Bel Canto

by Renee Fleming, Patrick Summers

Overview

It seems that there is no limit to the breadth of Renee Fleming's stylistic range. During the course of a remarkable career, this extraordinary soprano has shown herself to be adept in the works of Mozart, Strauss, Massenet, and Handel, among others, as well as 20th-century repertoire. Brilliant albums such as NIGHT SONGS, I WANT MAGIC!, and THE BEAUTIFUL VOICE demonstrate her determination to move beyond the boundaries of standard operatic fare. For this disc, Fleming turns her attention to bel canto, a style with little representation in her discography but one that has special significance for her. Success and acclaim came early in her career as a result of breakthrough performances in the works of composers such as Rossini and Donizetti, and the bel canto style has always represented for her the culmination of all the elements of great singing. It's music that's tailor-made for true prima donnas, demanding mastery of technique and expression, and Fleming shows that she's more than up to the challenge. She flawlessly dispatches the technical demands of these works and wrings every drop of drama, pathos, and lyricism available in them. BEL CANTO leaves no doubt as to why Fleming has earned her place among the great divas of all time.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/27/2002
Label:	London/Decca / Decca / Universal Classics
UPC:	0028946710128
Rank:	154501

Tracks

1. La sonnambula, opera~Scene and final aria, Act 2. Ah!...se una volta sola
2. La sonnambula, opera~Scene and final aria, Act 2. Ah! non credea mirarti
3. La sonnambula, opera~Scene and final aria, Act 2. Ah! non giunge uman pensiero
4. Maria Padilla, opera~Scene and cavatina, Act 1. Abbracciami
5. Maria Padilla, opera~Scene and cavatina, Act 1. Il pi¿¿ tenero suon d'arpa morende
6. Maria Padilla, opera~Scene and cavatina, Act 1. Ah! non sai qual prestigio si cela
7. Semiramide, opera~Cavatina, Act 1. Introduction
8. Semiramide, opera~Cavatina, Act 1. Bel raggio lusinghier
9. Semiramide, opera~Cavatina, Act 1. Dolce pensiero di quell'istante
10. Il Pirata, opera~Scene and aria, Act 2. Introduction
11. Il Pirata, opera~Scene and aria, Act 2. Ah! s'io potessi dissipar le nubi
12. Il Pirata, opera~Scene and aria, Act 2. Col sorriso d'innocenza
13. Il Pirata, opera~Scene and aria, Act 2. Oh sole! ti vela di tenebre oscure
14. Armida, opera~Finale, Act 2. D'Amor al dolce impero
15. Armida, opera~Finale, Act 2. Gli augei tra fronde e fronde
16. Armida, opera~Finale, Act 2. La fresca et¿¿ sen fugge
17. Armida, opera~Finale, Act 2. Ah! s¿¿, godete amanti
18. Lucrezia Borgia, opera~Final rondo, Act 3. M'odi, ah m'odi, io non t'imploro
19. Lucrezia Borgia, opera~Final rondo, Act 3. Figlio!...figlio!...Ol¿¿, qualcuno!
20. Lucrezia Borgia, opera~Final rondo, Act 3. Era desso il figlio mio

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Renee Fleming   Primary Artist,Soprano (Vocal)
Patrick Summers   Primary Artist,Conductor
Kristine Jepson   Mezzo-Soprano (Vocal)
Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino   Choir/Chorus
Orchestra of St. Luke's   Orchestra
Melanie Feld   Cor Anglais,Horn (English)

Technical Credits

Philip Gossett   Liner Notes,Music Consultant
Corradina Caporello   Language Coach
Niels Busch   Cover Image,Photography
Ian Watson   Recording Editor
Nina Lesieur   Libretto Translation
Steven Underhill   Photography
Evans Mirageas   Executive Producer
Patrick Summers   Liner Notes
Erik Smith   Producer
Giovanni Schmidt   Librettist
J. Henry   Libretto Translation
Jenni Whiteside   Recording Editor
Alice Fields   Production Coordination
Clive Bennett   Executive Producer
Christiane Frobenius   Liner Note Translation
Andreas Klatt   Liner Note Translation
Gudrun Meier   Libretto Translation
Felice Romani   Librettist
Gaetano Rossi   Librettist
Gerald Moore   Music Assistant
Gaetano Donizetti   Composer,Librettist
Renee Fleming   Liner Notes
Graham Meek   Engineer
Tom Lazarus   Engineer,Balance Engineer
Vincenzo Bellini   Composer
Gioachino Rossini   Composer
Kenneth Chalmers   Libretto Translation
Mark Millington   Art Direction
Jonathan Stokes   Balance Engineer
Avril Bardoni   Libretto Translation
Gery Bramall   Libretto Translation
David Ylla-Somers   Libretto Translation,Liner Note Translation
Marc Stedman   Recording Editor
Neil Hutchinson   Balance Engineer