Renée Fleming - The Schubert Album
This is where Renee Fleming proved herself as a voice of international importance, not just with  the luster of her instrument but with her artistic integrity. Her song selection includes some rarely heard  items such as the 15-minute ballad "Viola" and lots of the Schubert hits, such as "Ave  Maria," "Die Forelle" and especially "Gretchen am Spinnrade," which she  renders with a chillingly intense sense of drama. Throughout this disc, she eschews the usual tidy, well- mannered lieder approach of so many, giving each song a highly individualistic, even rugged profile.-- David Patrick Stearns