An Evening with Renée Fleming

An Evening with Renée Fleming concert. Every summer the Berliner Philharmoniker gives an outdoor concert at the Berlin Waldbühne. This is the 2010 event with the theme of  "Nacht der Liebe" or "Night of Love."  Ion Marin conducts 16 selections in the concert including 8 Fleming arias:

1. Mussorgsky Night on Bare Mountain

2. Dvořák "Mešíčku na nebi hlubokém" from Rusalka

3. Aram Chatschaturjan Spartacus and Phrygia from Spartacus

4. Richard Strauss "Morgen Mittag um elf!" from Capriccio

5. Wagner Overture to Rienzi

6. Korngold "Glück, das mir verblieb" from Die tote Stadt

7. Richard Strauss Zueignung

8. Elgar Salut d'amour

9. Puccini "Donde lieta uscì" from La Bohème

10. Leoncavallo "Musette svaria sulla bocca viva" from La Bohème

11. Leoncavallo "Mimì Pinson, la biondinetta" from La Bohème

12. Puccini "Tu che di gel sei cinta" from Turandot

13. Tchaikovshy Romeo and Juliet

14. Gregoriaş Dinicu Hora staccato

15. Puccini "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi

16. Paul Lincke Berliner Luft

TV director was Henning Kasten. Released  2010, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: C

The video is grainy and pasty. The orchestra performance seems lackluster, which is shocking for this elite group. The disc has dts-HD Master Audio, but the recording is muddy and harsh. This may result from problems with mikes and mixing. (In particular, the recording of the Hora scattato encore at Chapter 15 is maybe the worst I can remember.) I would give the Philharmoniker part of this a "D." But Fleming, who sings in half the numbers, looks and sounds pretty good. Her charming performance wins me over. So out of respect for Fleming, I bump the grade on this title up to a "C."

Maybe we have missed something in giving a low grade to this title. Please let us know what you think. Also, we would welcome a mini-review defending this title.