Renee and Bryn: Under the Stars

Bryn Terfel and Renée Fleming, two singers with world-class opera backgrounds, represent that which is textbook technique for any genre. They both sing beautifully and emotionally without the often-painful sound of vocal strain. Vocal strain is when the vocal folds are not allowed to vibrate properly by means of breath support, but instead, to makeup for the deficiency, singers entice other muscles in the larynx to do the work... leading to many career-ending injuries, such as that of Julie Andrews.

Renée Fleming does a wonderful job with the repertoire selected. It is unfortunate that in today's broadway-world almost all female leads are that of mezzo-sopranos who belt (extensive, or nearly exclusive use of chest voice/resonance)... almost entirely excluding singers with beautiful high lyric voices like that of Ms. Fleming. Ms. Fleming maneuvers the breaks between her low voice and higher voice better than anyone with knowledge of the soprano voice could expect. The voice fach difference does result in a much different sound than one usually experiences in broadway, but it's soft, sweet, astonishingly beautiful, and well acted.

As for Bryn Terfel, he is almost unanimously the best baritone on the face of the earth. His massive voice, sensitivity, and impeccable diction cannot be paralleled. I can only imagine how successful he would be taking the reins of a lead like Javert, his Stars is worth the CD alone. Mr. Terfel is at home with the operatic singing of 'Sweeney Todd' and likewise with classic shows like Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals and 'The Music Man' (shows written for operatic voices in the days before amplified sound). If you are a fan of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Bryn's 'Something Wonderful' is also a must buy.

Broadway is just the modern/popular trend of a long-standing tradition of musical theater, begun in Opera. The reason there is a supposed `technique' difference between opera and broadway is because of new voice-amplification technology. I think it is at times unfortunate that stage singing has taken the quality of pop-music instead of letting the true beauty of the full-voice sound. Please be wary of people's advice on opera that can only quote one `chestnut' opera aria like 'O mio babbino caro' from act-one of Puccini's 'Gianni Schicchi'. 'Under the Stars' is an excellent album for those who love good music.

Highly enjoyable. Bryn Terfel's voice is warm and pleasing. He has a wonderful sense of artistry and sound musical theater sense. Vocally, he's certainly in his prime. Terfel's "Stars" (from Les Misérables), will become one of the definitive renditions.

The duet "Aimer" (from Roméo et Juliette) is just beautiful. Sung creamy singing and what a wonderful melody. "Wheels of a Dream" (in which, I must say, Fleming becomes a tad self-indulgent) and "Not While I'm Around" are also glorious duets.

Fleming's singing of the Broadway repertoire resembles more of the pop music singing style than modern Broadway goes. But hey, she's trying to put her own Fleming flair on it and ya know what -- power to her! Futhermore, Fleming's two songs, "Moonfall" and "All the Wasted Time" are truly gorgeous!! Her purity of tone can never be matched.

Terfel gives an always dependable dramatic dedication to his. Giving each character different colors and feelings and moods and everything that makes him one of the best singing actors out there. But Fleming! I just have to mention her! Fleming should be commended for a true dedication to the dramatic aspect of singing (which few singers really understand). She brings a deep level of interpretation to all her very different characters. Her acting is getting better with every album she puts out. Where before, her acting was a little inward (she's admitted this on her Tony Palmer DVD), and one felt she was not let her acting shine through vocally, she is finally sharing real VOCAL emotions. Bravo Renée! She now is beginning to join the ranks of singing actresses like Beverly Sills, Maria Callas, Montserrat Caballe and others. Her "I Wish I Could Forget You / Loving You" (from Passion) is just chilling. I mean, some songs just want to make you wanna cry!

This is definitely a sound purchase. Able to be enjoyed again and again.

I also recommend the CD "Star Crossed Lovers" in which Fleming sings some West Side Story and Duke Ellington favorites (excellent examples of what a soprano should sound like singing this repertoire).

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   Written on June 12, 2003
   Summary: Better choices, better album!
I was prompted to buy this album from the TV show An evening on Broadway with Bryn Terfel and Renee Fleming. Maybe I was seduced by the vision but I was disappointed with the audio CD because it doesnt seem to have the enthusiasm that was with the TV audio. If I'd heard this on FM I probably wouldnt have bought it.

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   Written on April 13, 2003
   Summary: Go back to the Met
Let me say right off that Renee Fleming is my very favorite singer, bar none, and I have also enjoyed some of Bryn Terfel's work. But not in this repertoire. Neither really has the right technique for Broadway music. I am especially fond of good cross-over singing. Perhaps the current champion is Dawn Upshaw, though Hampson and VonStade also have done some fine work in this area, as well as Eileen Farrell a generation ago. My favorite cross-over CD is "With You" by Roberta Alexander, which clearly is overdue for reissue. As for this CD, there are some nice moments, such as "All I Ask of You," Wheels of a Dream," and "How Could I Ever Know?" but at best they seem to acheive parity with the original-cast recordings. At worst, the selections can seem rather silly. Would anyone pay to see Bryn Terfel perform the role of Harold Hill? His rendition of "76 Trombones" has to be the worst mismatch between singer and song since Jerry Hadley recorded "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat." Ms. Fleming often sounds as if she wandered into the wrong studio. Her missing the idiom of these songs is surprising in that more than any other major opera star, she has been noted for championing American opera. (I recommend her "I Want Magic" CD).

As for the repertoire, I sometimes wonder why classical singers are so anxious to wrench these songs out of context. As I recall, "So In Love" is a solo; why turn it into a duet here? They wouldn't sing "O Mio Babino Caro" as a duet. (On another album, Terfel illogically sings "Something Wonderful," whose words don't even make sense when a man sings them). The silliest alteration of all is Ms. Fleming's change in "Hello Young Lovers," where she begins "When I think of him" instead of "When I think of Tom" (the liner notes give the correct version). Does she think this makes the song more universal? Would she leave out her lover's name in "O Mio Babino Caro"?

I will no doubt listen to this recording several times, but I will make use of the skip button and will no doubt cringe quite a bit while listening. But it won't get as much play time as Ms. Fleming's wonderful opera CD's.

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   Written on April 4, 2003
   Summary: How I heard it
I was in Virgin Records in Times Square last night. In the classical department. They had this CD on one of the preview stands; you know, where you push a button and listen to one or more tracks from new releases on headphones. I picked up a set of headphones out of curiousity and punched a track number. I know these tunes. I know these voices (from opera recordings). But the combination is really something to listen to. Terfel is perfect. His diction and intonation are exemplary. Fleming is close to perfect. While she doesn't seem quite as comfortable as Terfel with the genre, her range is incredible. The vast majority of the singing on the disc is in the octave just above middle C, which is really low for a soprano who just released an album of bel canto arias. But she makes it work.

The arrangements might be considered schlock, but hey, it's broadway, not opera. Needless to say, I bought the recording. Highly recommended.