About as far from the typical gossipy celebrity autobiography as you can get, in this book acclaimed American soprano Renee Fleming reflects on her career as a classical singer, and the education, dedication and discipline involved in training and maintaining a voice that has been described as "the gold standard of soprano sound."
Many years went into the making of that sound. This is no story of overnight success, but of focused and persistent determination that led her, in the end, to the heights of her profession. Along the way she includes some details of her personal life, her family's steadfast support, her marriage and divorce, and the two daughters to whom she dedicates her book. But the primary focus is on her work, and the teachers, mentors, managers, agents and colleagues who helped her find her way in the volatile, competitive world of classical music and opera.
Particularly interesting is her discussion of the many elements that go into what is called vocal technique, the complex physical process of breath control and sound production. There are also some good stories about the idiosyncrasies of various opera houses, and how she manages to deliver a fluent performance when she is singing in a language that she doesn't know, in front of an audience of native speakers. Most of all she provides us with a sense of the sheer pleasure that comes from doing something superlatively well. To feel, as one critic said, "pleasure in her power to give such pleasure" to her audience.
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| American soprano Renee Fleming |
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