Poèmes (2012)

Apart from several Massenet operas, the music of French composers has never been central to Renée Fleming's recorded repertoire. This disc of French ... Show synopsis Apart from several Massenet operas, the music of French composers has never been central to Renée Fleming's recorded repertoire. This disc of French orchestral songs spanning more than a century, including Ravel's Shéhérazade, Messiaen's Poèmes pour Mi, and Dutilleux's Sonnets de Jean Cassou and Le Temps l'horloge (which Fleming premiered in 2009), demonstrates the singer's absolute mastery of the music and its idioms. Her affinity for the subtlety of the language is evident in her languid, sensual performance of Shéhérazade. Fleming has not often been associated with modern music more progressive than André Previn's, but her performances of the Messiaen and Dutilleux offer proof of her remarkable versatility. Messiaen wrote Poèmes pour Mi for "grande soprano dramatique," which generally doesn't describe Fleming, but she draws on the luxuriant richness that she brings to Strauss to provide all the power and drama the songs call for. Messiaen doesn't make things easy for his singer, but Fleming is... Hide synopsis