parterre box

116 comments

• Sanford says:

  “The singing of hers that some find repellent scares some discriminating young singers away from legitimate vocal devices.”

  Spurious and egregious. Such as what? And whom? I don’t know of any singer in their right mind who would listen to another singer and say to themselves “I don’t like that scooping; I’m never going to use portamento”. And I find it hard to believe any voice teacher would countenance that attitude.

  As for Renee, I have to say that while I don’t particularly like her in bel canto, I adore her Shepherd On The Rock, and Mozart (early, not recent). And her performance of the aria from Die Tote Stadt last year was glorious.

  on March 13, 2010 at 11:26 PM
• Alto says:

  P.S. Having reread post 99, it occurs to me to point out that I don’t remember accusing these outstanding your singers of anything like “cookie-cutter vocalism.” There are plenty of individuality-endowing vocal devices that are not employed at all, much less wrongly-employed, by R. Fleming (one does get tired of having to type that accent).

  As for the supposed change of characterization of the singers: is it that I didn’t repeat the second time that they are young? I don’t quite get what you mean to accuse me of there any more than I detect my “syntactical error.” Or, for that matter, understand how an anonymous writer on an anonymous board can manage “intimidation.” But I’m always ready to be educated.

  on March 13, 2010 at 11:36 PM
• Alto says:

  your = young in line 2

  I’m clearly wearying of this.

  on March 13, 2010 at 11:38 PM
• BETSY_ANN_BOBOLINK says:

  Responding to #102. I would call wanting to sound just like Renee Fleming “cookie-cutter vocalism.” I would call wanting to NOT

  on March 14, 2010 at 12:02 AM
• BETSY_ANN_BOBOLINK says:

  . . . oops, that one escaped before I was ready. I’ll just pick it up from where I left off. wanting to NOT sound like Renee Fleming “cookie-cutter vocalism.” In both cases an artificial and spurious goal precludes finding one’s own individual voice and presentational style.
  As for the error, it’s relatively simple. The adverb “very,” meaning to a greater degree, in English is almost always placed just before the word it is to modify. In the instance at issue, I am fairly sure you meant “the very best young singers,” which would intensify that they were of high quality, and not “the best very young singers” which would intensify their immaturity.

  on March 14, 2010 at 12:10 AM
• Alto says:

  I said what I meant, and I meant what I said. Is there really to be no limit to the impertinence?

  I am finished with this topic and am earnestly reconsidering the wisdom of taking the time to post here.

  on March 14, 2010 at 12:24 AM
• armerjacquino says:

  Girls, girls. You’re BOTH pretty.

  on March 14, 2010 at 12:30 AM
• BETSY_ANN_BOBOLINK says:

  Thank you, Armer, you silver-tongued Huguenot, you. Yes, I’ll drop it too.

  on March 14, 2010 at 12:51 AM
• luvtennis says:

  WOW!

  Random thoughts – Renee is a great singer. Great technique, lovely timbre, terrific musicianship. She has a true legato and fully understands the importance of dynamics in creating a living musical/singing line. Sometimes, she allows herself to lose the sense of the line in an effort to milk individual moments. That coupled with the fact that her most fundamental musical grounding is in american popular music (like most women her age from the US) and her moments of indulgence can end up sounding stylistically inapt. In that she is a bit like Price (gospel and jazz). The difference in terms of the prevalence is that Leontyne picked her spots much more judiciously. (In reality, Leontyne’s portamento excesses were pretty rare, they just stand out because of the usually sublime legato. That and the fact that her rep was so demanding that there was often less opportunity for self-indulgence.

  That said, Renee remains an important singer. Better her indulgences than the empty gray techically and musically unformed crap that we get from far too many top singers today. Also, that Armida from Pesaro was EXTRAORDINARY! The voice was like heavy cream across every register. The coloratura was marvelously accurate and the acting apt.

  on March 14, 2010 at 4:58 PM
• luvtennis says:

  Apropos of nothing:

  I am auditioning DVD Rings.

  Stay away from the Copenhagen Ring!!!!!!!!! Theorin (who is costumed to look like a plumper, younger, Betty White) is wobbly and shrieky on top. Anderson sings okay but the voice doesn’t project well. The staging has some good moments, but (as is the case with almost all regie stagings) there are moments when the performers, the staging and the music just clash with the force of a train wreck.

  DON’T WATCH THE FINAL MOMENTS OF SIEGFRIED IF YOU HAVE EATEN WITHIN THE PRIOR TWO HOURS.

  I am just now listening to the Mehta Ring.

  Let mesay that Jennifer Wilson is AMAZING!!!!!! The first real Brunnhilde of quality since Anne Evans (I have not heard Brewer in the role yet). The voice is large, well-produced, with a gloriously focussed upper register. Please let her record Isolde soon.

  on March 14, 2010 at 5:05 PM