I absolutely love Renee. She is everything; she has a voice better than the angels, she is a great actress, she is smart as anyone could be, she is beautiful and she has a lovely laugh. She is a decent human being and doesn't act like a prima donna as some do. She wants her audiences to enjoy themselves. I have never heard her in person and would give my arm to, but I am now an old lady, almost 90 and my trips to NY are over. I've loved opera all my life and heard some great artists but never Renee. I even like the way she uses her hands. She is the greatest.
Interesting that the interviewer claims all the major artists create new roles? Hvorostovsky, Kaufmann, Netrebko, Terfel, Didonato, Gheorghiu - have they even done 5 contemporary roles or even song cycles between them? Fleming is the only top calibre artist that has consistently done a lot of new music.
What do you think of her latest album Distant light? I think it´s rather nice and sort of Nordic in a way. One really sences there are more to this lady than meets the I😉
As a British observer of American legal and constitutional process, I take to heart what Fleming said at circa 37m 30s regarding Justices Ginsburg, Kennedy and Scalia. However, I write this on 7th January 202, just after protesters forced Congress to suspend important business....
I love Renee but what are these "unsual" roles she sang? She had an extremely broad repertoire in terms of styles and idioms, she obviously is a genius musician, but outside of the american operas virtually all of her repertoire was by that time standard repertoire with a history of famous interpreters and recordings. Similarly she says "not many people wanted to do" the countess. I don't where she was but Figaro was and always has been one of the most performed standard rep operas and while it served as a breakthrough she hardly "owned" the Countess. There were TONS of famous interpreters of the role singing it concurrently at all the same theaters.
Communication breakdown, it's always the same. "Birthed" . . . as to what's the difference between now and a 100 years ago. I think abundance/consumerism is the difference. Because the difference 'before' that 100 year period was the stone temple pilots and availability to perform.
I watched a "Live: In HD" once when I think they showed Leontyne Price entering and take a seat near the pit. A rather large person with BIG hair . . . and anyone seated behind her be damned.
Kind of like Kathleen Battle 'demanding' better accommodations for special her and THEN later bringing a 'brother-love traveling salvation show' to the house.
