Renée Fleming, one of the best-loved and versatile sopranos of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, has been described as "the people's diva," and perhaps comes closer than any other singer of her time to being an old-fashioned operatic superstar. Her wise repertoire decisions have allowed her to embrace a wide variety of works throughout her career, including Baroque opera, Mozart, the Italian bel canto repertoire, Verdi, Massenet, Puccini, Richard Strauss, a number of contemporary operas, and songs from all eras. Her voice is notable for its fullness, warmth, its creamy tone quality, and her ability to spin out long velvety legato lines. She is known for the intensity and integrity of her dramatic portrayals and her engaging stage presence.
Fleming's parents were high school vocal music teachers. In 1981, she graduated from the State University of New York at Potsdam with a degree in music education and continued her musical studies at the Eastman School of Music, which she credits with giving her a strong academic and theoretical background. From 1983 to 1987, she was enrolled in the American Opera Center at Juilliard, where she met Beverley Johnston, the voice teacher with whom she would continue to study throughout her career. Fleming also recalls with admiration the year she spent studying lieder with Arleen Augér, on a Fulbright Scholarship. In 1988, she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the George London Prize (in the same week), and the Eleanor McCollum Competition in Houston.
Fleming sang the Countess in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro at the Houston Grand Opera in 1988, made her New York City Opera debut in 1989 as Mimi in La bohème, and her Covent Garden debut as Glauce in Cherubini's Medea later that year. In 1991, she made her acclaimed Met debut, stepping in for an indisposed Felicity Lott as the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro. The Countess was her debut role in San Francisco (1991), Vienna State Opera (1993), and Glyndebourne (1994). In 1993, she made her debut at La Scala as Donna Elvira, and she sang Eva at the 1996 Bayreuth Festival. Since that time, she has continued performances at the world's leading opera houses and concert halls and has continued to expand her repertoire. Among the roles for which she has won acclaim are Handel's Alcina and Rodelinda; Rossini's Armida, Violetta, Manon, Thaïs, Tatyana, and Rusalka; and numerous roles in Strauss operas, including the Marschallin, Daphne, Arabella, and the Countess in Capriccio. She created the role of Rosina in Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles in 1991, Madame Tourvel in Conrad Susa's Dangerous Liaisons in 1994, and Blanche DuBois in André Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire in 1998.
She has garnered praise for her many recordings, both on CD and DVD, and has been nominated for 12 Grammy Awards and has won three, in 1996, 1999, and 2010. In addition to her work in the classical repertoire, Fleming has recorded contemporary pop songs, jazz, and film soundtracks. She has hosted a number of television and radio broadcasts, including The Metropolitan Opera's Live in HD series, and Live from Lincoln Center for PBS. Her honors include Sweden’s Polar Prize (2008), the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur from the French government (2005), Honorary Membership in the Royal Academy of Music (2003), and a 2003 Honorary Doctorate from the Juilliard School.
Summertime
Renée Fleming Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the exit sign is flashing
Sweat drops down my brow
And memories fade
There′s a freedom knowing
Efforts are not wasted
They're just seeds about to sprout
Under the evening shade
Remember Denver
In the hot night of summer
Walking to the fireworks
From the Fourth of July
We were kids
And the days were getting younger
But now there′s nothing left to say
Except a sad goodbye
Sad Goodbye
It was the summertime
When we were young
And had the whole world figured out
It was the summertime
The days were long
The nights were hot just like the south
In the summertime
The dust is blowing
And there ain't nothing to stop it
We better get ahead start
Before it steals our time
I feel something coming
But I don't know if I′ll like it
The best way to stay safe
Is read the warning signs
Warning signs
It was the summertime
When we were young
And had the whole world figured out
It was the summertime
The days were long
The nights were hot just like the south
In the summertime
I feel it coming
Don′t know how to stop it
I feel it coming
Don't know how to stop it
I feel it coming
I don′t wanna stop it
I feel it coming
Nothing's gonna stop it
I feel it coming
Nothing′s gonna stop it
Oh I can't stop
It was the summertime
When we were young
And had the whole world figured out
It was the summertime
The days were long
The nights were hot just like the south
In the summertime
It was the summertime
It was the summertime
The song "Summertime" by Renée Fleming is a melancholic yet nostalgic composition. Its verses try to capture the feeling of a person walking away from a situation or a relationship. The first verse seems to describe the moment when the singer has already made the decision to leave. They are sweating, and memories are fading, but they know that their efforts are not in vain. They have planted seeds that are about to sprout, and it is just a matter of time before they will see the fruits of their labor. The second verse probably refers to a specific memory that the singer shares with another person. They are reminiscing about a summer night in Denver, walking to the fireworks on the Fourth of July. They were young, carefree, and naive, but now, they have nothing left to say to each other, except for a sad goodbye.
