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 last 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.