1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the Thing. 2 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: Renee Fleming has a powerful effect on people. Conductor Sir 3 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:38,880 Speaker 1: George Shoalty described the opera singer's voice as double cream. 4 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: Garrison Keeler said she made his nostrils twitch. New York 5 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 1: chef Daniel Blue created a signature dessert to honor her. 6 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: But Renee Fleming is down to earth. When the People's Diva, 7 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: as she's been called, went to Paris to rehearse Handle's Alcina, 8 00:00:57,360 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: one of her favorite roles, she spent most of the 9 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: first week looking for playgrounds for her two young daughters. 10 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:08,119 Speaker 1: Renee grew up in Rochester, New York, where both her 11 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: parents were high school music teachers. During the first two 12 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: years of her life, while in her playpen, Renee would 13 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: listen while her mother gave singing lessons. A few years later, 14 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:22,960 Speaker 1: Renee organized a barbershop trio with her younger sister and brother. 15 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: One might say Renee Fleming was born into music. Often 16 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,479 Speaker 1: refer to myself as an indentured servant because we grew 17 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: up with it. My parents were both We all sang 18 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: all the time. You take a family cross country trip 19 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: and be singing the road signs and in harmony, and 20 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 1: I thought everybody did that. I just like, oh, well, 21 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: this is what families do. Your friends would get in 22 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: the car with your family and it was like throw 23 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: on with these crazy flemings, exactly fleming and singing to 24 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: the trees, missing to the exit signs, and and we 25 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: talked about singing. Did you feel like this was your 26 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: way to communicate with your own parents? Well, interestingly, my 27 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: dad was a big jazz fan. My mother didn't bring 28 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: music home much at all. She wanted to break from 29 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: it when she came home. Other than when we performed, 30 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: she prepared us. You know, I think her idea was 31 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: that we would be the next one traps. You know. 32 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: My father, thank god, put the kabushion then and said, 33 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: I don't think so. Um. Let me guess your mother 34 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: was the competitive one. She She was very type AI, 35 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: you know, she's check and my my grandmother and my 36 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 1: aunts were all like this. I mean they would come 37 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: over and they just the work ethic was unbelievable. I 38 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: think I work hard. No no, no no. They used 39 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: to look at me and say, you know, Renee, you're 40 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: you really need to step it up. You know, and 41 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: I see myself doing the same thing with my two daughters, 42 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 1: so I can't I sort of can't help it. But 43 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: the music thing, you know, it was just so natural 44 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: for us, and my way of rebelling against it was 45 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: to find my own music. So I became a composer 46 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: in middle school, started writing songs and then I played piano, 47 00:02:57,400 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: I played guitar. And what kind of music did you write, 48 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: you're like, John, Yeah, it was sort of singer what 49 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: we call now singer songwriter, But I also wrote art 50 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: songs that I actually notated and wrote out that other 51 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: people sang. In that time, women weren't particularly encouraged to 52 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: be composers. In a different setting, that might have been 53 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: the direction I would have gone in, because I loved 54 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: it and it suited my temperament much better than performing. 55 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: I was so shy. Performing was so far away from 56 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: whoever he was. A specific opera, the first opera, if 57 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: you can recall, because I remember the first movie I 58 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: went to see in a movie theater. What was the 59 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: first opera that you became you know, I would say, gosh, sure, Angelica. 