Renee Fleming's Super Bowl National Anthem

[bigvalboy]

Put me in the fan column. However, all-time my favorite performance is Sandy Patty's from the reopening of the Statue of Liberty in 1986.

 

 

Now that was truly amazing. As Peter Jennings said at the end, "There's isn't anything left to say, is there"

[bostonman]

Wow, Renee should have done that version and proved all the critics right. LOL! Five minutes plus and capped with two high D flats. This arrangement is something else.

 

You can say that again, lol. Wow!

 

As for Renee - that kind of extended version would never do at a sporting event (the "audience" is primed to start applauding by the time they've heard "the land of the free" because they know it's almost over and the game is about to start - the stadium of fans might in fact be put off by a version that dared to do what this one did, lol). Also, does she have reliable Db's anymore, sorry to say? (Listening to a number of broadcasts of her Met Armida, there was a cadenza she added right at the very end of the opera that started off aiming for a high D - then in subsequent broadcasts the D became a C and ultimately a Bb. I wonder if indeed she's becoming more cautious about her top notes?)

 

The constant upward modulating in the Sandi Patty arrangement reminds me of a gospel arrangement I've played with a local choir (Richard Smallwood's "I Will Sing Praises" linked below) - the fun is in the seemingly never-ending modulations - I seem to remember sometimes we wouldn't go all the way to the last key if the singers were too tired, lol. But here's Smallwood and his gang singing the hell out of it:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8WX40a47zM (from the cd - better sound quality)

 

(live performance - more fun to watch, but sound isn't as good)

[whipped guy]

As for Renee - Also, does she have reliable Db's anymore, sorry to say? (Listening to a number of broadcasts of her Met Armida, there was a cadenza she added right at the very end of the opera that started off aiming for a high D - then in subsequent broadcasts the D became a C and ultimately a Bb. I wonder if indeed she's becoming more cautious about her top notes?

Regarding Fleming... It is also interesting to note that during the initial run Armida was performed uncut. When the piece was revived the following season it was performed with cuts... many of which involved Fleming. I also recall seeing a relatively recent clip of the final cabaletta from Lucrezia Borgia where the E-flat in alt is avoided compared to her commercial recording... That is probably a good thing as on the CD the E-flat is not interpolated as the final note... but rather in an awkward place a few bars previously with the result that it seems not to jive properly with the intended harmony. As far as I know she has also avoided the E-flat at the conclusion of the first act of La Traviata... and interpolation that seems as apt as any. At least she goes straight for the A-flat... which I find preferable to the A-flat by way of B-flat alternative which to me always seems to say, "I really want to go for the E-flat, but don't have (or want to risk) it!"

[bostonman]

Regarding Fleming... It is also interesting to note that during the initial run Armida was performed uncut. When the piece was revived the following season it was performed with cuts... many of which involved Fleming. I also recall seeing a relatively recent clip of the final cabaletta from Lucrezia Borgia where the E-flat in alt is avoided compared to her commercial recording... That is probably a good thing as on the CD the E-flat is not interpolated as the final note... but rather in an awkward place a few bars previously with the result that it seems not to jive properly with the intended harmony. As far as I know she has also avoided the E-flat at the conclusion of the first act of La Traviata... and interpolation that seems as apt as any. At least she goes straight for the A-flat... which I find preferable to the A-flat by way of B-flat alternative which to me always seems to say, "I really want to go for the E-flat, but don't have (or want to risk) it!"

 

I agree about not liking the Bb approach in the Traviata aria.

 

When Fleming was singing Thais at the Met, those marvelous (written) high D's at the end seemed right in her wheelhouse...but I assume that would be a stretch for her now?

 

Not that any of this is bad or scandalous - all voices change over time. I still think she's quite a fine singer (at least when she sticks to opera rep) - I've enjoyed her recent broadcasts of Rusalka (as recent as last night), for instance, even though I've heard others remark that she sounds less effective in the role than she used to.

