Her haunted heart is in the right place

Soprano Renée Fleming, target of a jibe or three on this site over the years, shows what finer stuff she’s made of on January 11 when she gives a recital for the benefit of Treatment Action Group in the intimate setting of a SoHo loft, recently dubbed “Carnegie Hall South” in the New York Times.

Chronic and a cutie

“Satisfy your sweet tooth with an hour full of can’t-miss Christmas cookie recipes! Bake brownies topped with festive green sprinkles with rapper Snoop Dogg… and prepare scrumptious spritz sugar cookies with soprano Renee Fleming.” [The Martha Stewart Show]

Hund in dem “Wie”

“…the 6-year-old pup is now Renée Fleming’s silent co-star — even he must resist the temptation to howl along with the diva during his 22-minute turn in the spotlight.” [NY Post]

Lights! Camera! Automatons!

What’s opening at the Met tonight may turn out to be a mere bagatelle next to a version of Les Contes d’Hoffmann “filmed in 3D and HD video, featuring 1000 extras, 150 musicians and chorus members from the Paris Opera, 50 dancers and 20 of the world’s greatest singers,” according to the blog By George.

To be sure, it’s been only nine years, but it certainly feels much longer

“In addition to her work on stage and in recordings, Renée Fleming has represented Rolex timepieces in print advertising since 2001. Master Chef Daniel Boulud has created the dessert ‘La Diva Renée’ (1999) in her honor, and she has inspired the ‘Renée Fleming Iris’ (2004), which has been replicated in porcelain by Boehm.

You’re going to scoop just what you sow

You know how you have this old friend you’ve known for 20 years now, who’s always been a little nuts, or gets a little high, or just is, you know, eccentric, but in a way that is so clueless that it’s kind of endearing? Someone you can count on for a laugh, because you always…

A Stolen Scoop

Two Faces of Diva Renée Fleming on DVD. (And here La Cieca thought it would be a documentary about cosmetic surgery!)

Diva, diva!

“As Renee Fleming was looking over a list of potential franchise businesses she could open, she noticed that Little Caesars — one of her favorites — offered incentives to entrepreneurs who had served in the military.” [Denver Business Journal]

Bearer of the Rose

The New York Times rolls out the red carpet for the Met’s revival of Der Rosenkavalier in a majorly major way today: chitchat with Renée Fleming, what Boris Goldovsky used to call “a musical and dramatic analysis,” plus, in what surely must be a first in media access, exclusive streaming content culled from yesterday’s dress…

Everything’s coming up Rose

La Cieca has a review coming (slowly) of the new Decca DVD of Der Rosenkavalier, but while we’re waiting, here are some clips from the telecast upon which this release is based. Feel free to discuss while La Cieca continues to scribble. 

Again with the sobriquets

[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/8_EbZNQ7AFk” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]

Mission: Ineffable

You mission, cher public, should you decide to accept it: Soprano Renée Fleming returns to her alma mater to give her first master class in NYC on Tuesday, October 20 from 6 – 7:30 PM at Juilliard. Ms. Fleming rarely gives master classes and this special event is a benefit for Juilliard…. Benefit tickets are…

A sobriquet is born

Renée Fleming shall henceforth be known as “La Scoopenda.” Congratulations to JNinNYC for his splendid suggestion, and thanks to all you lovely public who came up with so many clever ideas: in particular “La Ubiquita,” “Miss Cast” and “That Woman.” The new Verismo CD (among other delectables) is now on its way to the clever…

Whaddyacallit

She’s been dubbed “The Beautiful Voice,” “America’s Soprano,” “Opera MILF,” “Ney-Ney,” and now “The People’s Diva.” If there’s anything Renée Fleming doesn’t need, it’s another, whaddyacallit, another sobriquet. And yet, La Cieca does not consider need when she’s feeling generous, so she has decided that it is time to create yet one more nickname for…

Jonas, brother!

Wow, but he does this well! [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/mYg9IvjVmds” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]

mish-measha

People often come up to me and say, La Cieca, “Who do you think will be the next Renée Fleming?” Well, all, right, that doesn’t actually happen often, or even rarely. In fact, it doesn’t happen at all. But be that as it may, La Cieca has found “the next Renée Fleming,” or at least…

All fall down

Our Own JJ (not pictured) nominates the can’t-miss operatic and vocal events of the autumn of 2009. [NYP]

Is Renée Renata reborn?

Following the jump, snippets of all the tracks on the new “Verismo” album, as performed by America’s Soprano. 

Uno squarcio di vita

“Verismo,” Renée Fleming informs us, “means truth.” What better demonstration of this artist’s dedication to the real-life (not to say the mundane) than her apparent decision to fire her stylist and hairdresser in hopes of achieving a greater naturalism of appearance. Indeed, La Cieca would say that Fleming has succeeded: at least as documented in…

lost her rossini

La Cieca may have pointed this out before, but it’s worth pointing out again. Is this film clip the ultimate Renée Fleming experience, or what?

island magic

A preview of sorts of next season’s Met production of Armida. This is Herself, as heard  last week in Prague.

blonde ambition

A snippet of last night’s Traviata from London. 

eyes on the prize

La Cieca hears that Renée Fleming is going to be a Mastersinger. In related news, veteran “marker” Sixtus Beckmesser has announced his retirement. Elsewhere, Susan Graham and Thomas Hampson will be hosts of the fifth annual F. Paul Driscoll Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence. The November 19 festivities will be held…

renée has read the letter over, many times

“You will forgive me my poor dramatic skills. I have only been performing the role of Violetta for six years!”