Renée Fleming
Surely,Renée Fleminghas one of the most  beautiful voices to be heard anywhere today. It combines velvety warmth, creamy  richness, soaring radiance, and flawless purity, and seems to flow out without  effort, every tone impeccably centered and in tune, capable of almost too much  variety of color and nuance. Fleming's breath control is incredible; she can  spin out long, arching phrases and build up climaxes with thrilling intensity.  The program of this recital displays Fleming's vocal and dramatic gifts to full  advantage, and includes both familiar and lesser-known arias from Italian and  French operas. Although some of these are not in her repertoire, she clearly  feels close to them. The three opening Puccini favorites fromGianni Schicchi,Madama Butterfly, andLa Bohèmeare a  bit fussy and over-inflected, hardly suited to the characters' simplicity; but,  from then on, Fleming seems completely at one with both her tragic and her  lighthearted heroines. She captures their warm inwardness, rapture, passion,  ecstasy, and desperation; darkening and lightening her voice at will. Her top  notes soar gloriously, her trills laugh. The orchestra is splendid, supporting  her all the way and sounding wonderful.--Edith Eisler