February 22, 2025
Spivey Hall
Morrow, Georgia – USA
“Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene”
Renée Fleming, soprano; Howard Watkins, piano.
An original film by the National Geographic Society accompanies the first half of the program.
Hazel DICKENS: “Pretty Bird”
Georg Frideric HANDEL: “Care Selve” from Atalanta
Nico MUHLY: “Endless Space”
Joseph CANTELOUBE: “Bailero” from Songs of the Auvergne
Maria SCHNEIDER: “Our Finch Feeder” from Winter Morning Walks
BJÖRK: “All is Full of Love”
Heitor VILLA-LOBOS: “Epílogo” from Floresta do Amazonas (piano solo)
Howard SHORE: “Twilight and Shadow” from The Lord of the Rings
Kevin PUTS: “Evening”
Curtis GREEN: “Red Mountains Sometimes Cry”
Burt BACHARACH and Hal DAVID: “What the World Needs Now”
Intermission
Gabriel FAURE: “Mandoline”
Gabriel FAURE: “Les Berceaux”
Edvard GRIEG: “Lauf der Welt”
Edvard GRIEG: “Zur Rosenzeit”
Giacomo PUCCINI:”O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi
John LENNON and Paul McCARTNEY: “In My Life”
Andrew LIPPA: “The Diva”
Encore
Leonard COHEN: “Hallelujah”
Mark Gresham | 25 JAN 2025
One of the world’s most celebrated sopranos, Renée Fleming, captivated audiences at Spivey Hall on Saturday afternoon with her recital program, “Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene.” Accompanied by pianist Howard Watkins, Fleming presented a compelling selection of works spanning classical, contemporary, and popular genres, thematically centered around humanity’s connection to the natural world.
The origin of Fleming’s “Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene” program was a creative response to her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. While hiking near her Virginia home, she found solace in nature, inspiring her to explore humanity’s relationship with the natural world through music.
That led to the development of an album with conductor and pianist Yannick Nézet-Séguin, released on October 8, 2021, by Decca Classics. The album spans Romantic-era songs, reflecting a time when people felt deeply connected to nature, to contemporary works addressing environmental fragility in the Anthropocene—the geological epoch defined by human impact.
The project’s high point came in 2023 when the album won the Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album. This recognition encouraged Fleming to envision a live concert tour blending music with visuals. She partnered with the National Geographic Society, which crafted an original film to accompany the performances, featuring stunning footage of flora, fauna, and natural landscapes from places like the Amazon, Cape Horn, and Yosemite. This multimedia element enhances the program’s theme, juxtaposing nature’s beauty with its vulnerability.
Since its inception, the tour has gained momentum, presented in both symphonic form and in recital with piano, and the program has evolved into a celebrated fusion of classical and modern music, nature-inspired storytelling, and visual artistry, cementing its status as a poignant reflection on humanity’s environmental legacy.
In Saturday afternoon’s Spivey Hall recital, Fleming and Watkins performed the program’s first half with the National Geographic film presented on a large screen behind them, including supertitles.
Fleming’s luminous voice soared through Hazel Dickens’ “Pretty Bird” and Handel’s “Care Selve,” demonstrating her command of both folk and Baroque styles. Nico Muhly’s ethereal “Endless Space” provided a striking contrast, while Joseph Canteloube’s “Bailero” from Songs of the Auvergne highlighted her ability to infuse folk melodies with warmth and nuance. Maria Schneider’s jazz-inflected “Our Finch Feeder” and Björk’s atmospheric “All is Full of Love” further expanded the program’s stylistic reach.
Watkins took a solo turn with Villa-Lobos’ “Epílogo” from Floresta do Amazonas, setting the stage for a cinematic moment with Howard Shore’s “Twilight and Shadow” from The Lord of the Rings. Kevin Puts’ “Evening” and Curtis Green’s evocative “Red Mountains Sometimes Cry” (set to a text by Pearce Green) reinforced the concert’s environmental themes. The set concluded with a rendition of Bacharach and David’s “What the World Needs Now.” In a few of the popular-genre songs, Fleming wielded a microphone as she shifted interpretive elements of vocal style to suit the music.
Renée Fleming, accompanied by pianist Howard Watkins, takes microphone in hand for Lennon & McCartney’s “In My Life.” (credit: Rand Lines)
Following intermission, Fleming turned to a more traditional recital format, delivering elegant interpretations of Fauré’s “Mandoline” and “Les Berceaux” and bringing a Nordic touch with Grieg’s “Lauf der Welt” and “Zur Rosenzeit.” She then showcased her operatic prowess in Puccini’s iconic aria “O mio babbino caro” before seamlessly transitioning to the Beatles’ “In My Life” and Andrew Lippa’s playful “The Diva,” a tongue-in-cheek take on operatic grandeur and performer stereotypes.
For an encore, Fleming offered a heartfelt performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” with many in the audience joining in on singing the refrain, rounding out a performance that was both musically rich and emotionally resonant. With her trademark warmth and artistry, she reaffirmed her place as a performer of extraordinary depth and versatility. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Renée Fleming: reneefleming.com
- Howard Watkins: metmusicstaff.com/about/watkins.html
- Spivey Hall: spiveyhall.org
Read more by Mark Gresham.
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