Rene Flemming-"Don Ottavio, son morta!...Or sai, chi l'onore

[geschreiben]

Wow, back before she completely ruined her voice...

[PeerGyntTheOnion]

assalitrice ed assallita?

[wishingonthemoon1]

Wow, she did great on this, the singing and the acting! She sang freely, while keeping it under control, as many singers fail to do with this role. <3 her.

[CallasAfrica]

truth is until you learn to appreciate singers with all their glory and also their flaws you will never enjoy the full package of Opera.... a perfect singer comes but once in a century... but in the mean time we do get singers who strive for perfection and we love them for that.... callas once said "even from the least talented of artists, one can learn something"... personaly i love fleming and i think this was spot on!.. and im not comparing her to anyone

[scazzasofija]

What year is this production? 2000s?

[geschreiben]

@scazzasofija I think it's 2000 specifically

[melisandedebussy]

demasiadas licencias con el tempo

[thesir27]

holy shit her acting during the coda is genius. watch how she gives that little glance in-synch with the very last bar of this piece.

[arash2002art]

I didn't like Fleming on Donna Anna, it was too.... romantic maybe!

[thesir27]

6 months ago i never thought i'd be listening to this. now opera singing sounds completely normal to me

[Lweoira]

That made me feel that, she got the inspiration from Carol Vaness way TOO much and in the wrong way ( not for the audience I kinda enjoyed listening, but for her voice).

[royksopp21]

Very very amotional! Very solid voice Renee has! I love her and she is one of the best singers nowadays!

[royksopp21]

very emotional!

[Smile6784]

I don't mind the vibrato all that much but she could have acted a bit stronger in the second part of the aria - more dramatics (well - that's what I like to see....)

[jrr1234567890]

her vibrato is too strong in the or sai chi l'onore section, she sounds like a sheep on the lower notes. but the higher register is exquisite

[TheEmmaDarling]

i heart her

[AmericanEvita]

I don't like Fleming as Anna. I prefer a more dramatic voice that can also be lyric like Edda Moser, a dramatic coloratura. Fleming sings the role in a very boring way. She has no coloratura in the "Forse un giorno il cielo" after the Non Mi Dir. This aria for instance has to be di bravura and she is terrible here, resorting to scoops and such. She is better singing the Countess in Figaro. For Dona Ana, listen to Leontyne Price, Moser, Orgonasova and Tomowa-Sintow.

[tenorfourlife]

he sounds sick in this recording.

[herodopost]

René F sjunger inte bara sin Rene Fleming- roll utan kommer in i Mozarts Donna Anna - detta är en helt magnifik tolkning. Tack för denna enastående goda tolkning!!

Herodopost.

[ManricoV]

@herodopost

Ja, hon är otrolig bra här !

[mtenor]

she sings this well i think

[lehar]

Perhaps it's because of the dark setting and the costumes - the whole scene makes me thinking of Fidelio; not to mention the music!

[DrGarri]

Brava!!!

[Kenchely]

Donna Anna has to be played angry. By the time she gets to this aria, she wants to feed Don Giovanni his liver through his ear, and she wants Ottavio to take care of it for her.

I don't think she's a boring character. Now Ottavio--HE is boring, a posturing, pompous ass who's primarily concerned with how he can score points with Anna.

[ashkay369]

Honestly her portrayal is the one of the few that makes Anna interesting. I give major kudos for not creating yet another insipid ho-hum Anna.

[Rattywotin]

I've never liked Fleming doing Mozart, she makes this too romantic , at least she's not snail sliding all over the place!!

[isabelle070209]

Probablement une des meilleures Anna.

[Schwertleiter]

What has this woman done to destroy her voice? Where is the resonance? Why does she sound as if she is singing through mud. Why is every sound stuck in her throat, and why does she over darken everything that she sings? And why does the world love this bad, bad singing? Please listen to Ljuba Welitsch or Lisa della Casa do this aria. Renee needs to relearn how to sing. What she is doing is throat damage.

[valerotti]

You just have to face it, time pass, tastes change, and now we all love the way Fleming sings! Its just a fact!

[minirausch]

considering this was nine years ago and she's still singing as much as ever, i think you might be wrong about that...

[DannyDoc1981]

rediculous to write that it's high fashion to hate americans!

[blakebunyard]

Remember it's high fashion to hate americans right now. Renee could sing this to absolute and utter perfection, but the fact that she's american, her detractors would make something up.

[johngarner3]

I LOVE IT she is black on the inside i know it

[musoph21]

maybe it is a little melodramatic..but how can you deny that rich and gorgeous tone on the High A's. So creamy

[Ambargh]

There is no such thing as melodramatic in opera, haha!

[mltube]

Fleming is a wonderful artist, but this is not her cup of tea. She would be better as Elvira. For comparison, see Grummer in the Furtwangler's video.

