Tamed Beauty: Renée Fleming in recital at Carnegie Hall

By Courtney Smith, 11 March 2016

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“a charismatic diva with great American uplift”

Reviewed at Carnegie Hall: Stern Auditorium, New York City on 9 March 2016

Schumann, Frauenliebe und -leben, Op.42

Rachmaninov, In the silence of the secret night (V molchan'ji nochi tajnoj), Op.4 no.3

Rachmaninov, Do not sing, my beauty (Ne poy krasavitsa pri mne), Op.4 no.4

Rachmaninov, Lilacs (Siren'), Op.21 no.5

Rachmaninov, Water Lily, (Rechnaja lileja) Op.8 no.1

Rachmaninov, Twilight, Op.21 no.3

Rachmaninov, Spring waters (Vesennije vody), Op.14 no.11

Debussy, Préludes, Bk 2 no. 12: Feux d'artifice

Debussy, Ariettes oubliées

Barber, Higher

Barber, Scream

Barber, Hunger

Barber, Morpheus

Barber, You Gotta Go Home

Traditional, Danny Boy

Rodgers, The King and I: Shall we dance?

Puccini, Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro

Renée Fleming, Soprano

Olga Kern, Piano

Slatkin brings genuine Gershwin to Prague

Frank Kuznik, 25th April

Leonard Slatkin brings a New World burnish and expertise to a high-energy outing with the Prague Symphony Orchestra.

****1

Mesmerising Rachmaninov from Kern, Slatkin and the NSO

Andrew Larkin, 10th March

The fire, fury and passion of Olga Kern's pianism makes for an utterly unforgettable Rachmaninov Third Piano Concerto in Dublin.

*****

Beethoven’s “Fives” come alive in Virginia

Phillip Nones, 13th June

Olga Kern, JoAnn Falletta and the Virginia Symphony deliver musical high-fives in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Emperor Concerto.

****1

Copland’s Third Symphony redeems Slatkin and the NSO

Sydney Boyd, 7th December

After a humdrum reimagining of Paganini's 24th Caprice and an underwhelming Rachmaninov piano concerto, Slatkin triumphs with an august Copland 3.

**111

Zukerman drives an unsteady Russian troika with the RPO

Mark Pullinger, 1st March

Three Russian warhorses given performances of remarkably varying quality by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

***11

RSNO: Valentine's Night with Christian Kluxen and Olga Kern

Alan Coady, 15th February

The contention that black and white are not colours felt doubtful upon seeing the customary RSNO white tie and black tails reversed; the truly colourful array of dresses offsetting white tuxedos allowed one to see, more easily than usual, the gender balance of the RSNO – which, in this Valentine’s concert, seemed about 50–50.

****1

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Courtney Smith

Courtney Smith is an American freelance journalist living in Milan, Italy. On classical music and opera, she's written for the BBC Music Magazine, Opera Now, Opera News, Corriere della Sera Style Magazine, Auditorium, Limelight and Classical Singer. She's written in-house for classical music organizations such as The New York Philharmonic and the Royal Opera House's blog. On luxury, fashion and beauty, she's written for The Wall Street Journal, Women's Wear Daily, Grazia.it and W Magazine's Editors' Blog. She's written in-house for brands such as Calvin Klein.