60 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: This is what I remember because my mother performed it 61 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: and we were in the first row, and this is 62 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: the Eastman Theater. So first of all, I was incredibly 63 00:03:56,360 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: impressed by the theater, this massive chandelier, you know, all 64 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: the velvet. I mean I took up violin because of 65 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: the velvet in the case. So there were nothing if 66 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: not superficial. I guess you know. I didn't really know 67 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: anything about the story, but she was crying, and she 68 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: was crying because she was singing about, you know, her 69 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: her dead baby and wanting to be joined with her 70 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:20,919 Speaker 1: baby again. And you looking at her three children in 71 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: front of her. Somehow, I think that really impressed me. 72 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: Did you ever imagine at that time it mean the 73 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: middle school and you're seeing this piece, that that would 74 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: be a path for you, that you would end up 75 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: where you are now. Gosh, no, nobody really asked kids 76 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: in those days, what do you want exactly? What would 77 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: you like to do? You just went along. I know 78 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: so many people in my generation who applied to three 79 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: colleges and never gave it much thought. And really, you know, 80 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: the way we raised children now is worlds apart from 81 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: how we were raised. How do you feel? How do 82 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: you feel? My parents couldn't give a damn? How I 83 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: felt no, really, the only thing I thought that I 84 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: wanted to be was the president. So there was i'd say, 85 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: a colonel of ambition there in the world I was in. 86 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: It was, you know, doctor lawyer or a few of 87 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: a more working class background, a job that gave you 88 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: a security and a pension, the Long Island Railroad, the 89 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: police department, the fire department. You know, you learned very 90 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,719 Speaker 1: quickly to choose from the menu. Actor was not on 91 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: the menu, the men that was submitted to me. Well, 92 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:29,920 Speaker 1: I wanted to music again, like my parents, So that's 93 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: another thing you did. You followed your parents because you 94 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: couldn't think of anything else to do. And then when 95 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 1: the singing became more interesting, and particularly jazz um, when 96 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: I really found myself in through singing with it in 97 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: a club every weekend for two and a half years. 98 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: Then my parents got nervous. Oh, it's so hard, it's 99 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: too competitive. What happens when you're you're writing songs, popular 100 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:57,720 Speaker 1: music or whatever, you know what you said, singer songwriter, 101 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: whether it's Karl King or what have you, and you're 102 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 1: singing jazz in nightclubs in Rochester, they're knowing Potsdam where 103 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 1: I went to undergraduate school is Potsdam a hotbed of jazz. 104 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: It's a college hotbed and the drinking age was twenty one. 105 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: So yes, so we all spent a lot of time 106 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 1: in clubs. In this particular Algiers Pub had very high 107 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: quality jazz all the time. And the guys that I 108 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: worked with are are all working musicians. It was an 109 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 1: extraordinary education for me in many many ways. I mean, 110 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 1: that's how we learned. That's how I was able to 111 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:49,280 Speaker 1: embrace performing good Because Illinois Ja KD heard me sing 112 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: in pot Salmon said why don't you come on the road, 113 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: we come to New York and cats Yes, it's great 114 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 1: tenor saxophone player was really going to put me on 115 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: the map as a jazz a singer. And I just 116 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: knew I didn't have the courage. You could have been 117 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 1: a popular singer. What where do you take the term 118 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: you're saying, I'm going to operate? Is it now? Had 119 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: I grown up in New York City, the singer songwriter 120 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 1: thing might have opened, doors might have opened. I mean 121 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: I sang on television in high school winning some talent show, 122 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: literally playing a song that I wrote, making the decision 123 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: to go on undergraduate school. That's sort of solidified. My 124 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: graduate school was where so you went from you went 125 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: back home. Yeah. Then I tried to pursue jazz then, 126 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: and that didn't work. Despite the fact that Eastman had 127 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: a phenomenal jazz department, I just couldn't get in. I 128 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: couldn't break in. So, you know, it was really circumstance 129 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: that pushed me towards classical music, and eventually I really 130 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: embraced it. And the other thing is I realized it 131 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: was much more suited to my temperament. I liked being 132 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: in the practice room. I liked studying. I enjoyed wrestling 133 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: with this instrumental harder. I don't know that it was harder, 134 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: but it was more internal kind of cerebral work. You know. 135 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 