Seriously. All of the press about Renee Fleming's super-human abilities and amazingly daring choice to sing without a backup track!!! is just funny. It was the only 2:03 minutes of the Superbowl that I watched yesterday and I was so proud to see the art form I love included in the show.
The commentator who remarked, "Best I've heard it sung," immediately after she finished, made me audibly respond, "Damn straight." And then, "Duh, of course."
Look. Pop artists are great and have a (big) place in today's music marketplace. But. Classical singers are trained singers! She made it look easy because, well... singing evenly and well-supported and healthfully over two octaves (amateurs always forget that about our anthem and screw themselves by starting too high) is EASY for a classical singer of Fleming's calibur and experience. She could have easily sung it several steps higher, in fact. And she looked good, too! No eyes squinting shut to squeeze out notes that are difficult, no sign of performance anxiety, no jaw shaking and tongue wiggling. Just gorgeous, healthy singing. And, trust me... it was easy.