[whipped guy]

Bostonman... Yes, voices mature over time and I think Renee is emphasizing roles that are more attuned to her current vocal state. Her range and flexibility may be somewhat diminished, but the voice is as luscious and creamy as ever. Plus, as I mentioned above, no matter what you thought of her performance, that aspect came across during her Super Bowl rendition of the National Anthem.

[+ g56whiz]

An update. Bad scheduling. I'm stuck listening to Rusalka via WQXR.org. There's no public radio along the border here in South Texas. I WILL be one of the maybe half dozen at the rebroadcast Wednesday night though.

[BgMstr4u]

I did not watch the Superbowl (I never do) and only recently tuned into this controversy. I watched/listened to the youtube version (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6AchLVg7ho).

 

I agree with the comment above about the technical challenges of this kind of singing -- canned music, 9 second delay. It's not easy. But with all of that -- I thought her voice was fine, though the pitch seemed a little low for her. The SSB has a very wide range, so it has to start low. I guess my criticism would be the arrangement. It seemed slow, even ponderous. At one point toward the end it picked up a little. And there was little use of the chorus behind her. But with canned accompaniment there is zero room for interpretative work on her part, so the possibilities of a live voice and orchestra were lost. IMHO this had little excitement. I very much liked the cutaway to the troops in Afghanistan.

[Steven_Draker]

She says 6 seconds behind and it was not an easy task to begin with ...

 

[video=youtube;sh_WtAL8reY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=sh_WtAL8reY#t=175

[+ Charlie]

I just watched the two videos that were posted here, and I have to admit I prefer Whitney Houston's version. But every time I hear the "Star Spangled Banner," I wish that "America the Beautiful" had been chosen as our national anthem instead.

[Phil_musc]

I just now tuned into this thread (always behind) and I must say I am not surprised at what I read here. Thanks to the guys who posted the links for all 3 performances - interesting contrast between Patti, Houston, and Fleming. Out of the three though I'd have to say that Fleming's is the closest to the original that is offered. With pieces such as the national anthem, I tend to think they should be treated conservatively and with a lot of restraint. I loved the show-biz aspect of the Patti rendition (my gosh, it almost could have been the half time show, it was so long), and I sort of liked Houston's pop-diva read, but to me Fleming's came off the truest and the most sincere. I believed her and while I liked the other performances, Fleming sang it with sincerity, clarity and respect. True, there were the high notes at the end and the tiny little coda-like business at the end, but really the rest was quite straight forward. Houston shimmied her way around so many pitches ("Hailed" "gleaming" etc.) as to obfuscate the text and melodic line. It really was about Whitney after all. I found that the words didn't get lost in Fleming's rendition whereas with Houston it was so ornamented as to lose the forward motion of the music and the text altogether - IMHO of course. Brava to Miss Fleming - what an artist.

 

Why don't we ever hear any of the other verse(s) of the piece - the original poem tells a story that is lost when only the first verse is presented.

 

As for the comment about the piece being difficult to sing - oh come on, if you are a professional singer and you don't have an octave and a half range which is what the piece requires, then you should get out of the business. I do like America the Beautiful too but it doesn't thrill me the way a well-done rendition of the Star Spangled Banner does. Nice words though.

[bostonman]

I guess my criticism would be the arrangement. It seemed slow, even ponderous.

 

The delay in the acoustics and the size of the venue make slower tempos favorable. It's not really an arbitrary (or artistic) choice.

[Becket]

I thought her performance beat the HELL out of those singers who like to "jazz up" the National Anthem with their own signature styles. (Why sing one note when five are available?) And at least she didn't forget any of the words, like many singers have done. BTW, the BEST version I've seen in a while was played at one of the earlier playoff games by a lone musician and his trumpet. No singing. Just clear notes and melody played with precision. And yes, he hit all the high notes perfectly.

 

Lastly, just remember that this song is extremely difficult to sing at all. Give it a try in the shower sometime, and see how YOU do. But close the door first.