1: The interesting thing about jazz or anything popular, you see, 136 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: it was a very personality driven and I just didn't 137 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: have that. I think I do now. Interestingly, I've come 138 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: out of my show. I mean when I tell people 139 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: I was extremely shy that nobody believes me. Now that's 140 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 1: the thing that people have to overcome. Yes, exactly. You know, 141 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 1: I found a lot of comedians to be extraordinarily serious 142 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 1: and and draws withdrawn sometimes, So yeah, I think sometimes 143 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: we overcome things by going after the very thing that 144 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: really eludes us. So certainly in my case that was it. 145 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,719 Speaker 1: I would observe friends who were comfortable performing, and I 146 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: would just try to act like them, So that was 147 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 1: that worked. It's an impersonation. Someone said to me, how 148 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: do you perform in the theater, Like why is the 149 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:56,200 Speaker 1: theater so soothing to you? And I say, because I 150 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:57,719 Speaker 1: know that for two and a half hours, you know 151 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 1: exactly where I'm going to be, exactly what I'm going 152 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 1: to say, exactly what you're going to say, and exactly 153 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 1: how a roomful of people are going to react to 154 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: what I say. And you don't feel performance pressure because 155 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: I had terrible stage right. I do feel the pressure 156 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: in rehearsal. I feel the pressure to unearthed, to get 157 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 1: down to it and get the work done. And if 158 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: I feel that we got the work done, then it's orgasmic, 159 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:24,719 Speaker 1: you know, Like I go out there and put it 160 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,079 Speaker 1: the only thing I'm like, well, how's everybody doing? You know, 161 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 1: I'm like, really, I'm very happy, comfortable. Yeah, I think 162 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: they're gonna like it. If I go out there and 163 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 1: I'm a little bit hesitating because I'm thinking I don't 164 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: think we got it. But you do two years at 165 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: Eastman and the graduate degree there. Then what happens? And 166 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 1: I went to Juilliard did POSTGRADU I could be a 167 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: doctor or a lawyer who as long as I was 168 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:50,200 Speaker 1: Why Juilliard Juilliard at the time the American Opercenter, so 169 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:53,199 Speaker 1: now the Juilliard Opercenter. I believe it was a post 170 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: graduate program. I was cast as Mozetta in Lubo m 171 00:09:57,640 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: So I came here to sing a role. You get 172 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 1: free lessons, coaching, all of the support that we couldn't 173 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: otherwise afford. You know, you're a beginner. And I worked 174 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 1: in rocket Feller Plaza for a law firm, pay my 175 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 1: rent and everything, and it was a great year. It 176 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:14,599 Speaker 1: was a phenomenal year. Say to yourself, why didn't I 177 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: do this sooner? Yeah? Yes, because I was so happy 178 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:19,839 Speaker 1: and I was running around the city like a maniac, 179 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 1: so active. And then I took a full right grant 180 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: studying in Germany and that was hard. Were you there 181 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: in Frankfort? It was important. It was probably one of 182 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 1: the most crucial pieces in my education because it was 183 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:38,080 Speaker 1: so challenging. Number One, I didn't speak a word of German. 184 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:40,320 Speaker 1: When I went there, I was in the whole schield 185 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:43,840 Speaker 1: for musique and was not accepted into the opera department, 186 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 1: which was very disappointing to me at the time. I 187 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:50,440 Speaker 1: cried the whole way there, literally sobbing yes, and my 188 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 1: boyfriend at the time, who became my husband, said well, 189 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 1: you know, don't not go because of me, and I 190 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 1: remember thinking, God, that would be the furthest thing from 191 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: my mind. I was so kind of self possessed, but 192 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:08,040 Speaker 1: also clueless about the choices I was making. That's why 193 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: I wrote a book for young singers, because if young 194 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: singers are any one of them like I was, you 195 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 1: just don't know what you're getting into. But I was 196 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 1: also very lucky because that year turned out to be 197 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 1: a very formative experience. I mean, learning to speak fluent German. 