Renee Fleming's E6s in Il Viaggio a Reims (and her B6 in the ending laughter)

[raunchy9305]

unfortunately she misses a ton of notes and slurs over some of the runs. If you want to hear them all listen to Lelia Cuberli on the Abbado Pesaro recording. All in all tho' much better than I expected it to be.

[BZBlaner]

Not only does she hit a perfectly placed E6 (poor stupid Edita would already be scooping), but goes down to a supported B3 right after! She is a miracle of a Lyric Soprano.

[supersourpatchdude]

Also, I tried extracting the audio from this video and lowering it to E-flat like the original key, and it sounded more like Fleming... I really hope this is not fabricated in anyway...

[LohengrinT]

@supersourpatchdude

No it is just that anti-Fleming fans have fabricated the high pitch theory of this excerpt the same way the anti-Callas fans fabricated the fast tape theory in Callas' F6 in Rossini's Armida - unfortunately for them Fleming has sung up to G6 as stacatto and B6 in laughing scales and Callas up to F6 sustained and fabulous :p

[primohomme]

@LohengrinT

Callas definetely had a high F...in her "Merci dilette amiche" live when she goes for the high E she overshoots and lands on an F before centering on the E, it's technically off key but it shows she had indeed an F6.

And Renee has also sung a glissando up to A6 in a performance of "I got rhythm".

[arturo8402]

Renee sung the hell out of this, I enjoy her younger attempts of the bel canto repetoire

[MisterSoprano]

Well, some of the coloratura are far from good... but the E6 at 0.05 is very nice.

[distefano13069609]

I love how this is the aria from the Count Ory, with a FEW changes :P

[LohengrinT]

@distefano13069609

rossini very often used melodies and patterns of fioritura or cabalettas from his previous operas - a mind cannot produce melodies in huge ammounts it is impossible :) I conside his one and true musical masterpiece, his Armida, the melodies in there represent the ultimate height his mind ever reached.

Bellini, the God of Melody, very often used as opening in his arias the same slow rythn (casta diva, ma la sola, sorgi o padre) always variating afterwards

[judywest411]

@distefano13069609 Refer to this article for info on Rossini's tendency to 'plagiarize' himself and the connection between this opera and Le Comte Ory. Judy West

[judywest411]

@distefano13069609 Sorry, the system wouldn't allow a web address. Google ConcertoNet and this opera for an article on 05/05/2011. Interesting.

[judywest411]

Respond to this video... Does anyone know the title of this aria, itself? Judy West

[arturo8402]

You have to love young Fleming !

[RobLobstuhh]

Love it :)

And how young?

Also, sorry. But that actually was a B-flat. ;) Not that it matters since it was a "laugh"...

[LohengrinT]

@RobLobstuhh

I think 1991 is the year

[primohomme]

@RobLobstuhh

It's B6

[Operaphile]

Wonderful!!!! Have never heard Fleming sing this before! It is one of my favourite Rossini arias - her top E is superb!

[Ariadne7710]

Fabulous singing. Extraordinary control and that wonderful E6 at the end.  But many of her Mozart performances were extraordinarily beautiful also showing that most wondrously silvery tone of hers.

[LohengrinT]

@Ariadne7710

the E6 is on 0:05 of this part. At the end there is the B6 :))

[kgarmaker123]

I have not heard this.. I have heard the Fleming, Mozart stuff , with the High G's.. Thats pretty outstanding. This is some good singing. The Met never let her do this stuff when she was young. On stage her career was shaped at the Met, and there she stuck to lyric roles.. Even The Met audition that she won, she sang two lyrics arias.. She has stuck to the lyric rep. ( and stayed way from vocal acrobatics, except in her recordings.)

[LohengrinT]

@kgarmaker123

well the truth is that she always belonged to the category of a singer with very good even at times brilliant coloratura abilities who ofc was never a natural coloratura. I also think it is extremely difficult to bend a sound as polished and smooth as hers without losing its perfect surface quality. I dont think she ever wanted to sacrifice this in order to sing endless stacatti etc

Her Handelian coloraturas I find most fascinating

[TheWisemonkey8]

An extraordinary talent... just wonderful! 

[kgarmaker123]

How young?

[aragall77]

Wow, she is much better than Diana Damrau in Le Comte Ory at the Met. Annick Massis? No. Fleming`s high notes are like rocks here. Perfect, never heard this aria sung better

[LohengrinT]

@aragall77

Lets not compare vocal goddesses with second class coloraturas ;)

[aragall77]

@LohengrinT

Absolutely agree :-)

[PukKoleszka]

@LohengrinT Damrau? Second class? Sorry, but how you and aragall77 can tell nonsense ?

Shame...

[pedrofribeiro]

@aragall77 Listen to Kathleen Battle's rendition, and you'll see what sheer perfection means! It's simply mind blowing!! The best version by far distance.

[aragall77]

@pedrofribeiro I have listened. Very nice rendition. This is just the same difference as between Gruberova and Sutherland singing Norma. Every note may be sung but the vocal power is incomparable. Fleming`s huge voice climbed easily so high is unique just like Sutherland`s. I can not agree. As for this aria my taste is definitely Fleming with no doubts.

[LohengrinT]

@aragall77

Gruberova never sang all the Norma notes not even in her dream :p

[pedrofribeiro]

@LohengrinT Don't say that! A crowd of fanatic-fans will appear any moment, seeking revenge... hehehehe But I must agree with aragall77 on the Norma matter, nobody sings it like Sutherland.

[LohengrinT]

@pedrofribeiro

Indeed no-one else swalloed half of the written notes like Sutherland did :)))

[aragall77]

@LohengrinT ????

[aragall77]

@LohengrinT I know :-)

[pedrofribeiro]

@aragall77 I know that feeling! It's called "favoritism" hehehe ;P and I do have it... hehehe And as far as I prefer light voices, silvery tones and sweetness, I stay with Battle's rendition, without any doubt. We can't argue over taste, they're both amazing, each in their own way. ;D

[PukKoleszka]

@aragall77 Fleming is great always!

[alithecrab]

@pedrofribeiro Luciana Serra's rendition is also well-worth a listen. Great aria.

[Stefano94x]

Great!

[Aetion]

This is an extraordinary voice, one of the best ever, I suppose!

Thank you.

[Rcoppin91]

The best E I have ever heard. Her high notes sound like Annick Massis!

[primohomme]

Amazing! Her agility, her freedom in the upper register and her intonation