Dubbed as a mistress of an exemplary Mozartian style, American
soprano Renee Fleming will present the first performance of her
Asian tour in Chinese mainland at Shanghai Grand Theater on
Wednesday night.
Shanghai-based News Times reported that one day before her
debut, the soprano visited the Shanghai Conservatory of Music to
give some advice to four opera performance students.
Fleming said a beautiful voice is not the ultimate goal on
stage. The highest level of singing rests on performances, not
voice. Though frequently touted as the most beautiful voice of the
United States, the opera diva did not attach much importance to
singing skills like pronunciation, voice and breath. She mandated
the students express the story of the opera piece while
singing.
Fleming told News Times that young singers nowadays put too much
attention to singing itself without comprehending the original
writer's intent. She stressed that singers should express the
internal sensation of the opera.
For her first Asian tour, Fleming has not taken the
one-program-fits-all approach like other pop opera artists.
Instead, she has different programs for each city.
She performed an all-Strauss program in Hong Kong on April 2,
including the German composer's haunting post-World War II work
Four Last Songs, and other lieder.
In Taipei, the first city on the tour in which she performed
with a full orchestra, it was Strauss, Rossini, Bizet and the
crowd-pleasing O Mio Babbino Caro by Puccini.
Fleming will have her next performance in Beijing at Forbidden
City Concert Hall on Saturday, collaborating with the China
Philharmonic Orchestra.
(CRI.cn April 5, 2007)
