Poems to God,I love you, gentlest of Ways, No one lives his life, His caring is a nightmare to us, Extinguish my eyes, I'll go on seeing you
R. Strauss."Winterweihe," Op. 48, No. 4
R. Strauss, "Winterliebe," Op. 48, No. 5
R. Strauss, "Traum durch die Dämmerung," Op. 29, No. 1
R. Strauss, "Gesang der Apollopriesterin," Op. 33, No. 2
Photo credit Chris Lee
Renée Fleming swept onto the stage at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday January 11. Her long gold dress with pleated skirt and rhinestone shoulder caps dazzled as did her voice. Fleming announced recently that she would wear a new hat, an impresario’s, but she hardly looked the executive. Her program was daring. No Puccini and Verdi warhorses here, although the songs were full of drama and emotion. Instead we heard perfectly beautiful and perfectly rendered songs of Schoenberg, Zemlinsky, Korngold, Melhaud and the more familiar Strauss.
Even though it was January, the month of hacking coughs and sneezes, the hall remained absolutely silent as Fleming sang, the audience caught up in the dynamic of her held notes, which swell to robust lushness at the top and then return to absolute quiet. This effect wraps the listener in her words and phrases. It is a transporting experience.
The Messiaen songs Fleming sang in Alan Gilbert’s first concert as conductor of the New York Philharmonic had the same quality as tonight’s. Both Schoenberg and Zemlinsky had entered a composition with songs about Jane Grey going to the scaffold. They both lost. The program opened with Schoenberg’s and set the evening’s tone, lush, rich in drama and emotion, all qualities which seem to come naturally to Fleming
Much to my surprise, Fleming has remarked that singing did not come naturally to her. Her voice reflects hard work, whose reward is to be able to easily deal with problems. When there is an issue, she knows quickly how to address it, because she had dealt with them all.
The Zemlnsky song cycle followed. Full of post-romantic passion and longing, with Strauss harmonies and “the accessibility of Rachmaninov colored with Germanic touches,” these songs challenge in the way much of Ms. Fleming’s program did: unusual leaps were executed with aplomb throughout the evening, 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths!
Fleming’s selection of three of Korngold’s songs revealed this composer at the top of his form. All are deeply felt and filled with unusual harmonic development. In the 200 bar song series which Korngold’s first song starts, Korngold wrote performance notes in 198 measures. Ms. Fleming is such a consummate performer that none of the work she does shows. She has ingested ‘notes’ from all the composers and standing tall, having changed to a form fitting black silk dress, capped with echoing rhinestones on the shoulder, for the second part, you could not see the breath. Her relaxed stance after all that hard work gives her singing an ease which allows the music itself to shine.
Her magnificent accompanist, Hartmut Höll, performed a delightful introduction to the second Korngold song, and Fleming attends with pure pleasure, as she did on other occasions when Höll performed alone.
Brad Mehldau holds the Debs Composer’s Chair at Carnegie this year, and wrote the wrenching “Love Letters to God” for Fleming. The program concluded with pot pourri of Strauss songs that were both beautiful and delightful.
Strauss songs “Zueignung” and “Morgan” bracketed the encores. Fleming announced that her second encore, the Korngold aria from his opera “Die Tote Stadt” was among her favorites, and you could see why. It sits so well in her voice.
Ms. Fleming’s rendition of “I Feel Pretty,” showed that she felt as good as she sounded and looked. An evening to be remembered. Fleming will surely continue as a concert performer as she spreads her wings to become an impresario. She is perfection without being stifled by formality.
The Song Continues at Carnegie throughout the month: carnegiehall.org or 212-247-7800.