Renee Fleming, new album DARK HORSE.

[Greg Ross]

Salutations fellow Cohenites. I was hooked by an article in today’s (Saturday 15th May) Australian Magazine (link below) and went searching, my God they are RIGHT! She’s up there with Ute Lemper and Tierney Sutton, I will queue all night for this album, (link also below, along with a link to something from her more usual repertoire.

I don’t know about you, but if I see or here another 14 year old girl earnestly (and, yes, tunefully) singing … “remember when I moved I you …” I will SCREAM!!!!!! At last! A singer who understands Cohen’s “HALLELUJAH” –
an opera singer at that! A stunningly beautiful woman, with an equally stunning
voice, Renee Fleming. Her album, DARK HOPE, is released on June 4th.
Halle – bloody – lujah!

The Australian Magazine (15th May 2010) story:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/ar ... 5866972678

The Album (DARK HORSE) link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z96IUMFdSvc

Clair de Lune:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZowBTquFdM


Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
All Good Things
Greg

[sturgess66]

Hi Greg - I started a thread about Renee's cover a while ago - here -
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=20980&p=217901&hili ... ng#p217901

I love Renee Flemming's voice - it is gorgeous. Along with being a fine singer with a gorgeous voice - she is also a musician - an "artiste. I'm sure her album will transcend that of an opera singer trying to have fun covering popular songs. I expect she will bring a fine "Hallelujah."

On the subject of "THE SONG" - "in the news" - Leonard Cohen's magnificent "Hallelujah" is, once again, about to get HUGH international exposure this coming Tuesday night. Simon Cowell has chosen it for one of the top three finalists on American Idol - Lee DeWyze. Hopefully Lee will do a good job with the song - the kid is likable and pretty good - he has a bit of a growl to his voice sometimes, and feels the music down to his legs - can't keep them still. The song, of course, will treat him well - and I hope he rises to the occasion.

http://www.beatweek.com/news/6028-lee-d ... ican-idol/

Lee DeWyze will sing “Hallelujah” on American Idol
May 14, 2010

Lee DeWyze will be singing “Hallelujah” on American Idol next week because judge Simon Cowell asked – actually, instructed – him to do so. In this week’s episode each of the top three remaining contestants will perform two songs, one of their own volition and one judges’ pick, and Lee learned today that Simon’s pick for him will be the Leonard Cohen classic which voted-off contestant Tim Urban already performed earlier in the season. It’s a song that former contestant Jason Castro also once performed, and appears to be one of Simon’s personal favorites.

A few years ago, Simon Cowell referred to "Hallelujah" as a "Jeff Buckley song." I'm glad to see that this time around, the song is being referred to as a "Leonard Cohen classic."

LeonardCohenWroteThat.jpg (46.43 KiB) Viewed 3022 times

There can be excellent covers of this wonderful song - and it's hard to know what meaning other singers take from, or bring/give to, the song. But there is never any doubt or need to wonder when you hear the "The Man" himself. I was so blessed to be sitting a few feet away not so many months ago - and my imperfect video sets my heart aflutter each and every time I watch - which I just did - yet again - twice (shamelessly). A wonderful performance!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M29dl_acaaA

And speaking of "again" -

It’s time for Leonard Cohen’s magnificent “Hallelujah” to receive the Grammy Hall of Fame Award.

“The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Award was established by The Recording Academy’s National Trustees in 1973 to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts.”

http://www2.grammy.com/Recording_Academ ... l_Of_Fame/
(I must find some kind of "Grammys" board or something - on the internet - where I can paste this. LOL)

Greg - I know - I digressed.


Leonard Cohen - please come back to Philadelphia - if it be your will. Pleeeeeeeese!!!

[Greg Ross]

G'day Sturgess

Thanks for that link, sorry I missed your earlier thread, I knew of her as an opera singer, (knew the name), but I hadn't heard of this new recording until reading the article today. Must admit I opened the YouTube clip with a little trepidation - the countless hymns niggle me - I know, I know, kd's version is wonderful, so is Buckley's, both are technically perfect, BUT they lack that "guts" and sexuality that Cohen writes of and intones when he gives us the work. Fleming's version really strikes me as an earthy, gutsy female answer to Cohen, raw, full of understanding and, as Jennifer Warne once said (of Leonard), "... immense amounts of pain and lust and God an war ..."

For me, she doesn't sing HALLELUJAH -– she gives into it, opens to the nuances and then swaggers through it. It reminds me of that unbelievably intoxicating, exciting moment of love-making, when you know the woman you love has abandoned herself to pleasure.

Simon Cowell? Excellent acting, every eyebrow arch, every half smile, every pose, all so practised and he's made a fortune at it, but it is an act, too smooth by half, a snake-oil pedlar if ever there was one - from the same mould as Tony Blair.

Oh and yes, I LOVE the Batman / Robin cartoon, I must appropriate that, with your kind permission, glorious!

[sturgess66]

I have a recording I made on my VCR of Renee Fleming singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" - a live performance at a concert organized by Laura Bush at the Kennedy Center - shortly after 9/11. Stunning. Simply amazing. From the look on Renee's face - she astounded even herself. I know - there are other recordings/tapes of her singing that song - but this was something different.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6VBIEJcGEg'
That's a link of her performance of the song in Oslo - 2006. A wonderful performance.

But this is NOT the performance I refer to above (after 9/11). There is no video of it on the internet that I have ever been able to find.