Music To My Ears

I've got to give you all a little background history on one of my "hobbies" because something cool is coming up, and I need you all to be on the same page for when I recapture that memory.

I'm going to lay it all out on the table: I love opera! There, I said it. Judge me if you want, but it's true. More than opera, I love Renee Fleming's voice. Pure heaven! I've already seen her in a concert recital this past September in Denver. Ah-MAZING! When I learned about my move to DC, I found a friend (Thanks Sam!) who I could drag to the opera, and purchased two tickets for Otello, in which Fleming is starring - at the New York Met.

I purchased a dvd of Otello w/ Fleming and Placido Domingo and have since watched it several times familarizing myself with the text so that I can just focus on the beauty of the music come February 22. I'm quite thrilled to be going, and that's very much an understatement.

This will be my first live opera, and I think I chose a good one. Here's what some of the critics are saying about the opening night performance on the 11th:

ConcertoNet.com: "Verdi’s original title for Otello was Iago. Had he heard the opening night of the opera at the Met, I have no doubt he would have named his opera Desdemona. Both Johan Botha and Carlo Guelfi had their merits, but the evening belonged, first and foremost, to Renée Fleming, who is the most stirring Desdemona of our time."

San Francisco Chronicles: "Botha's shattering portrayal of Otello was matched by the near-perfect Desdemona of soprano Renee Fleming, who brought a ravishing purity to the role of the wife humiliated and literally strangled by her husband's blind obsession.

Often played as a pious, passive woman in love, Fleming's Desdemona is instead a complex, ardent figure tackling emotional demons she could neither understand nor control. The American soprano delivered the 'Ave Maria' — her last, devastating scene before Otello kills her in bed — as a quiet cry from the heart, crowned with the softest, ethereal 'Amen' on a high A-flat."

New York Sun: "'The Willow Song' was notable for its cleanliness and purity, with no resorting to the Caruso sob for this masterful artisan. But even better was the ensuing 'Ave Maria.' Here, Ms. Fleming achieved a level of vocal perfection that stood out even during this superb portrayal. In fact, the prayer was so good that nobody screamed "brava" or applauded at its conclusion. This was a genuinely holy moment and it deserved — and received — total silence."


I think the "Ave Maria" aria is what I have posted on my blog (see "Official Countdown"). It's from a concert recital, but the emotion in that performance is heartbreakingly real. Wait till the end and you can see the tears forming in Fleming's eyes. A remarkable performance.

Needless to say, I'm beside myself with excitement and anticipation. Will definitely be chronicling it when I get back from New York.

P.S. This is not your Barbara Streisand Christmas Ave Maria. It's a million times better.