198 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:25,959 Speaker 1: How many languages do you speak fluently well? I studied 199 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: French in high school like many of us did. That was, 200 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 1: you know, the language. Paris is my second home, and 201 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 1: I sang there every year for a long time, so 202 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: my French is when I'm there, it picks up again 203 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 1: and it's good. But German is even more fluent and consistent. 204 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 1: During that year, you learned to speaking fluently in that 205 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:45,080 Speaker 1: one year. Well, you know, I love the study of 206 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: learning and of memory, because what I've discovered is that 207 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 1: at the end of that year my German was okay, 208 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,199 Speaker 1: it was good, you know. But every year, every time 209 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 1: I go back, it gets better and I don't have 210 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 1: to speak a word of German in between. So the brain, 211 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: those neurons keep firing. Then you come back to Julia, Yes, 212 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 1: and I come back to Juilliard. I tried to stay 213 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: in Germany. I tried to stay there and get work. 214 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: No one would have me, so I came back in 215 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:13,840 Speaker 1: my career started here. Then how well, I had a 216 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 1: rough couple of years of sort of no man's land, 217 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 1: which is very common with singers between education and the 218 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 1: start of career. It's very common for all of us, really, 219 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: all musicians, you know. And there's this catch twenty two 220 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: where you can't get management unless they can go here, 221 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 1: you perform, but you can't get a job if you 222 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 1: don't get managed. In the acting world, okay, call me 223 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:37,559 Speaker 1: when you're in a show, and that's the manager you're 224 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: trying to get. So competitions were the thing that helped me. 225 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 1: And when the main competitions exactly for me. It was 226 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: the men competition. It took me three times, but I 227 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:49,840 Speaker 1: finally won. All of a sudden the doors opened. But 228 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 1: it took about a year and a half. I'd say 229 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: things went slowly. And the first paid, legit professional job 230 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: you have was doing what the first real engagement was 231 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: in Houston Grand Opera, and it was the Marriage of Figaro, 232 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: and that really put me on the map, and that 233 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: described that so important. I had never sung the opera 234 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: in Italian, I'd sung it in English. So I went 235 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:19,959 Speaker 1: to rehearse with really seasoned professionals, I mean people who 236 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 1: were big opera stars already, and I was a beginner. 237 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 1: You know. The first day of rehearsal Thomas Allen, in particular, 238 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 1: Sir Thomas Allen, He's got such an intelligence and uh 239 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:33,240 Speaker 1: sophistication about his portrayal of all of these Mozart in 240 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: here heroes. He's still performing I think at the Royal Opera. 241 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:40,079 Speaker 1: I was just jelly at the end of the first 242 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: rehearsal because I thought I can't even keep up with him. 243 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 1: Mozart Rich Sativa is really hard. Imagine doing very quick 244 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 1: dialogue and a foreign language that you don't speak. Really 245 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: and I learned. You know, when you're young, you just 246 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 1: you just you do what you have to do to 247 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 1: keep up. I lifted the car off my baby because 248 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: I had to lift the car from my David exactly. 249 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 1: And when you get these opportunities, you have to rise 250 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:08,560 Speaker 1: to the occasion and take a risk and get out 251 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 1: there and really make it work, or you don't get 252 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 1: the opportunity again. You know, it's so competitive the field. 253 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 1: I think all my horseback riding and doing horse shows 254 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 1: as a kid really prepared me for that. And when 255 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 1: when the curtain, I don't need to be so molodramatic, 256 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 1: but the world you live in that kind of lends 257 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 1: itself this. When the curtain comes down and the shows, 258 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:37,840 Speaker 1: the first show is over, how did you feel? Well? 259 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 1: You know, it's unfortunately too long ago from you hotely 260 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 1: remember that, but you know, I can tell you there 261 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: was a euphoria in those early experiences, a sense of 262 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 1: happiness and relief when I would go from one engagement 263 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:54,560 Speaker 1: to the other. You know, our world, we never stop, 264 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: so there's no sort of you do a project and 265 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: then you take a break. It's just after that it's 266 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 1: a blur. It's like It's all one big episode of 267 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: a TV show to me, Now, yeh, what was it 268 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 1: like doing? I'll go, God, don't you know? And when 269 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 1: I watched the film, I remember events in my life 270 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 1: at that time. A scene will come on and I'll go, 271 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: I remember that day. That was the day of my 272 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:18,200 Speaker 1: contractor called me, tell me a pipe burst at my 273 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 1: house in East Hampton. You know, I don't really do 274 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: your roles and experiences. Somehow, if they didn't parallel your life, 275 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: they were helpful in some way. Two things. One is 276 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: more tangible than the other. Someone Melanie Griffith, years ago 277 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 1: said to me that every role you play is the 278 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 1: chance to bury that part of yourself that you don't like. 279 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: And the other thing I find is that when God 280 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: wants to make fun of me and to mock me, 281 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 1: I'll get a script and what's going on with that 282 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: character is exactly what's going on, right, And I'll read 283 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 1: the script and it's almost God to say to me, see, 284 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 1: stupid it looks when it's on paper. I have felt 285 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 1: that a lot of times when I've been in any 286 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 1: kind of conflict or struggle. Some how the repertoire that 287 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 1: I'm performing has just coincidentally mirrored it in a way 288 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: that's been healing. Let's say healing. This is Alec Baldwin 289 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: and I'm talking with singer Renee Fleming. More in a minute. 290 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to here's the 291 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: thing today with Renee Fleming and your work, because in 292 00:16:57,280 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: my work it's not this way. You can't do what 293 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 1: you do unless you summon up some reservoir of the deepest, 294 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 1: deepest passion to sing these roles effectively. To think of 295 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: a role you've you've performed where even you sat there 296 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,160 Speaker 1: and go, God, this is killing me. Well it came 297 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:16,640 Speaker 1: out of you, like you couldn't believe it came out 298 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: of you. You know there, Well, there are two sides 299 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 1: of it. One is the vocal. One one is this 300 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:22,959 Speaker 1: feeling that you know I'm in the right place at 301 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: the right time to be singing this and and you know, 302 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: well the voice is such an evolving instrument. So when 303 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,160 Speaker 1: I sang Tais, for instance, at the met some years ago, 304 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 1: and had these spectacular costumes from Christian Loqua, you just 305 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:43,359 Speaker 1: thought the stars have aligned to make this role of 306 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:46,399 Speaker 1: suit me perfectly. Right now. I love singing in French. 307 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 1: I love Massinee, the way it lies, the character, the 308 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,639 Speaker 1: fact that you know, the psychological drama and this opera 309 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:56,440 Speaker 1: where these two people completely changed places with each other. 310 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 1: That was a case certainly where I just thought, you know, 311 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,679 Speaker 1: and I was going to do it again, and somebody 312 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 1: stopped and said, do you want to sing it again 313 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: in five years if it's not as good as it 314 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:21,680 Speaker 1: was this time? And I said, you're right, I'm not 315 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 1: going to I'm not going to risk that. Oh it was. 316 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 1: It was perfect. I mean it was. I couldn't do 317 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: it better. So it's not very often I can say 318 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:31,520 Speaker 1: that I couldn't do it better. Someone else maybe could 319 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:33,439 Speaker 1: do it better. Different It was the best that I 320 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:35,359 Speaker 1: could do. But you said, there's two things, the voice 321 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: and what else the voice and then also what you 322 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 1: bring artistically to anything. You know, for instance, the Marshall 323 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: Room right now, and Rosencovalier evolves all the time. For me, 324 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 1: it's not a vocal issue. It's a it's an artistic issue. 325 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:51,680 Speaker 1: It's who she is, what she's grappling with. Is she manic, depressive? 326 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: Is she's simply lonely. She's one of the most interesting 327 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:58,200 Speaker 1: characters in all of opera for women. I mean, how 328 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:00,119 Speaker 1: she was created by two men, I don't know, but 329 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 1: I'm grateful to have her. You know the other thing, 330 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:32,560 Speaker 1: I don't know if you feel this squeeze, but you may. 331 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:37,400 Speaker 1: We're squeezed between what's kind of commercial and popular opera 332 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: hits artistic. How was that changed in the opera world 333 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: and you're during your career, Well, there are two parts 334 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: to it, because there's one, there's there's the titles. And 335 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 1: I wasn't born to sing unfortunately, Mad and Butterfly Tusca. 