Renee Fleming - The Beautiful Voice ~ Gounod, Lehar, Orff, Puccini, Rachmaninov, Strauss
This vocal recital certainly lives up to its title, perhaps too well. It's a collection of arias and  songs Fleming has sung for years that for some may be too much frosting and not enough cake. Surely, her  performances are rich with interpretive nuances, wonder-filled portamentos and word colorings that reflect  a long history with this repertoire, which ranges from Charpentier's "Depuis le jour" to  Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise." Some may find Fleming a bit much, but agree with her or not, she's  far more interesting than singers who keep a safe, discreet distance from the music.--David Patrick  Stearns