[jimmymartinezzz]

One of the beautiful things about performance is that the music can be interpreted in countless ways. There are singers who can sing with beautiful tone in perfect rhythm, but then Donna Anna becomes nothing more than a zombie, droning on about how she pines for revenge. Flemings interpretation is brilliant, and people who say otherwise are staunch and old fashioned. If there were only one way to sing an aria , there would be no reason to see anyone but Vaness sing this

[jimmymartinezzz]

and of course, Vaness' interpretation is perfect and beautiful, but eventually the music would become boring if you only listened to it one way. In the same way that a grilled cheese would become repulsive if it was all you ate every day.

[vocalissimo1]

By over-interpreting the aria, Flemming loses dramatic momentum. The score is not meant to be pulled out of shape so much by excessive rubati. Donna Anna is fuming and desperate for revenge. At times, Flemming looks like she is playing Carmen, not Donna Anna! For the full force of Donna Anna's emotion, try the live Sutherland performance from the Met.

[OperaLover84]

whatever, fleming is great. i think you are over-interpreting the interpretation here.

[asdfopera]

Sutherland sang a great Donna Anna but she hated the character. She said that Donna Anna was boring to play. Although I love the way Sutherland sang Donna Anna, her characterization left a lot to be desired and that is because she sang it by the book. Fleming takes risks with her performance and tries to make Donna Anna into something more than a one dimensional character.

[Scalatti]

I recently uploaded this scene/aria with Cheryl Studer and Frank Lopardo from La Scala, Muti conducting (audio-only). It was taped from the audience so the sound quality is poor and recessed. But listen to Studer's abandon. She was truly mad in this. Visit my channel to hear it. Be forwarned, it's NOT recommended for the faint-of-heart.

[muzicista120]

Лучшая Донна Анна,удивительно справляется с такой драматической партией,все продыхом,потрясающе музыкально,нигде не крикнет,все свободно,Беспредельное дыхание и голосовые возможности невероятные!!!

[carolinahermelina]

troppo verdiana...

[flouraki]

I like her voice....but not the interpretation for some reason....

[jimmymartinezzz]

She is stunning. Some might argue that she lacks the necessary range of vocalism for Mozart, but personally I think this is wonderful.

[reginathe1st]

Gorgeous.  She gives me chills.

[marioj34]

throw an ear on the side of Sutherland. Not not not and still not. Forget the image and leave that the sound and you will hear... Fleming is unbearable besides.... in this role the public....

[taurusbs]

era talmente brava che qualunque cosa cantasse non le stava bene....sembra un paradosso ma l'ho sentita anni fa alla Scala e pur in tutto il suo splendore non entrava in nessun ruolo.

mah....

[lucyliesinashes]

Oh, but seriously, this needs to not be so slow. I will say I almost always disagree with Levine's Mozart tempi.

[lucyliesinashes]

Hooray for Paul Groves :)

The Met, well, I'm going to hold off commenting until I know whether or not they're hiring me!

I like Flemming singing this, but LOVED her Rusalka in...'05? '06? Man, beautiful production, great singing, Willard White as the bass. Her Song to the Moon was inhumanly good. I do NOT like how she's singing these days, though, and Rodalinda was absurd- John Relyea and Stephanie Blythe showed her up somethin fierce!

[kazimierzmichalkiwic]

recitativo is ultimate

[ezayi]

I like her voice but this isn´t for her. Sorry... NO... NO... NO!

[liamandsarah]

I have to agree this isn't an aria for Flemming. She has too much glottal dramatic onsets and it's really distracting. She is a bit OTT as well which is again, off putting.

[ezayi]

Well... saw it again and I take back what I said. Not exactly the kind of Donna Anna that I like but it was well sung and she sings well. A little too much portamento but anyway well sung. I wonder why I said that. Whatever!

[redbonemix84]

Dear Nay Nay,

Please watch the Carol Vaness video of this same aria. kthanx

[ncrunch]

who is the don ottavio?

[richardvergara]

Paul Groves

[operacaster]

i'm always bewildered when people say the met is doing well and singers are all great. i've watched them go from fabulous in the 70s to less much less so today. so i'm just curious why someone thinks they're doing well. please, explain that to me.. and try not to make it a personal attack on my or anyone else with a teensey bit of experience. the pbs tv macbeth was great? u thought the way they blasted luciano when he tried to retire was great. their singers are the best in the world?

[operacaster]

my following post is not meant to insult or bring on an arguement, but rather i can't understand when people say the met is doing well... so lets not get insulting and personal. i've been arond the met for over 37 years, know dozens of people who work there currently and in the past, have roamed the back halls and rehearsed in every rehearsal room... have sung a lot of the italian repretoire in one voice catagory in usa and europe. no i'm not saying i'm great, just a teeny bit experienced.

[operacaster]

anyone who thinks the met knows what they're doing today can't be reasoned with. case in point the rufus wainwright debacle. if that needs explaining i can't be of any help.. they can't do a verdi opera to save their soul, have no dramatic voices, have fallen way down the food chain and anybody who really understands anything knows that

how many times have you been there personally and live? have you worked there? who are your favorite singers you think are so great singing there today?

[AmericanEvita]

This 90's Don Giovanni at the Met was televised on PBS. Renee Fleming does not have the right kind of voice for Dona Ana. Her best Mozart role was always the Countess in Figaro or Fiordiligi from Cosi. Dona Ana calls for a more dramatic even lyrico-spinto voice. To my ears the best Anas are Leontyne Price, Edda Moser and Anna Tomowa Sintow. Here, Fleming is over-the-top and melodramatic.