336 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:55,119 Speaker 1: You know, bo m. My voice isn't I'm not a 337 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:58,159 Speaker 1: lyrical spinto. I'm a lyric soprano, so my voice is 338 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: too light for those parts. I'm fortunately, if I could 339 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:05,240 Speaker 1: sing those roles, then the success I've had with the 340 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: public would have transferred over to the repertoire. Did you 341 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 1: did you try to do them? No, that kind of 342 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 1: assignation happens in your world. People that are experts, who 343 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:17,360 Speaker 1: are technical experts tell you that's not your repertoire, right well, 344 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 1: and in trying to sing that repertoire, I would have 345 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: harmed my voice, or at the at the very least 346 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 1: just not been hurt. We're not amplified, and you know, 347 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 1: that's a very important distinction between what we do and 348 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:31,439 Speaker 1: what everyone else does. So to try and build a 349 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:35,360 Speaker 1: career on titles that aren't sort of at the heart 350 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,879 Speaker 1: of the oposite people love is more challenging. On the 351 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 1: other hand, the trend that I've seen since I started 352 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 1: singing twenty years ago, you know, plus, is that people 353 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,240 Speaker 1: have been more interested in learning about pieces they didn't 354 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,919 Speaker 1: know and experiencing pieces they didn't know, as opposed to 355 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:55,159 Speaker 1: going to the umteen Zaida for instance. The other squeeze 356 00:20:55,320 --> 00:21:00,160 Speaker 1: that I feel is virtuosity versus artistry, because people will 357 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:02,639 Speaker 1: go to opera, I mean the three tenors case in point, 358 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:06,440 Speaker 1: for thrills, for vocal, for the thrill of what the 359 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:10,480 Speaker 1: human voice is capable of producing, and for tenors and sopranos, 360 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:13,120 Speaker 1: and it's really for us. It's a high note. It's 361 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 1: all about the high note. You know, are you going 362 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: to break glass? Are you going to is it going 363 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 1: to give us shivers? Are we going to cry? Because 364 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:50,959 Speaker 1: you've just throbbed on that high sea to kind of 365 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:54,320 Speaker 1: figure out how to program so that one gets some 366 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: of that without you kind of really using up your 367 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,159 Speaker 1: principle and using up what it is that you have 368 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: and or interesting them in music that doesn't have that, 369 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:08,240 Speaker 1: music that's more about poetry and prose, and in turning 370 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 1: a phrase that's more subtle. I've gone back and forth 371 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:14,119 Speaker 1: between those two things my whole career. What's one of 372 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 1: the more popular in your mind in your range, oh, traviata? 373 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:22,200 Speaker 1: I guess in the in the greatest tests category exactly. 374 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:25,360 Speaker 1: And what is one that you might have been doubtful 375 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 1: about or at the very least indifferent about. That was 376 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:29,639 Speaker 1: you were approached and it turned out to be a 377 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:33,120 Speaker 1: wonderful experience, But there was more esoteric I think rode 378 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: Linda Handles roteal Linda. I. You know, I was drawn 379 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:38,960 Speaker 1: to her because of the character, the story. She's a mother, 380 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,520 Speaker 1: she's courageous, she's strong. It's a masterpiece, this opera. It 381 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 1: wasn't known they had never been done at the mat 382 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,159 Speaker 1: so some of these titles in a way, you know, 383 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:16,000 Speaker 1: being given this place that I've had it that meant 384 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:18,880 Speaker 1: for some time, also give me the opportunity to say 385 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:22,200 Speaker 1: what about this? Having done a lot of the standard 386 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 1: repertoire that I could sing, and I've sung fifty four roles. 387 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:27,600 Speaker 1: You know, I've been saying fifty one. I was right. 388 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:35,640 Speaker 1: I recounted it was a miscount. Executive opening up. Yeah, 389 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:41,440 Speaker 1: you're so you're so unproductive, you're so lazy, exactly, French. 390 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 1: I have opera audience has changed during your career. I 391 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:53,199 Speaker 1: think the challenge we face in opera in general, and 392 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:57,359 Speaker 1: I would say forget opera and classical music is really exposure. 393 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: It used to be that we had exposure obviously in schools. 394 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 1: We had exposure through churches and through our families. Every 395 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 1: socially climbing family got a piano and felt that a 396 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 1: musical education was part on arts education, was part of 397 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: their children's, you know, the betterment of their lives. And 398 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 1: that you know, it is what it is, it is, 399 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:21,119 Speaker 1: It is gone. It's just simply people don't feel it's 400 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: relevant anymore. My heart when you say that, But it's true. 401 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:30,119 Speaker 1: But in the thirty plus years thirty three years now 402 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 1: I've lived in Manhattan, I've never seen anything like the 403 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,959 Speaker 1: world of opera in terms of the devotion. And they 404 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 1: don't have the money for these tickets. They don't have 405 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,399 Speaker 1: two hundred bucks to fifty seventy five. You know, some 406 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 1: because the opera costs money. The sets, the sim the orchestra, 407 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 1: the most expensive. It's the most expensive arts ticket that 408 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:53,919 Speaker 1: there is. And yet you see the people that are teachers, 409 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 1: they put all their chips on this. They're like, oh, 410 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,400 Speaker 1: I have to come see Renee. How do you feel 411 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:07,719 Speaker 1: about that? Do you know? I find you listen the bloggers. 412 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 1: The amount of investment, the emotional investment that people make 413 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,960 Speaker 1: in this art form. It's just it's it's way beyond 414 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 1: any Yeah but that, but that's what I mean. It's 415 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:21,679 Speaker 1: off the charts. The passion for better for work. I 416 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:25,439 Speaker 1: think it's phenomenal. It's funny because I can't understand it. 417 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,400 Speaker 1: I'm too close and I'm too critical, obviously because it's 418 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 1: my work. I mean, so when I go to the opera, 419 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:32,720 Speaker 1: I want to be swept away, and sometimes i am. 420 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:35,159 Speaker 1: I mean I've gone to the opera a couple of 421 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:37,440 Speaker 1: times where I have literally been sobbing at the end 422 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:41,800 Speaker 1: and just have to pull myself together. Oh yeah, pee Peekee, 423 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:46,760 Speaker 1: dumb kills me. Queen of Spades. I am always shocked 424 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 1: by that acapella men's course at the end, the way 425 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 1: that operas composed, the music and Tchikovsky's final phrases. It 426 00:25:54,760 --> 00:26:22,400 Speaker 1: just does something amazing to me. I still like living 427 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:27,119 Speaker 1: in New York? Or is your relationship? Do you know? 428 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,840 Speaker 1: I'm It's funny, I've never felt like New York is 429 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:35,359 Speaker 1: my home. But it's because we're no Mad's we you know, 430 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:38,880 Speaker 1: we're I'm very adaptable that way. I mean, I'm home 431 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 1: wherever I am. You guys travel, and then then the 432 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:43,840 Speaker 1: classical music world of the symphonic as well as opera, 433 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:46,520 Speaker 1: you guys travel more all the time. Yeah, all the time. 434 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 1: And so when I am home, I'm also inundated, you 435 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: know when I because I'm gone so much. Yeah, so 436 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 1: it's not so much fun to be here. Um, it 437 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:00,080 Speaker 1: will be when I get some rest. When you to 438 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 1: do a show, when you're performing a piece, what's the 439 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:07,160 Speaker 1: day like for you? Do you have a ritual? A ritual? 440 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:10,280 Speaker 1: How do you have a ritual when you have little children? 441 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 1: That's what I was really interested. My Yes, I am 442 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:17,480 Speaker 1: really consistent about getting up with my kids, no matter 443 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:20,080 Speaker 1: how late I've been up. So at seven am, I'm up, 444 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 1: and the kids are seven. I only have one at 445 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:25,679 Speaker 1: home now, the others in college. So the one at 446 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:30,000 Speaker 1: home is sixteen and good times, right, good times. I 447 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 1: have a sixteen year old. It's good times. Yes, yes, yes, 448 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 1: it's you know, okay, it's another whole story, another whole story, 449 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:44,120 Speaker 1: mostly good, mostly great. What does she want to do? 450 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 1: She want to be in the best. She wants to 451 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 1: sing pop music, that's her real dream. And this kid 452 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 1: sings all the time. So, um, what's your older one doing? 453 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: She is in college and gender studies and she's not 454 00:27:58,080 --> 00:27:59,680 Speaker 1: exactly sure what she wants to do with that yet. 455 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 1: A very serious girl. She's in Boston, you know, very gifted, 456 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:07,680 Speaker 1: and we'll see. So what's the routine then? My routine 457 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:11,000 Speaker 1: is is not to leave the apartment. That really, that's it. 458 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,160 Speaker 1: I stay home, I stay off the phone. I mean, 459 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:17,679 Speaker 1: I'm phone phobic anyway. I almost never talk on the telephone. 