Reneé Fleming & Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Night Songs (Fauré,

Reneé Fleming & Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Night Songs (Fauré, Debussy, Marx, Strauss, Rachmaninov)

Soprano RenÃ©e Fleming's mastery of a wide repertory extends to the more rarefied world of song on this disc. A French group opens the disc--11 songs by FaurÃ© and Debussy that are often elusive, wedded to a style of intimacy not always comfortable for non-French opera singers. Fleming's not completely at home in them, often overinterpreting songs whose style is too fragile and understated for such an approach. Still, she offers many moments of rapturous singing, such as the way she floats the last word, "mystÃ©rieuse," of FaurÃ©'s "AprÃ¨s un rÃ«ve," tingeing it with eroticism.
"Mandolin" appears in two versions, FaurÃ©'s gently swinging one balanced by Debussy's bouncier take. The Rachmaninoff set also fascinates, her sensuous voice bringing its own rewards. Best of all are the German lieder by Joseph Marx and Richard Strauss. This is closer to home for Fleming, and one senses an ease in her singing that digs behind the words to the meaning of the poems. The Marx set is the highlight, perhaps because his songs are the least familiar here. They're also things of great beauty, and Fleming makes the most of the dreamily sensuous "Selige Nacht" and the twisted, nightmarish waltz of "Pierrot Dandy." The Strauss songs are as good: to cite one highlight, Fleming's rapt inwardness makes "Ruhe meine Seele" compelling. Her voice is never less than drop-dead gorgeous, and she's neatly accompanied by pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. A feast for Fleming fans. --Dan Davis

Country	USA
AudienceRating	NR (Not Rated)
Binding	Audio CD
EAN	0028946769720
Label	Decca
Manufacturer	Decca
MPN	028946769720
NumberOfDiscs	1
NumberOfItems	1
PartNumber	028946769720
PublicationDate	2002-11-21
Publisher	Decca
ReleaseDate	2001-04-03
Studio	Decca

Reneé Fleming & Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Night Songs (Fauré, Debussy, Marx, Strauss, Rachmaninov)

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