Renée Fleming's singing voice has been described as "double cream." She remembers being "jelly" at the end of her first rehearsal for her professional debut. In this episode, she talks about performing and the challenges of being heard, without amplification, over an orchestra, but also about the pleasure of being in the audience “where I have literally been sobbing at the end” of an opera. Music excerpts included in Here’s the Thing’s conversation with Renée Fleming (in order of appearance):
“Glück, das mir verblieb (Marietta’s Lied)” from Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt (Live performance from the Met’s 125th Anniversary Gala, March 15, 2009; Conductor: James Levine)
“I’ll Be Seeing You” (Renée Fleming with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble/”Arranger’s Holiday” recorded Fall 1981 (archive tape courtesy Renée Fleming; special thanks to Ed Fleming)
"Contessa, perdono!" from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Houston Grand Opera. Conductor; Christoph Eschenbach. 1991