460 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:21,719 Speaker 1: And my speaking voice is terrible for what I do. 461 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 1: When you're on the phone, you automatically you don't hear 462 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:28,199 Speaker 1: your voice very often, and you automatically pressed just a 463 00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:31,199 Speaker 1: little bit. It tires me. It's fatiguing. Um, and I 464 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:33,080 Speaker 1: get tense, and I don't know, it's it's all in 465 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:36,120 Speaker 1: my head. Really, it's totally uh, you know, it's it's 466 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:40,040 Speaker 1: it's a made up one less pressure to have and 467 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 1: the other thing I do, I get a lot of 468 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 1: work done. I'm actually very productive on performance days because 469 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:46,360 Speaker 1: that's when I you know, I sit there and I 470 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:52,640 Speaker 1: work email, you know, studying music whatever, and then you 471 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:56,000 Speaker 1: go to the theater and do you have us do 472 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:57,840 Speaker 1: do people in your future of like a warm up? 473 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 1: You do? Is there a well I know nothing about 474 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: vocal I try to vocalize earlier in the day because 475 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:06,320 Speaker 1: I find that it's better for me a little bit. 476 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:08,120 Speaker 1: Just kind of see where it's at. You know. Some 477 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 1: dicies things drinking, certain things I have to be careful about. 478 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,520 Speaker 1: I love caffeine, you know, I would drink coffee all 479 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: day and I have to be careful about that because 480 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 1: it's dehydrating. So I'll have my typical so and you 481 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:21,880 Speaker 1: have to force fluids a little bit, which I hate to. 482 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:24,760 Speaker 1: So these are the boring things. Not really good people, 483 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 1: I think are just interested in what kind of the 484 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 1: discipline is complex? Yeah, most people can't control what they 485 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 1: eat and drink. There's a little bit of that. Having 486 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:37,200 Speaker 1: the humidifier on, making sure it's a lot about you know, moisture. 487 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:41,320 Speaker 1: These are all mucous memoranes. The vocal folds are very 488 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:45,320 Speaker 1: sensitive and you want to go into that performance with 489 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 1: them being super healthy and not dried out. We're the 490 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 1: Olympians of singers, really, and you'll have a three to 491 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 1: five hour long performance and that takes a lot of 492 00:29:55,360 --> 00:30:00,200 Speaker 1: physical stamina. Yeah, it's a lot of physical stamina. Us 493 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:03,920 Speaker 1: you're emotionally all over the place, you know, as you said, 494 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:07,000 Speaker 1: it's a very but it's mainly the amount of sound 495 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:09,440 Speaker 1: we have to produce to be heard over the orchestra 496 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:12,920 Speaker 1: and the chorus in a huge hall. That's the thing 497 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:15,880 Speaker 1: that that is different. And if we sing well, if 498 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: we sing technically well, we should be able to get 499 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 1: up the next day and sound normal. You know, people 500 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:22,880 Speaker 1: will go to sports events and scream at you know, 501 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:24,840 Speaker 1: the other team or even there the people they like 502 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:27,480 Speaker 1: and their horse the next day. We can't do that. 503 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 1: We're doing the same thing, but we're doing it in 504 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 1: a trained way. And you know, it is a hard 505 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:34,440 Speaker 1: art form to get right. Is there all these elements 506 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:38,280 Speaker 1: and it's live, but when it's right, it's it's amazing. 507 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 1: Renee Fleming says she's looking forward to getting some rest, 508 00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:30,640 Speaker 1: although it's not clear when that will come. In addition 509 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:34,720 Speaker 1: to her busy performance schedule, she recently became the creative 510 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: consultant for the Lyric Opera in Chicago. They just announced 511 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:43,000 Speaker 1: an upcoming world premier opera based on the bestseller Bell KNTO, 512 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 1: and she's been advocating for more arts education in schools. 513 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:52,800 Speaker 1: It's not just for people to be consumers of the artists, 514 00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:56,160 Speaker 1: for them to also participate, find the creative voices, and 515 00:31:56,240 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 1: build confidence through participation. YE special thanks to the Metropolitan 516 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:20,440 Speaker 1: Opera and the Houston Grand Opera for providing archival excerpts 517 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:43,160 Speaker 1: of Bernade Fleming in performance. This is Alec Baldwin and 518 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 1: you're listening to Here's the Thing