Renee Fleming’s “Dark Hope”
It happens, and it’s great: A Jazz artist (like Benny Goodman) decides to record Mozart’s Clarinet concerto. And in this case, singer Renee Fleming has a new recording out of rock songs that she brings to her adoring audience. And why not???
This album features a voice that’s been called “superlative” (Denver Post) and “radiant” (Chicago Tribune). And Fleming says that for the recording of this album, “Singing in a small, acoustic booth, with a microphone that is very close, in this very intimate style, is the complete opposite of what I [usually] do.” There were similarities to how she prepares for an opera role, however. Renee Fleming points out that for each track on ‘Dark Hope’ “We found an interpretation that enabled the point of view to sound authentic coming from me. Every song has a story like that, so this whole idea of enacting or playing a role is doubly true for this music.”
There are 11 tracks on this CD:
1. Endlessly
2. No One’s Gonna Love You
3. Oxygen
4. Today
5. Intervention
6. With Twilight As My Guide
7. Mad World
8. In Your Eyes
9. Stepping Stone
10. Soul Meets Body
11. Hallelujah
One of the World’s great Opera stars interprets songs by Arcade Fire, Band of Horses, Death Cab For Cutie, The Mars Volta, Muse, and of course, Leonard Cohen. Renée Fleming’s new album ‘Dark Hope’, which the opera star describes as “a visit to a new universe” for her, will be released by Decca this spring.
This is a wonderful album that I hope many fans will listen to. Yes, you can tell that a seriously trained voice is presenting this music. And it is nice to have it sung with strength and faultless diction!
Here is Renee Fleming in talking about the making of “Dark Hope”
And here are trailers from “Dark Hope” so… tell me if you like it: Comments at the bottom of this Blog: