Renée Fleming sings "Ain't it a pretty night" from Susannah

[Josquinquin]

This has got to be one of the most beautiful performances of one of the most beautiful American arias ever written. I feel so lucky to seen her portrayal of Susannah at The Met with Samuel Ramey as Blitch and Jerry Hadley (RIP) as "Little Bat". .. Truly, a night to remember.

[CarlaMusic]

She's never sounded better to me.  Perfectly grounded and full sound. I see what she meant about singing pregnant.

[blndbmbshell2010]

This is so beautiful! It says Ain't IS A Pretty Night in the title though. Just FYI :)

[GrandTierBox]

@blndbmbshell2010 I posted this in July, 2007 and it has been viewed 24,471 times. You are the FIRST person to notice this typo. Thanks for the correction and congratulations on having such a great eye!!

[SuperSmiler2]

Oh yes,this presentation is immaculate. Gives YouTube the prestige it has been waiting for!

[NedRorem]

Wonderful. But no one finds in this aria the colours that Caterina Di Tonno finds.

[kngiht84]

@NedRorem Yeah, cos Renee found a better color!

[operaticxingenue]

Brava indeed!

[DEFinitivelyHis]

This performance NEVER EVER gets old. This is what a true singing actress can do with a piece like this...sends me to a whole other level of the firmament when I hear her.

[ellethelvanui]

There are no words to describe this incredibly sensitive and exquisitely powerful performance.

[Matthewcoakley08]

I love this aria. It makes me always want to go home, back to East Tennessee. But the end of this aria is so sad. It makes me cry every time.

[iztastic]

I just want to know who the hell the one person who hit dislike on this video is...This is one of the hardest arias I've ever been given, and she does it brilliantly

Oh, and if you're very young, you probably don't have the technique to sing this song yet. I've been training for 8 years and I was just assigned this. And this is more of a soprano piece...not a mezzo piece

[illavynvelendril]

I'd like opinions please! Does anyone think a very young, fairly high mezzo soprano could plausibly sing this well??

Thanks!

[suzanneetmoi]

@illavynvelendril The top in this aria is too high for a lyric mezzo- don't confuse "color" of a voice with range. Ms.Fleming has a dark timbre to her voice, but she is not a mezzo, rather, a full lyric. And no one without years of good solid vocal training should ever attempt singing Susannah- and by that I mean at least grad school level, with a good voice teacher working with you. There are a lot of nice pieces within your range, so don't risk ruining your voice, please.

[illavynvelendril]

@suzanneetmoi Right, I talked to my teacher about it. He doesn't know whether I'm going Lyric Mezzo or some sort of je ne sais quoi Soprano, in that I have high notes too. He said that it was too big too though so good advice! Thanks.

[illavynvelendril]

@suzanneetmoi Thanks-- I appreciate the advice. :)

[DEFinitivelyHis]

Stunning. I remember the first time I heard her sing this. I can't hold back the chills or the tears. That voice is proof enough for me that there is a God...and that He has got impeccable taste.

[jmccracken1963]

What an OUTSTANDING performance by Renee Fleming of a great and difficult scena!!! Thank you VERY much for sharing this with us!!!!!

[Baitjim]

What a truly amazing instrument...holy cow! I LOVE her!

[raymzi]

that person who said this seemed like Wagner forgot that Floyd was present during the Met production of Susannah with Fleming and commended her. :)

[kaleonani77]

I just love you Renee!! Such beauty!!! And you make it look SO easy when I know it's not because I'm currently learning it:)

[droot6681]

does anyone have a video of her doing "trees"?

[jpbreeze]

I think Ms. Fleming thought that this was written by Wagner instead of Floyd.... incredible, powerful voice, and completely misses the actual music here.

[asdfopera]

What a joke!

[piscesvirgo]

The orchestra for this opera is HUGE! You have to have a big sound in order to cut through. I'm well-acquainted with this aria, and Renee does a lovely job with it.

[Tuperatacu]

Sublime!

[MagicalSongbird]

Wauw... this is lovely... she has such a magnificent voice.

[Takoon]

That was WONderful. -^ ^- Hoorah.

[vocalvideos]

Outstanding. I love Renee Fleming. She is a true pro at expressing the text. So moving.

[Amanderina]

I do think she took a few liberties- but I like what she did with it, honestly. no composer wants a RoboSoprano 2008 singing their heartfelt work. and Composer and Librettist Floyd met personally with Fleming. I'm certain Floyd wouldn't speak well of Fleming if she wasn't singing his work to taste. Renee Fleming is beautifully emotive, and makes Susannah come to life. I love this aria, and this opera.

[flemming4ever]

I am learning this aria, and its a killer, she makes it sound sooo easy, i just love this womans musicality...oh yah, and her voice is not bad either...(sigh)

[tosca333scarpia]

Does anyone have a video/recording of Fleming doing "The Trees on the Mountains."  She did it so poignantly in the opera. I would love to hear it again.

[trekkie2006]

She recorded this aria and "The Trees On the Mountains" on her 'I Want Magic!' CD :)

[Roxyhollisterchick]

I love the huge high note.

[awest2006]

Stunning, gorgeous. There's something about the passion and hope in this aria, and the vivid descriptions...it's really moving. And Renee is the perfect voice to communicate all of it.

[bossmuscle]

yes, glorious voice. Opening passages though---the lower primo passaggio- audible breaks - sounded like yodelling.

[Italia1987]

idk what it is about this aria....but it always makes me cry. not usually a fan of renee's, but i think she does sings this so beautifully. and her diction seems goods to me.

[jonomu]

one of my favorite songs

[dorjenne]

The voice is beautiful, but I wish her diction was clearer. It's still a wonderful interpretation.

[cajuncoralman]

I just heard her at the Baltimore Lyric Opera House last saturday (December 8th) for a Galla Concert, and it was just amazing... Words can't describe her. I love her timbre and tone. Her runs, cadenza's and portimento are just perfect (not overdone at all). Brava Ms. Fleming

[Homoclassicus]

A fascinating American Opera aria and Fleming sings it with sublime commitment and vocal beauty. Her voice was at its richest, creamiest and most luscious shape!

[BeauTenor]

Boy...I forgot how beautiful this voice used to be. Too bad she didn't keep singing this way. What she does now is APPALLING.

[loveopera72]

What is appalling about how she sings now? I think she has become more amazing.

[BeauTenor]

What is appalling? Well....the scoops, the crooning, the weird affectations that she does to be "artistic". I'm not saying she doesn't have nights when she sing like the renee of old (meaning amazing), but c'mon. She's slated to sing Semiramide and Norma at the MET. WHY?

[tosca333scarpia]

This has to be done more folk-like... and they do note-bending, etc. This is just a different style... It's 20th C. American. I also like to hear her sing Handel and operas from earlier period and she doesn't do this type of scooping and bending notes. Floyd meant it to be done this way. He was raised in the mountains, the son of a minister... he knew the folk style and wrote a beautiful hymn for this opera.

[fiesco7]

I love this aria mainly because of Renee. It's perfect for her voice. Her voice sounds so open and free here. Beautiful!

[Burgundia1980]

The best American arias have a freeness about them that is simply marvelous when they are well sung, as here. American opera is vastly underrated IMHO.

[renethel]

@Burgundia1980

I totally agree, as an American and classically trained singer.

[urgrad03]

Lovely

[duaname]

Love Renee but her approve sounds too "old" for the young Susannah.

[Wombles8]

GOD NO !!!!!

[LakshmiParimala]

*Isn't* she beautiful?