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Orchestral

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

  • REVIEW: Bulgarian Soprano Sonya Yoncheva Debuts Memorable Mimì in Middling 'La Bohème' at Metropolitan Opera

    Recently, the Metropolitan Opera has made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Be it pre-season labor disputes with the man Peter Gelb, opening night unrest care of Leon Klinghoffer and Rudy Guiliani or just a simple technical glitch during the broadcast at your local cinema, what's been lost as of late is a lot. Such controversies, however inflated, do obscure the institution's real mission statement. First and perhaps foremost, is the fact that the Met remains this country's most enduring repertory company. For every Klinghoffer or Iolanta premiere in 2014-15, there are as many, if not more, reheated Aidas and prefab Meistersingers. Come the holidays, highly touted new productions of Le Nozze di Figaro and The Merry Widow will run alongside evergreen faire like Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Hansel and Gretel. And, let's be honest, it is the latter, lighter of these programming options that the casual opera-goer is wont to experience there at Lincoln Center. In fact, Mr. Gelb is banking on it.
    By Logan K. Young
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