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Opera Superstar Renée Fleming Reaches for Broadway's Rendition of 'Living on Love,' Cites Hardships in Doing So

Perhaps this is what the genre needs: a classical heavyweight like Renée Fleming pivoting from the "specifically European template" of opera and branching into other kinds of performing. This time, Fleming has her eyes on Broadway.An avid fan of all kinds of music, Fleming never pegged herself strictly as an opera singer. In an interview at Little Rock, the singer revealed that she was into all sorts of other genres — even learning Joni Mitchell in her youth.Seemingly hesitant to admit her affinity for anything not opera, she continued her hopes to star on Broadway in a production of "Living on Love," a farce she also performed this past summer at the Williamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts.She also went on to cite that she grew up listening and singing all different styles — everywhere from country-western to performing with a jazz trio. With some guitar skills under her belt, too, Fleming fancied singing troubadours like Joni Mitchell — maybe she has a protest song in her, too.
By Ian Holubiak

  • Final Four: Boston, Detroit and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestras with Los Angeles Philharmonic Play World Premieres Nov. 20-21

    Coming from the NPR newswire, four of America's largest orchestras and composers are apparently playing world premieres today, Nov. 20, and tomorrow, Nov. 21 — including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.Tonight's performances include:The Boston Symphony Orchestra is premiering "Lakes Awake at Dawn" for chorus and orchestra by Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds in joint commission by the BSO and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for Andris Nelsons, who turned 36 Tuesday.Detroit Symphony Orchestra music director Leonard Slatkin conducts his "Endgames." He will also lead a premiere of the "Trombone Concerto," written by his spouse Cindy McTee and featuring DSO principal trombonist Kenneth Thompkins as soloist.The Los Angeles Philharmonic and its music director Gustavo Dudamel celebrate their 10th anniversary of the Walt Disney Concert Hall's organ. Tonight they premiere American composer Stephen Hartke's "Fourth Symphony" with organist Cameron Carpenter and soprano Heidi Stober as soloists.
    By Ian Holubiak

  • Classicalite Recording News: Valentina Lisitsa Releases LP of Chopin's 24 & Schumann's Symphonic 'Études' on Decca Label (Universal Classics)

    With liner notes written by our own editor-in-chief Logan K. Young, the 24 studies of Chopin pair nicely with Schumann's more "symphonic" ones. And you'll want to listen, too, to the five supplementary variations of the latter's Op. 13.
    By Ian Holubiak
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