MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Homage: The Age of the Diva

Renée Fleming's sumptuous tribute to the glamorous divas of opera's 'Golden Age'.

"Fleming's album, on the other hand, is the finest thing she has done on disc. Yes, we are occasionally aware of the slightly self-conscious nature of her artistry, but the combination of vocal beauty and technical dexterity deployed over an immense stylistic range is breathtakingly compelling. Flimsy coloratura waltzes by Gounod are placed alongside the ecstatic, mysticoerotic outpourings of Korngold's Das Wunder der Heliane. The anguish of Janacek's Jenufa is juxtaposed with the near-pornographic indecency of a chunk of Massenet's Cléopâtre. Gergiev, meanwhile, seems incredibly happy exploring music beyond his core repertoire. It's a knockout disc, one of the greatest recitals of recent years." ***** 5 stars out of 5 GUARDIAN.CO.UK

2008 Grammy Award nomination for Best Classical Album

Acclaimed throughout the world's great opera houses, American soprano Renée Fleming enjoys particular success in roles from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when glorious vocal writing and opulent orchestrations took the art of opera to new heights.

In studying and performing this passionately lyrical music Renée Fleming became increasingly fascinated with her predecessors - sopranos of a 'golden age' who made this intensely emotional music their own.

With this recording project Renée Fleming pays tribute to remarkable singers including Lotte Lehmann, Maria Jeritza, Rosa Ponselle and Mary Garden; women who achieved iconic status in a rapidly changing world in which their fame was spread through recordings, film and advertising - a time which could be described as 'The Age Of The Divas'.

The beautiful music links the 19th Century of Verdi and Gounod with the 20th Century of Korngold and Richard Strauss. All of the pieces were championed by Divas of the past. Although two arias come from operas that are still very popular today (Tosca & Il Trovatore), most are from operas that have been wrongly neglected. Renée Fleming rediscovers these 'lost jewels' - big hits in their time - and presents them for a new generation.

For this passionate, richly orchestrated repertoire, Renée is joined by the acclaimed Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre under their music director Valery Gergiev.