Line by Line Meaning
Here in the fallout
In this aftermath of something, perhaps a relationship or a situation that has happened
When the exit sign is flashing
When there are signs to leave and move on, but it's not easy
Sweat drops down my brow
It's not easy, there's effort and perhaps nervousness involved
And memories fade
Things change and perhaps we need to move on
There’s a freedom knowing
There's a sense of release when we can let go and move on
Efforts are not wasted
Even if something falls apart, there's something we can take from it, such as experience and growth
They're just seeds about to sprout
These experiences can lead to something new and positive
Under the evening shade
In a place of comfort and rest
Remember Denver
A nostalgic reference to a place and time
In the hot night of summer
A memory of a specific time of year, when things were hot and lively
Walking to the fireworks
A specific image of a pleasant experience
From the Fourth of July
A culturally significant day, representing independence and freedom
We were kids
A reference to a time of innocence and freedom
And the days were getting younger
A sense of the future being bright and full of potential
But now there's nothing left to say
A sense of things having changed and ended
Except a sad goodbye
A feeling of sadness and finality
It was the summertime
A time in the past when things were good and promising
When we were young
A time of youth and possibility
And had the whole world figured out
A feeling of confidence and control in our lives and future
The days were long
The sense of time moving slowly and things being extended
The nights were hot just like the south
A specific reference to a time and place, adding to a sense of nostalgia
The dust is blowing
A warning of change and instability
And there ain't nothing to stop it
Feeling helpless to stop things from happening
We better get ahead start
A sense of urgency to act before things get worse
Before it steals our time
A sense of things being lost, perhaps time or opportunity
I feel something coming
A warning of change, uncertainty or excitement
But I don't know if I'll like it
A sense of trepidation or uncertainty of what's to come
The best way to stay safe
A strategy to protect ourselves from what's to come
Is read the warning signs
To be aware of what's happening and respond accordingly
I feel it coming
A sense of inevitability and change approaching
Don't know how to stop it
A sense of helplessness and uncertainty
I don't wanna stop it
A sense of conflicting feelings, wanting change but fearing the unknown
Nothing's gonna stop it
A sense of acceptance and resignation
Oh I can't stop
An acknowledgement of the reality of change and perhaps a sense of excitement
Writer(s): George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Du Bose Heyward, Dorothy Heyward
Contributed by Benjamin T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Yarima Guerere
Summertime
and the livin' is easy
fish are jumpin'
and the cotton is high.
Oh your daddy is rich,
and you ma' is good lookin',
so hush, little baby, don' yo' cry.
One of these mornin',
you goin' to rise up singin',
then you'll spread yo' wings,
an' you'll take the sky.
But till that mornin', there's a nothin' can harm you,
with daddy and mammy,
standin' by.
Simply beautiful!!!
Frankie Sings
The best rendition in my opinion...the high notes at the end are to die for🤩
Lylux
Both Renee Fleming and Leontyne Price are my choices for this wonderful Gershwin piece. Brings tears to your eyes.
Caruso
Please try Eleanor Steber.
Ayana Sambuu Z.
One of my favorite classical Summertime I ever heard😍😍😍I truly love Leontyne Price's interpretation too. But this one is absolutely wonderful ever 💖💖💖
Teresa Stevens
Wow!! This throws me to the ground in tears!! I had the fortunate experience of working with her at Opera Omaha in the late 1980s...she has continued to blossom into the most well known, working, American opera singer today...Ravishing!
pianonine
Ain't nuttin better n this! What a powerhouse of a voice! Such control, such pitch and such beauty! Love love love this.
RMPsumma
Just simply gorgeous. Nothing else to say.
Judith Rodriguez
I love that marimba solo!
Herman Joseph
gorgeous, magnificent possibly one of the best ----beautiful vocal coloring and expression which I never heard before----- Fleming is a national treasure
Miss. Phyllis Renee Foster
she has a beautiful voice like wow wow what a voice. what a voice Amen