The dream team: Renee Fleming and Christian Thielemann, today's foremost interpreters of Richard Strauss, in a brand new recording of the Four Last Songs, plus other arias and songs by R. Strauss.
Renee Fleming, the world's leading lyric soprano, records the exquisitely beautiful Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss in a brand new recording. Fleming recorded these songs once before, ten years ago before she had ever sung them live. Since then, these enduringly popular showcases for the soprano voice have become signature pieces for Fleming and a regular and much-loved part of her concert repertoire. With years of experience of live performances behind her, Fleming is ready now to revisit these works, bringing more insight, fresh interpretations and greater maturity.
She is conducted by Christian Thielemann, a renowned interpreter of Strauss. The disc also includes other Strauss scenes from his operas Ariadne auf Naxos and Die Agyptische Helena as well as Richard Strauss's songs Freundliche Vision, Verfuehrung, Winterweihe and Zueignung, several of which Fleming has sung live to critical acclaim.
“[Fleming's] voice is perfectly suited to [these 'magical late songs'] demands, less of range than of tender, expressive feeling…a must for more than merely Straussians” Anthony Holden, The Observer, 7th September 2008
“Renée Fleming's first recording of the Last Songs, made in 1996 (on RCA), was distinctly mixed. Here Christian Thielemann is a much more natural Straussian, powerful and luxuriant, and Fleming's voice has gained in distinctiveness and diction, to splendidly dramatic effect, often with a real 'float' at the top.” BBC Music Magazine, September 2008 ****
Gramophone Magazine
