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Fleming - Bel Canto Fleming, Renee Renee Fleming: Bel Canto Scenes from Bellini's Il Pirata and La Sonnambula, Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia and Maria Padilla, and Rossini’s Armida and Semiramide. Renee Fleming, soprano. Orchestra of St. Luke's, Patrick Summers, conductor. (Decca 467101) The release of this CD coincides with Renee Fleming's appearances this month in the Metropolitan Opera's first-ever staging of Bellini's Il Pirata. At a time when too many operatic luminaries sing in a manner that is more “can belto” than bel canto, it is a joy to hear Fleming perform this neglected repertory with such stylistic savvy. (Fleming has avidly studied historic opera recordings by Golden Age singers.) Fleming has avowed that her vocal agility stems from having sung jazz improvisations during her college years. Upon hearing the moving 'Mad Scene' finale from Il Pirata (as well as the five other operas excerpted on this CD), those who think of Fleming only as a plush, lyric soprano will be startled by the abandon and accuracy of her coloratura, her extremes of high and low register, the intensity of her attacks, the alacrity with which she employs chest voice, her skill in ornamenting repeats, and her expressive pathos. She is ably supported by the orchestra led by Patrick Summers, music director of the Houston Grand Opera. Fleming (who attended Juilliard's American Opera Center from 1983-86 and studied voice with Beverley Peck Johnson) has a voluminous and varied discography. Fleming considers Richard Strauss her 'desert island' composer: listen to her ecstatic Strauss Four Last Songs (RCA 68539). In recent seasons, Fleming has sung a memorable Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier at the Met, followed by Arabella. Auspiciously, Fleming’s Rosenkavalier Act 1 monologue and transcendent third-act trio, plus scenes from Arabella and Capriccio, can be heard on her Strauss Heroines CD (Decca 466314). Other recommended Fleming recordings are a recital of French songs with Thibaudet (Decca 467697), a Schubert Lieder album (London 455295), a disc of Mozart arias (London 452602), and opera scenes with Solti (London 455760) and Mackerras (Decca 467049). Track 1: La Sonnambula : Oh! Se una volta sola (06:11) Artists: Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Vincenzo Bellini 1801-1835 Recording date : December 1999 Track 2: La Sonnambula : Ah, non credea mirarti (06:36) Artists: Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Vincenzo Bellini 1801-1835 Recording date : December 1999 Track 3: La Sonnambula : Ah, non giunge uman pensiero (03:36) Artists: Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Vincenzo Bellini 1801-1835 Recording date : December 1999 Track 4: Maria Padilla - opera in 3 Acts : Abbraciami (03:19) Artists: Kristine Jepson - mezzo-soprano / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Gaetano Donizetti 1797-1848 Recording date : December 1999 Track 5: Maria Padilla - opera in 3 Acts : Il pi'nero suon d'arpa (02:46) Artists: Kristine Jepson - mezzo-soprano / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Gaetano Donizetti 1797-1848 Recording date : December 1999 Track 6: Maria Padilla - opera in 3 Acts : Ah non sai qual prestigio si cela... (04:19) Artists: Kristine Jepson - mezzo-soprano / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Gaetano Donizetti 1797-1848 Recording date : December 1999 Track 7: Semiramide : Introduzione (01:57) Artists: Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor Composer : Gioachino Rossini 1792-1868 Arrangement : Ed. Philip Gossett (1941-)/Alberto Zedda (1928-) Recording date : December 1999 Track 8: Semiramide : Bel raggio lusinghier (03:28) Artists: Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Gioachino Rossini 1792-1868 Arrangement : Ed. Philip Gossett (1941-)/Alberto Zedda (1928-) Recording date : December 1999 Track 9: Semiramide : Dolce pensiero di quell'istante... (03:04) Artists: Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Gioachino Rossini 1792-1868 Arrangement : Ed. Philip Gossett (1941-)/Alberto Zedda (1928-) Recording date : December 1999 Track 10: Il pirata : Introduzione (04:11) Artists: Melanie Feld - cor anglais / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor Composer : Vincenzo Bellini 1801-1835 Arrangement : Revised Paul Agricole Genin (1832-1903) Recording date : December 1999 Track 11: Il pirata : Oh, s'io potessi dissipar le nubi (05:12) Artists: Melanie Feld - cor anglais / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Vincenzo Bellini 1801-1835 Arrangement : Revised Paul Agricole Genin (1832-1903) Recording date : December 1999 Track 12: Il pirata : Col sorriso d'innocenza (05:49) Artists: Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Vincenzo Bellini 1801-1835 Arrangement : Revised Paul Agricole Genin (1832-1903) Recording date : December 1999 Track 13: Il pirata : Oh! Sole! ti vela di tenebre oscure (03:18) Artists: Melanie Feld - cor anglais / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Vincenzo Bellini 1801-1835 Arrangement : Revised Paul Agricole Genin (1832-1903) Recording date : December 1999 Track 14: Armida : D'amor al dolce impero... (01:58) Artists: Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Gioachino Rossini 1792-1868 Arrangement : Ed. Charles S. Brauner & Patricia Brauner Recording date : December 1999 Track 15: Armida : Gli augei tra fronde e fronde... (01:47) Artists: Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Gioachino Rossini 1792-1868 Arrangement : Ed. Charles S. Brauner & Patricia Brauner Recording date : December 1999 Track 16: Armida : La fresca et'en fugge... (01:08) Artists: Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Gioachino Rossini 1792-1868 Arrangement : Ed. Charles S. Brauner & Patricia Brauner Recording date : December 1999 Track 17: Armida : Ah! s'godete... (01:43) Artists: Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Gioachino Rossini 1792-1868 Arrangement : Ed. Charles S. Brauner & Patricia Brauner Recording date : December 1999 Track 18: Lucrezia Borgia : M'odi, ah m'odi, io non imploro... (03:11) Artists: Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Gaetano Donizetti 1797-1848 Arrangement : Revised Roger Parker (1951-) Recording date : December 1999 Track 19: Lucrezia Borgia : Figlio, figlio! Ola, qualcuno! (02:12) Artists: Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - oprano Composer : Gaetano Donizetti 1797-1848 Arrangement : Revised Roger Parker (1951-) Recording date : December 1999 Track 20: Lucrezia Borgia : Era desso il figlio mio (05:23) Artists: Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Orchestra of St. Luke's / Patrick Summers - conductor / Renee Fleming - soprano Composer : Gaetano Donizetti 1797-1848 Arrangement : Revised Roger Parker (1951-) Recording date : December 1999 Imprint: Decca Cover: 467101 ISBN/ID: 028946710128 onhand: 1 Price: $ 16.99