It was still a short program. But Fleming had no intention of short-changing us. Her six encores began with an aria from Italian verismo composer Riccardo Zandonai's Conchita (1911) and a sublime rendition of Gershwin's "Summertime," with a vibrant new approach to the words ("Your daddy's rich" actually got a chuckle from the audience) and greater restraint and subtlety in her blues embellishments. Then she launched into Strauss's rapturous "Cecilia." "I think I'm warmed up now," she said.
She warmed into a rendition of Rodgers & Hart's "My Funny Valentine" while Höll accompanied with the opening of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (a special treat, because Höll has so thoroughly devoted himself to accompanying). Then "I Could Have Danced All Night" with the audience singing along "so I can do a soprano obbligato." ("You were right in tune!" she enthused.) And then she ended with Strauss's "Morgen" ("Morning"), an "iconic, perfect song," Höll's exquisite prelude and postlude perhaps even more beautiful and touching than the singing.
Fleming is as glamorous as a diva can get, but there's little that's diva-ish about her beyond her knockout looks. She's now such a star, she can get away with a program that isn't going to be merely crowd-pleasing (or critic-pleasing). And she's become so comfortable with her celebrity that she can confide in the audience as if we were her old friends, and tell us about how she once dropped her microphone and how much she loves what she's singing. And we love her all the more.
Related:
Can classical be underground?, Puccini goes punk, The show goes on, More 
- Can classical be underground?
At least one of the reasons many of us contemporary-music fans don't get into classical music is because it seems like no one wants us to listen to it.
- Puccini goes punk
Perched on the lid of a lace-draped baby grand, a bobblehead quivers along with Christine Teeters's vibrato as she powers through a Tuesday-night voice lesson in the Steinway Piano Building on Boylston Street.
- The show goes on
Soprano Renée Fleming visits the PSO
- German birthday cake
Tuesday's gift from Portland's Choral Art Society to German composer Felix Mendelssohn, on the occasion of what would be his 200th birthday, will be one of his greatest works (Elijah), and one of their biggest undertakings.
- Photos: Ballet mécanique
BMOP performs Ballet mécanique, live at Jordan Hall on November 13, 2009
- Woof!
Probably most music lovers wouldn’t head their greatest-composer list with Carl Orff, despite the popularity of his violent, garish, sumptuously tuneful Carmina burana .
- World music
There’s more to Boston’s classical music scene than the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
- Erwartung . . .
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA music director James Levine will be back in February to continue his survey of Beethoven and Schoenberg with Metropolitan Opera diva Deborah Voigt in Beethoven’s “Ah! perfido” and Schoenberg’s Erwartung (“Awaiting”), along with Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture and Eighth Symphony (Symphony Hall, February 1-3).
- From Knoxville to Swan Lake and back
As our most prestigious classical-music institution, the Boston Symphony Orchestra ought to be every year’s headliner, and once again, under the adventuresome direction of James Levine, it is.
- Beloved of God
Johannes Chrisostomas Wolfgang Gottlieb (Amadé) Mozart was born 250 years ago last Friday, January 27.
- Flirting with Beethoven
It is said that Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) “got around.” Even today, the old dog arouses the interests of performers and seduces listeners.
- Less
Topics:
Classical
, Entertainment, Music, Richard Sheena, More
, Entertainment, Music, Richard Sheena, Hartmut Holl, BSO, John Kander, Classical Music, Classical Music, Orchestral Music, John Ferrillo, Less
