Customer Reviews

A modern interpretation by a voice born to sing Strauss - By: Ralph Moore, 27 Sep 2008
Many people will be surprised by the negativity of the comments by bert1761, the first & previous reviewer of this disc on Amazon.com. First, let me say that I deplore the practice of some Amazon readers who give another reviewer a negative vote simply because they do not agree with the opinion expressed. I think "bert" writes honestly, morein sorrow thanin anger, & that his is a thoughtful, intelligent, sincerely held opinion that deserves careful consideration. I know what he means by the overt expressiveness of Fleming's interpretation but I do not agree that it is obtrusive or excessive. The voice isin wonderful condition & she is able to sustain the line with apparently effortless ease - except when she clearly chooses to disrupt it deliberately for emotive effect. The lower register is rich & characterful - you can hear its development just from the resonance of Renne's speaking voicein the publicity interviews on this website - & the top soars as creamily & amply as ever; I hear no strain anywhere. Her German is of course impeccable & her breath control a thing of wonder. I, too, am a great fan of Janowitz's & Te Kanawa's (earlier version with Davis) more restrained, classical interpretations, but Fleming's "Im Abendrot", for example, still works its magic for me. She is perhaps delivering here on record more of what you might hearin a live performance (indeed, I believe these are live takes - although you'd never know), when your communicative gestures can be more emphatic thanin a recording - but slightly idiosyncratic instances of vocal colouring & verbal inflection can, on repeated listenings, become a little quirky & irritating. Nonetheless, this is an immediate, heartfelt interpretation of these inexhaustibly moving songs & very much a performance for the modern listener who needs & expects more individuality to distinguish one version from another. Furthermore, the recorded sound is technically marvellous; I have never heard so much detailin the orchestration.

The subsequent Strauss arias & songs are a glorious addition to her discography; Fleming was born to sing this composer - & just as she would opt to sing Strauss over any other composer for the voice, I would choose Fleming to interpret him. I cannot hear any inadequacyin her lower registerin the first extended "Ariadne" excerpt & I rank this disc with her earlier selection of Strauss "bon-bons" with Susan Graham & Barbara Bonney. The bonus arias on the second discin the Deluxe Edition are testament to her versatility & supremacyin other composers, especially Tchaikovsky's Tatyana.

So I respectfully beg to differ from the previous reviewer's judgement - but would fiercely defend & welcome his right to express it, prompting, as it does, civilised debate.