This is Renée Fleming’s finest CD in quite a while. Over the years the voice has remained healthy and beautiful. What has been awry are her stylistic choices: sliding into notes, over-emphasizing phrases, singing everything–from bel canto to Tatiana–with Verismo mannerisms; that is, in the style of late-19th and early-20th-century opera that underlined “truth” in feelings and situations. Well, here she sings as much as she can like a Verist, albeit with a voice that does not really have what it takes.
This is not a criticism; it’s an observation. We encounter no stylistic or emotional faults. But Verismo sopranos will make ugly sounds if they have to for dramatic effect, and Fleming’s voice just doesn’t “do” ugly. True Verismo sopranos tend to have a more prominent grain to their tones and Fleming’s continues to be creamy.
Not all of these arias can truly be called “Verismo”: neither Suor Angelica, Magda, Liu, nor Mimi express themselves with the near-hysterical emotionalism that is so beloved of the Verists. Nevertheless, as Magda in Rondine, Fleming is lovely, both in the quartet for four women’s voices and the second-act double-love-duet (with Jonas Kaufmann as luxury casting as Ruggero). Mimi’s first aria is well-drawn with a nice Puccinian blossoming on the top notes; her Liu is sweet and sad; Angelica is angelic. Use of portamento could not be more apt. Fleming gives Manon Lescaut’s “Sola, perduta…”, here presented in its longer, original version, the desperation it requires. Both excerpts from Leoncavallo’s La bohème are charming, but hardly what we think of when we think of Verismo.
With Lodoletta or Iris (in Mascagni’s operas of the same name) we need the sort of over-the-top dementia that so pleases opera lovers. Fleming works Iris’ mania well, with fine emphasis on the middle voice and a whopping high B to top it all off, but it doesn’t make you want to jump off a building the way Magda Olivero’s performances of the aria do. Lodoletta’s “Flammen, perdonami” is moving and deeply felt, but if you recall Mafalda Favero’s recording, there is a frenzy present that is not out of place and Fleming doesn’t have it. Fedora’s death scene is superbly done but could have been even more maudlin.
The rarities here are very valuable. A lengthy scene from Zaza, in which the heroine meets the young child of the married man she loves (with the child’s part spoken sweetly and innocently) is intensely moving, with Zaza’s predicament clear and tragic. Similarly, Conchita’s tale of how she toyed with the affections of three men who followed her the previous day makes us wish to hear more of Zandonai’s opera. Throughout, Marco Armiliato and the Milan forces provide fine support and elegant playing. The supporting singers are all quite good.
To sum up: Fleming pulls out all the stops and this CD will please her fans. But is she a Verismo soprano? No–she’s a soprano who sings Verismo arias handsomely, with great art and emotions on display. But if you’re expecting a bunny to be a tigress, you may be disappointed. [10/6/2009]
