Vocalist.org archive


From:  sopran@a...
sopran@a...
Date:  Sat Aug 4, 2001  3:01 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Renee Fleming at the Proms



In a message dated 8/4/01 12:11:33 AM, lloyd.hanson@n... writes:


<<the "mannered" quality of her singing and the tendency to become
more important than the music she is performing>>

Too often I find that to be my impression of Ms. Fleming's singing. Once in a
while she surprises--and pleases-- me, but not often enough. I think that
she's capable of greatness but rarely achieves it. Too bad!

<< that school of Lieder singing which finds it necessary to
"show" us every musical nuance and emotional content >>

Isn't that annoying! It's like being bludgeoned with minutiae (sp?) every
second of the performance. I find it oddly disrespectful of the audience's
intelligence--not to mention the music. After a while you can't "see the
forest for the trees."

(PS--This is what I have sometimes referred to in past posts as "dishonest"
singing.)

I wonder how much of this is a holdover from Fleming's studies with Elizabeth
Schwartzkopf--another offender in this regard (IMHO). My favorite female
lieder singers (so far, at least) are Elisabeth Grummer, Janet Baker and Elly
Ameling--all of whom have a much more straightforward approach.

Judy

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