Renowned soprano brings intimate dimension to her art

Kristine Berey

December, 2010

World-class opera singer Renée Fleming will grace Salle Wilfrid Pelletier January 25 in an intimate program of songs and arias spanning more than a century.

With Harmut Hoell at he piano, the program features works by Richard Strauss, Henri Duparc, Giacomo Puccini and Brad Mehldau, among others.

Mehldau is a highly regarded jazz pianist and writes original music beyond jazz parameters. He will accompany mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter February 23 in an concert within this classical series.

World-class singer Renée Fleming will perform at Place des Arts January 25. Photo: DECCA_Andrew Eccles

One chamber music enthusiast who, some years ago, attended Fleming’s performance of Mehldau’s The Book of Hours was deeply moved.

He described that concert in glowing terms: “To hear her sing this is like hearing an alchemist at work, changing base metals into gold.”

As one of the most celebrated lyric sopranos, Fleming has sung the most enduring music of the vocal repertoire. She has made some daring forays into what she described in her book The Inner Voice as a “parallel universe,” by releasing CDs featuring jazz and popular music. The singer will celebrate her 52nd birthday on Valentine’s Day. Fleming will open with Mehldau’s The Book of Hours, while the rest of the program will showcase those qualities of Fleming’s voice her classical music fans know and adore her for.

The concert begins at 8 pm, January 25. 514 842-2112.