[jimmymartinezzz]

It may look melodramatic from that close but I'm sure from the house it looked appropriate.

[noelaxx]

I LOVE RENEE FLEMING!!!!

[operacaster]

definiteyly not renees best day. if you can't hear it i can't help you. whoever made the price comment nailed it. great. i also think vaness is much better

[jimmymartinezzz]

I really do think the artistic staff at the Met knows who to cast in their opera. Maybe you would care to argue.

Fleming is brilliant.

[jeanpierremelville]

Kitschy staging. Terrible costume design (especially Anna's small hat...). Camp at its worst.

And the lighting is one of the worst I've ever seen. Looks like a rehearsal, not an actual performance.

Were the singers directed by anyone? They seem to merely concentrate on their singing but not having any clue about what they are performing. Totally superficial.

[AnneP1]

I agree. You're absolutely right!

[tim3648]

I own this DVD...it is an amazong production...LOVE IT!!

[lty2k84]

Great acting and singing.This is just amazing.

[higharch]

Gorgeous voice; too much nuance; not enough just stand still and sing the Mozart when the aria came. Leontyne Price laid this aria to rest at the Met in the 70s. They are still there applauding....

[trekkie2006]

Amazing!! Does anyone know what year this was??

[Nugnugs]

2000

[dynamicstuff73]

bark bark abrk abark arkark akr that is all i hear going back to watch carol vaness do it right!

[CHerbek]

you know nothing...

[mtenor]

well you obviously dont know what your talking about if thats your oppinion

[Pskmozart]

Good preformance! But I think Paul Groves can do a better tenor voice, but I like it very much. Renee is also very good! (But I like more the preformance of Alfredo Kraus in 1970, with Carlo Maria G.) PSK

[Selkaen]

I just think she's overacting in the "Ma qual s'offre, o Dei" scene, but everywhere else she's wonderful!

[Gibichung]

I was fortunate to attend this performance. It took place in NYC. If my memory does not fail, the date is October 2000. Fleming, Terfel and Furlanetto were magnificent, and the rest of the cast was very good.

[gclef2288]

I love her

[bosbriguy]

Renee is fabulous, I sat front row at a recital, nice power and stage presents. Yes she made me tear up. My favorite in this role is Birgit Nilsson, she was power house, but she nailed this role.

[hillevifan]

My favorite(s) in this role are the Canadian Soprano Adrianne Pieczonka (who recorded it for Halsaz and Muti) and the American soprano Dominique Labelle (who recrded it with director Peter Sellars.)

[KatherineXIX]

Krassimira Stoyanova was also great. Her "Or sai" was a little too big for her voice, but her "Non mi dir" was just sublime. I agree with a random NY Times review comment that her B-flat in the recit beforehand was the most beautiful ever. And yes, this is not the role for Renee. She's too much in love with her own voice, and not the music.

[iAMturandot]

oh man, this was amazing. holy moly, renee is fantastic! Brava! Those "vendetta"s were insane! Brava!

[CHerbek]

Simply amazing! Brava Renee!

[owenboi66]

I agree with you.  Why does opera attract so many bitchy fans? Maybe Fleming is just too good an actress, singer - and too good looking after all!

[ravenboytx]

just FYI this is the GIOVANNI that the MET does, with TERFEL and FLEMING, it's on DVD!

[urs1765]

when and were was this performed and who is conducting and who is he?

[DrGarri]

Italians would like to have as clear a diction in their own language as this incredible singer!

[PucciniTosca]

She has a beautyful sound! She looks amazing! She's really good

[buddhasizedguy]

Fleming typically does arias slower than normal. It's funny to go down a list of arias in iTunes or something and see that her rendition versus other sopranos' is always the longest and generally by a large amount, but I think that's a testament to her incredible facility with breath control and line - the versions never really seem "long," and that's because she can keep the line moving forward and spinning. It never lies flat and stagnant.

[DivaG81]

Brava! I agree with the tempo comment - much too slow in parts, but I'm pretty sure that was Levine's choice. That is a bitch of an aria, and it's very impressive that she could sing it at that slower tempo.

[Pathetikos]

she's wonderful. just... too realistic and lacking grandeur.

[zacharybr]

Very powerful indeed, but much slower than I'm used to.

[zacharybr]

I just want to add that after watching and listening to this aria performed by others, Renee performance, in comparison is hindered by too much acting. I like her performance because it's different, but like I said before she does it really slow, but I see now that she's so slow because she's trying to act out every emotion.

[PhoenyxRider]

I think she's slow because that's the tempo James Levine picked.

[zacharybr]

maybe

[josephlemon]

this is how Mozart should be sung. and this rendition isn't that slow. the score doesn't "presto". it says "allergo agigato" or, "an agitated fast tempo". also, all opera should be sung with clear diction, like so.

[zasnoucidivak]

The sing wrote for this aria is Andante. Alla breve.

[divabmc]

very very powerful.. oh.. BRAVA!!