Renée Fleming: In Conversation with Edward Seckerson

Renée Fleming 'In Conversation' with music journalist and critic Edward Seckerson, as part of Ms Fleming's Humanitas Visiting Professorship in Opera Studies at the University of Oxford, November 2013.
Their discussion flowed from Seckerson's opening question: 'what makes now a different time to be a signer than in the past?'
Drawing on her professional experience and personal insights, Ms Fleming touched on issues ranging from increasingly large opera venues, to the challenges of the jet-setting travel that divas must now undertake, to the danger of stagnation in new repertoire. Realistic of the challenges opera will face in the future, Ms Fleming nonetheless conveyed great optimism. For her, as opera becomes increasingly theatrical the possibilities for growth presented by genres like musical theatre increases. On the other hand, new and young audiences, especially in China, with an insatiable appetite for western opera are giving whole new life to the traditional repertoires.
-strategicdialogue.org/humanitas
-www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/programme...
-www.torch.ox.ac.uk/humanitas
*
Humanitas is a series of Visiting Professorships at Oxford and Cambridge designed to bring leading academics, practitioners and scholars to both universities to address major themes in the arts, social sciences and humanities. Created by Lord Weidenfeld, the programme is managed and funded by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and co-ordinated in Cambridge by the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) and in Oxford by the Research Centre for the Humanities (TORCH).

[@raymondhummel5211]

Such an informative video concerning the changes in music range for the voice over the last 200 years. Renee talks about many other informative things concerning Opera, and the demands encountered in the performance of todays singing in different stage productions. She is such a talented singer. I been listening to her for years and am amazed at the discipline she endures to please her audience.

[@angelajowichewich8062]

What a great interview! I enjoyed it so much😃

[@vvalery1522]

Ms. Fleming is always refreshingly well-spoken with a great sense of humor. I genuinely enjoy listening to her interviews and masterclasses.

[@anthonyevason6138]

Great interview!

[@humanitasVP]

Glad you liked it!

[@anthonyevason6138]

I did! Thanks very much for posting. Renee Fleming is an amazing artist and performer and it's always a pleasure to listen to her speak so passionately about her craft. I too am a singing/voice geek :)

[@anthonyevason6138]

Although as I type I am listening to Angela Gheorghiu singing La Bohème....again, another great performer and musician!

[@xj3689]

How meeting her for class a voice?????

[@xj3689]

Where is her live????

[@mjkay1296]

If i may add, developping my low notes helped a lot with high notes. When i had no High notes i had no low notes either. ..

[@tonshaad1230]

MJ Kay Like Callas said regardless what voice type you are, you must develop ALL parts of your range. No one part of your voice is "more" important. No GOOD soprano just sings high notes and no GOOD bass sings low notes. They find that middle ground where they can do all things within their range (wouldn't call it limit) and expand it so they can include all things.You should be able to sing everything with a stable and well to do technique.

[@piperlapap]

Seckerson is such a nervous fidgeter - what a contrast to the cool and eloquent Renée Fleming.

[@rationalsceptic7634]

paperlapip
Who wouldn't be nervous sat next that gorgeous lady and great Singer ?

[@vvalery1522]

@@rationalsceptic7634 amen to that😂
I would be sweating bullets

[@dougfoote7046]

There is an irony in this interview because Oxford to my knowledge does not produce Opera singers. Kaufmann does not have a robust technique compared to the best tenors. What is she talking about? Pavarotti did not have a big voice but was a very beautiful lyric voice initially. His initial training was good and thorough so that he could always sing high notes correctly, unlike many modern voices.

[@rationalsceptic7634]

doug foote
Kauffman sings Mozart to Wagner so she knows full well he has an amazing voice and technique,now considered the greatest living Tenor..so you have been proven wrong!!