Renee Fleming wins over Seoul audience

Soprano Renee Fleming, right, and pianist Hartmut Holl perform during Fleming's recital at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of Seoul Arts Center

By Yun Suh-young

Soprano Renee Fleming explains the pieces in the program during her recital at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of Seoul Arts Center

"I missed you," said Renee Fleming, after singing the first piece of the concert, "C'est Thais, l'idole fragile" from the opera "Thais" by J. Massenet, at her recital in Seoul, Monday. It was her first appearance in front of a Korean audience in 15 years. "It's been a long time," she said.

The globally renowned American soprano was in Seoul for a one-time performance as part of her world tour. The Seoul Arts Center was packed with people who didn't want to miss this one and only opportunity to see her in Seoul. All three floors of the music hall were filled as shown and tickets were sold out.

Fleming, dressed in elegant dark navy, sang the remaining songs consecutively for the first part of the concert. They were G. Faure's “Mandoline,” Saint-Saëns' "Soiree en mer," and L. Delibes' "Les filles de Cadix," and six of J. Brahms' pieces which were “Standchen,” “Die Mainacht Mondnacht,” “Meine Liebe ist grün,” “Wiegenlied,” and “Vergebliches Ständchen.”

When she came back for the second half of the concert, wearing a black dress studded with red flowers, she took up the microphone again, explaining the context of the songs that she was about to sing.

"The first piece was the most popular song in the entire 20th century. It has a bigger meaning than what it appears to have," she said before singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from "The Wizard of Oz."

"For the second piece, you will have to whistle for me for this song," she said, demonstrating when and how to chime in when she gives them the cue. The song was "I Whistle a Happy Tune" from "The King and I" and the audience followed her instructions perfectly, whistling in unison.

The third and fourth songs were Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere" and "I Feel Pretty" from “West Side Story,” to which Fleming added, "It's his 100th (birth) anniversary next year."

After singing "Estrellita" by Manuel Ponce and "La Morena de mi copla" by Carlos Castellano Gomez, she took up the microphone again to explain her last series of Italian songs.

"The following four songs are the most emotional and have the broadest height of anticipation and depth of sorrow. The third and fourth are serenades and the third is my favorite aria and one that I sing at every concert."

She sang Tosti's "Aprile," Boito's "L’altra notte in fondo al mare" from Opera "Mefistofele,"

Puccini's "O mio babbino caro" from Opera "Gianni Schicchi" and Leoncavallo's "Mattinata."

When the crowd broke out in cheers after the performance, Fleming looked overwhelmed.

"What a wonderful audience," she said to the crowd who wouldn't stop clapping. Two girls came up to the stage to present Fleming and pianist Hartmut Holl with flower bouquets.

Unable to resist the fervent reaction, she came back out to sing Gershwin's American opera "Summertime" to which the audience again cheered enthusiastically. For the second encore song, she sang R. Strauss' "Zueignung (Dedication)."

When the crowd wouldn't stop applauding, Fleming came back out and said jokingly, "You are amazing. Will you come with me?"

As the last encore song, she sang what she called her "signature aria" which was "Song to the moon" featured in the opera ”Rusalka.”

When the final encore song was over, the crowd cheered in a standing ovation.

The audience marveled at her performance. Two young women during intermission lauded Fleming's voice saying, "How does it spread out like that and fill the space?" while a middle-aged women on her way home appreciated Fleming's stage presence saying, "She has great presence on stage. She knows how to communicate with the crowd. Opera arias can be boring but she laid out the program well so that the second half was not boring at all."