By Nancy Plum

Soprano Renée Fleming is busy these days. She was recently featured in the opening session of Chorus America’s national conference, speaking on the connection between singing and health; next week, she will be appearing with LA Opera; and her hectic schedule continues through the summer leading to a concert with The Philadelphia Orchestra in Saratoga, N.Y. This past Saturday night, Fleming was in Princeton, performing at Morven Museum & Garden with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra as part of the Princeton Festival. The Festival added to the glamour of the evening by building a gala celebration around Fleming’s appearance, with cocktail and dinner parties and a high-level reception. Conducted by Rossen Milanov, Fleming’s recital with the Orchestra included a wide range of music, from Fleming’s own favorites and “signature” arias to pieces the audience may not have previously known.

Conductor Rossen Milanov and the Princeton Symphony Orchestra opened Saturday night’s program with a journey through the oratorios of Georg Frideric Handel. The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba was originally part of the 1748 Solomon, and on its own was heard in the 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremonies. Scored for string and oboes, this one-movement sinfonia depicts the bustling preparation for the Queen of Sheba’s arrival and was a fitting opening to establish a regal mood. Milanov and the players began crisply, with active violins and a joyful spirit. A pair of oboes led by Kemp Jernigan provided elegant contrasts to the string palette with sweet thirds and perfectly timed duet passages.

Fleming took the stage for two Handel arias, singing with a voice which well filled the expanded space at Morven and instantly connecting with the listeners. Noting the composer’s ability to understand the human condition, Fleming sang “Calm Thou My Soul” (from the little-known oratorio Alexander Balus) with pensiveness and lyricism against steely and exact accompaniment. Fleming also advised the audience to take Delila’s advice not to lose a moment—for life is short, with a stylish interpretation of “To Fleeting Measures Make Your Court” from Samson. 

Milanov and Fleming constructed Saturday night’s program alternating vocal and instrumental pieces and moving seamless among centuries. Fleming and the Symphony took patrons to the French Belle Époque era with two art songs of Venezuelan-born Reynaldo Hahn. Acknowledging her affinity for music connecting with nature, Fleming drew out the languid phrases and soaring register of Hahn’s “L’heure exquise.” She continued an emotional journey through history with a presentation of John Kander’s “A Letter from Sullivan Ballou,” a setting of a letter from a Civil War major to his beloved. Kander’s orchestration depicted war through delicate yet decisive harp writing and poignant strings, with Fleming conveying the words with meaning.

Fleming has been successful in many genres, with opera being the meat and potatoes of her career. Both Fleming and the orchestra made the most of the drama in a selection from Ruggero Leoncavallo’s La Bohème, and Fleming gave insight into an aria which she called a “touchstone of her life” with an expressive performance of Puccini’s popular “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi.

Fleming and the Symphony devoted the second half of the program to American music, starting off with Princeton composer Alan Fletcher’s Three American Songs, which were written for Fleming. Fletcher’s trio of songs were orchestrated with the open simplicity of the Southern Harmony tradition, and understandably suited Fleming’s voice perfectly. The third verse of Stephen Foster’s folksong “Slumber, my darling,” was particularly well placed in Fleming’s high soprano wheelhouse. Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s musicians were solid throughout, with refined effects provided by a combination of harpist André Tarantiles and violinist Basia Danilow in accompanying Foster’s text. Percussion instruments were kept busy during the closing “The Cuckoo,” especially an almost continuous marimba.

Fleming has had a long collaborative relationship with composer Kander, who with lyricist Fred Ebb wrote the 2015 musical The Visit. Fleming sang two selections from this work, bringing out the saucy 1940s style immediately recognizable as from someone who also scored Cabaret and Chicago. Fleming closed with a playful song reflecting on her own career, as well as two encores in which the audience was invited to sing along.

Renée Fleming is a powerhouse across the vocal arena, through singing, advocacy, and her initiatives to link music with good health. With Saturday’s rain clearing out in time for the performance (and a rainbow over the Morven mansion greeting concert-goers as they arrived), it was evident that the stars had aligned for Princeton Festival’s gala evening, hopefully foreshadowing a good aura for the two weeks to come.

The Princeton Festival continues until June 21 with music, opera and dance, along with community activities. Information about all events can be found by visiting princetonsymphony.org/festival.