Even in ancient times it was noted that music can work miracles. It is difficult not to agree with Plato's succinct statement: "Music inspires the whole world, provides the soul with wings, promotes the flight of imagination; music gives life to everything that exists...
It can be called the embodiment of everything beautiful and everything sublime." What can we say, music accompanies us throughout our lives, both on stage and in nature - the music of rain, falling leaves, bubbling streams, sparkling waterfalls, songbirds...
We, the residents of Ottawa, are lucky. Wonderful professional music sounds here on numerous stages continuously. Those who call Ottawa a backwater are wrong, in my opinion. There is no such beautiful autumn anywhere, especially in October. And world stars do not come to the backwater with concerts.
An unforgettable evening with Renee Fleming
On September 20, the inimitable and unrivaled Renee Fleming, the legendary opera diva of all times and nations, visited our city. She took part in a stunning concert, which was brilliantly held in the main hall of the National Arts Center (NAC) with the participation of the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of A. Shelley, who not only conducted this unforgettable evening, but, according to the guest star, actively assisted in organizing such a significant event, initiated and sponsored by the National Geographic Society.
Career of an opera star
Representatives of different generations, from young schoolchildren to people of venerable age, came to listen to the unique voice of the American opera star of Slavic origin. As they say in such cases, the hall could not accommodate everyone who wanted to. The winner of five (!) Grammy awards, the National Medal of Arts and many other top trophies graduated from the music department of the State University of New York in Potsdam, but did not intend to connect her career with opera. As a university student, Renee performed in a jazz group at a local bar, where the famous saxophonist I. Jacquet noticed the limitless potential of her vocal abilities, inviting the promising singer to tour with his band. She preferred graduate school in New York to tempting tours, after which the talented singer's opera career began.
Repertoire of the opera diva
Renee Fleming performed her first leading opera role (Constanze in Mozart's opera The Abduction from the Seraglio) in 1986. In 1988 she sang at the famous Covent Garden. Since 1991 - soloist of the Metropolitan Opera. Today she is one of the best singers of our time. Her repertoire is huge. Experts consider Renee's signature role to be the part of the Countess in Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro". For me, R. Fleming is the best performer of Rusalka in Dvorak's opera of the same name. The beauty of her timbre, stylistic versatility, dramatic charisma, and purity of her vocals allow her to masterfully perform diverse parts. In recent years, the singer has preferred solo concerts to opera.
"The Voice of Nature"
Some of the audience on September 20 were a little upset not to hear iconic arias from their favorite operas. On the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the concert would feature instrumental and vocal music about nature. The poster said: "The Voice of Nature". The concert consisted of two parts. In the first, accompanied by the NAC orchestra, the Chilean pianist Mahani Tiv performed “Nights in the Gardens of Spain”, and after her, on a unique Hindustani violin, the Indian violinist Kala Ramna performed the Violin Concerto and sang Indian motifs a cappella flawlessly. Both guest soloists were magnificent, magically conveying the states of living nature with the help of musical means, performing very well. But the audience was eagerly awaiting the appearance of Renee Fleming, anticipating something unprecedented. After all, most of us have the chance to hear a world-famous soprano live once in a lifetime!
"A Magical Meditation Session"
And so she appeared on stage, a fragile, soft, feminine, elegant artist, not giving the impression of an opera star by her appearance, and ... began to talk to the audience about how she loves to be in Ottawa, fruitfully collaborating with the NAC Music Director Alexander Shelley, how there is a very deep inner impulse. This artist does not strive to be a standard of perfection and a role model, but simply conscientiously lives every moment on stage, in the hope that at this moment she has done something a little better than before. The theme of the concert is in tune with the times - to talk in musical language about the fact that every person and every particle of nature are worthy of existence, worthy of being free and loved. The composition about nature performed by the famous Renee Fleming will soon be heard at concerts in London, Vienna, Milan, Los Angeles and New York. We, Ottawa residents, were lucky enough to hear this too.
Places of Attraction
It is important for everyone to have places of attraction that give energy, inspiring you to act like never before earlier. One of such places that helps generate new ideas, rethink the context of music life in Ottawa is the National Arts Centre. It really attracts fulfilled people. Let their number steadily increase!
MARINA KOCHETOVA