London Philharmonic Orchestra, Enrique Mazzola conductor, Renée Fleming soprano. Dvořák: Overture, Othello; Verdi: Dances, Willow song, Ave Maria from Otello; Strauss: Introduction; Moonlight Music; Finale from Capriccio
The programme of this (great) concert was built around Ms Fleming, and the Othello/Richard Strauss themes of the first and second had little connection between the two other than Ms Fleming’s feeling comfortable singing extracts from both of them.
Enrique Mazzolla seemed to run a tight ship as conductor, and the LPO sparkled and crackled in the (silly Orientalist) Otello ballet music, with tight rhythms and a general sense that the players were enjoying themselves. Dvorak’s Othello overture was frankly a bit of a bore, despite an attractive 11 note theme I vaguely recognised and which sounded as though it had popped out of one of the mature symphonies – but again it was well played. It was one of those Dvorak works where Wagner, rather than Brahms or Czech folk song predominated – a distinct melody that sounded like Brunnhilde’s sleep motive in Die Walkure at one point……
So…..the stage was set for Ms Fleming. I last saw her in 2016 at ROHCG, when she was singing one of her last Marschallins before retiring from the stage (with Andris Nelsons conducting, and very good it was too, though not effacing memories of the 1974 Carlos Kleiber performances I went to with Helga Dernesch and Yvonne Minton). But, although now in her early 60s, she clearly feels confident enough to continue to do shortish extracts in the concert hall, and on the evidence of this performance justifiably so. The highlight was undoubtedly ‘Capriccio’ – a lovely performance of the sextet by the LPO front desk strings, a warm glowing horn solo introducing the final scene and a wholly absorbing performance by Ms Fleming as the Countess. Her diction was excellent, with a real sense of the pointing of, and of the meaning of, the words, coming from long experience of playing the role on stage, and she offered some lovely floated high notes, and smooth legato singing. Altogether her voice sounded truly ‘Straussian’. I have never heard any part of this work live before, though I am hoping to experience it in full in Munich in July, with Diana Damrau, so it felt a true privilege to hear this performance. I enjoyed the Willow Song and Ave Maria almost as much – a real sense of drama and tension, again, good clear diction, and a voice that conveyed the pathos of the role without ever descending into melodrama. I have no idea how Ms Fleming might have sounded in these roles 20 years earlier, but I loved these performances….The audience was clearly diva- focused, and cheered enthusiastically at the end. The encore was the orchestrated version of the R Strauss song, Morgen, movingly, simply, and beautifully sung
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