“Nein, nein!”
In the comments section of this post, you are invited to offer your opinion on why Renée Fleming‘s broadcast performance (as heard tonight, October 13) strikes you as not a great portrayal of the Marschallin.
The finest “Nein, Nein” response will win a copy of the Sony CD
Deadline for entries in this competiton will be midnight, Wednesday October 14 when the comments section in the “Ja, ja” and “Nein, nein” threads will be closed. In honor of Our Own JJ, all eligible responses should be 300 words or less, and, while your doyenne invites your comments, nominations and general egging-on, her decision as to the winning essays is final. She also reserves the right to substitute alternate prizes to winners residing outside North America.
I dunno. I really don’t watch dvds much and I would love to have the Bernstein Rosenkavalier on CD – and since I’m too cheap to shell out the 14 bucks for the budget reissue, and I’m really torn about Renee in the role, I feel conflicted.
I’m also conflicted about the artistic question at hand. Does Renee seem to be rising to the challenge of the part? On her own terms, according to the low standards she has set for us, probably. Is this really good singing? I don’t think so.
Does anyone else squintily read program notes during the Mid-Act Longeur of Act II? I know I do, and one semi-fact I gleaned (darkly) is that according to either Strauss or Hoffmansthal or, hell, for all I know maybe Ralph Nader, Oktavian is neither the Marschallin’s first friend, shall we say, with fringe benefits, nor her last. So now the problem, and I say this as a sometime reasonably ardent fan, but the problem with Ms. Fleming’s portrayal of the Marschallin is that as lovely as she is, the way she plays it, it is absolutely fucking impossible to imagine she’s ever done that thing the trombones are talking about.
WHAT IS that annoying little expressive trick La Fleming does on a stressed, long note which sounds a bit like a broadening of the cheeks and a kind of Knoedel-yodel??? it irks me to no end!!! It is so shamefully ignoble.
maury, dude, you sound unaware that her last boyfriend was a major trombone player – cum – conductor.
if she hasn’t done that thing, nobody has!
Does anybody else think that Renee and Vanessa Williams look alike? I also think Renee ‘sounds black’ when she sings jazz.
I’m pretty certain she took a wrong turn backstage, wound up in Aida’s dressing room, and got blackface smeared all over her.
5: yes and yes!
Squirrel, well I’m quite certain she has, and don’t wish her any less of it. I just find something way unlibidinal about her Marschallin. In the last scene of Onegin, it is 100% possible to believe she has tromboned.
I agree. She is professionally very very neat and careful, and the result is performances of sterility where no particular human qualities come through to make up for her vocal and interpretive shortcomings, as they must in a great artist.
Her Marschallin was certainly much improved over the previous outing, but I think she still barked way too much of the text and overemphasized words within the line in a completely unnatural way. I felt that instead of eavesdropping on the thoughts of a refined, wise woman, I was reading the Facebook stream of a 16 year old girl.