Through the years, through thick and thin, I have never heard a better all-around, more satisfying performance from Renée Fleming than at San Francisco Symphony matinee.
Seven songs of Debussy's C'est l'extase in Robin Holloway's brilliant orchestration and three songs from Canteloube's "Chants d'Auvergne" sounded silk-smooth, with clear diction and dramatic accuracy in Davies Symphony Hall's voice-unfriendly setting. There was nothing forced, artificial, or insincere in Fleming's performance; she and the orchestra gave a gorgeous, memorable performance. Taking a bow during the thunderous reception C'est l'extase: the composer. Holloway, not Debussy.
Sunday, as on the Thursday opening night (as reported by Georgia Rowe), Fleming's "lyric instrument sounded in top form — soft as buttercream in its lower register, lithe and crystalline at the top — and she imparted an enchanting blend of sensuality, languor and tristesse to these fragrant French works."
Applauding along with the full house: Susan Graham, who will join Fleming on Wednesday in Davies Hall for a single performance of a duo recital.
Agreement from a prominent local music fan:
I pretty much agree. She looked stunning and sang perfectly.The only nit that I have is that the sheer perfection and creaminess of sound doesn't have the bite and variety of color that some other interpreters of Debussy songs, with much more flawed instruments, have been able to bring to their expression of the text.
Her performance of the "Bailero" from the Canteloube set was one of the loveliest things I've ever heard. Ever.
The animation, clarity and dramatic aliveness of MTT and the SFSO were at their best in Jeux and the reading of La mer, which MTT has managed to do strikingly with several orchestras and also several times in the past with the SFSO, now had an increased dramatic force without sacrificing the astonishing clarity with which you can hear each individual strand in the complex musical texture.
I thought the SFSO had hit new heights in terms of subtleties and refinement of execution.