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.
The Moon's A Harsh Mistress
Renée Fleming Lyrics
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Golden sails across the sky
Close enough to touch
But careful if you try
Though she looks as warm as gold
The moon's a harsh mistress
The moon can be so cold
Lord, it felt so fine
The moon a phantom rose
Through the mountains and the pines
And then the darkness fell
And the moon's a harsh mistress
It's so hard to love her well
I fell out of her eyes
I fell out of her heart
I fell down on my face
Yes, I did, and I, I tripped and I missed my star
God, I fell and I fell alone, I fell alone
And the moon's a harsh mistress
And the sky is made of stone
The moon's a harsh mistress
She's hard to call your own
In Renee Fleming's "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress", the moon is personified as a harsh and unforgiving mistress. The song talks about how the moon looks warm and inviting from a distance but can be cold and unforgiving if you try to touch it. The song conjures a vivid image of a celestial body that is tantalizingly close yet unattainable. It's a melancholic ballad about unrequited love, where the singer laments that the moon is a harsh mistress that is not easy to love. Despite this, the singer continues to romanticize the moon, acknowledging its beauty and glory.
The first verse talks about the moon's golden sail flying across the sky and how it appears close enough to touch. The second verse talks about the moon as a phantom rose that rises through the mountains and the pines but disappears into darkness. In the third verse, the singer falls out of the moon's eyes and heart, tripping and missing their star, ultimately falling alone. The moon is portrayed as a beautiful but harsh mistress that cannot be possessed easily, but one that continues to mesmerize and captivate us.
Line by Line Meaning
See her how she flies
Observe the graceful flight of the moon
Golden sails across the sky
The bright and luminous moon appears like a golden sail amidst the sky
Close enough to touch
The moon seems to be at a reachable distance despite its unreachable position
But careful if you try
Warning against the dangers of trying to touch the moon
Though she looks as warm as gold
The moon appears to be warm and friendly
The moon's a harsh mistress
The moon is not to be taken lightly, as it can be harsh and unforgiving
The moon can be so cold
A reminder that despite its appearance, the moon can be unfeeling and distant
Once the sun did shine
A nostalgic reference to a time when things were brighter and happier
Lord, it felt so fine
An expression of longing for a time when things felt better
The moon a phantom rose
The moon appears like a ghostly apparition among the shadows
Through the mountains and the pines
The moon moves through the natural world with ease
And then the darkness fell
A reference to the onset of night and the dark shadows cast by the moon
It's so hard to love her well
Expressing the difficulty of loving something that is so distant and elusive
I fell out of her eyes
A poetic way of saying that the singer lost their connection to the moon
I fell out of her heart
The singer no longer feels a connection to the moon's emotional energy
I fell down on my face
A dramatic way of expressing the artist's complete loss of connection to the moon
Yes, I did, and I, I tripped and I missed my star
A metaphor for the artist's failure to reach their goal
God, I fell and I fell alone, I fell alone
A lamentation of the singer's isolation and loneliness
And the sky is made of stone
A reference to the moon's harsh and unyielding nature
She's hard to call your own
Expressing the futility of trying to possess and control the moon
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMMY WEBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind