Rating: 
Summary: A beautiful dedication
Review: Many will know Tony Palmer from watching his movie on Maria La Divina Callas and IMHO it's nice for a change not to have merely a bio and a chart of big successes but fantasy and interesting footage such as the incredibly moving 911 tribute. Renee Fleming has become an American treasure, America's great opera diva, but here you can see what a charming and down to earth person she is. Sweet with her children, always working on herself, she herself is her own worst critic. Hearing her sing "Amazing grace" or Manon's big aria floored me, her exquisite Marschallin and Contessa are beautifully presented as is her rendition of Rusalka's song to the moon, the clip that was made after she won the Richard Tucker contest. This GORGEOUS clip is worth the entire money alone, this is a very enjoyable DVD, not just another boring singer-bio.
Rating: 
Summary: I loved this DVD, but...
Review: Overall, this DVD is wonderful. The content and interviews with Renee Fleming, her sister, family, colleagues, and fans provided moving and keen insights about the world's renowned lyric soprano. The vignettes were my favourites (separate from the film) as Fleming provided personal details about her past/current struggles as a singer, mother, and person. Her honest descriptions are touching and reflect her self awareness (what a rarity!). In particular, the vignettes "Vocal Beginnings" and "Rehearsal and Recital" were my favourite and should be of immense interest to other voice students--the former includes Fleming's comedic performance of a song that parodies the relationship between a singer and a voice teacher. The film also captures beautiful candid shots of Fleming with her daughters and in rehearsals (one in particular where she must stop singing because the music has moved her to tears). This just goes to explain why she is such a communicative artist.What I didn't like about the film was the way it was put together. It felt like a quilt made up of incongruent patches. Throughout the film, there are patches of Fleming singing/speaking stitched together with nature scenes. The inclusion of these nature scenes makes the film feel a little corny and choppy--almost like something one would envision in a New Age relaxation/meditation video. I also didn't care for the mini interviews with some of her fans. When asked what was so special about her voice, the opinions were oftentimes predictable and mundane. Why not ask the real experts? I suppose there is some merit in getting the audience's opinions but it does not make for interesting footage. More interviews with individuals like Sir Peter Hall (a stage director with whom Fleming works in the film) would have made the film more enlightening and insightful. I must give credit to the director, however, for his touching personal note (in the enclosed DVD booklet). In it, he describes his observations of Fleming over the 9 months it took to make the film. Too bad he didn't interview himself in the film! Overall, the film has wonderful CONTENT and it could have gotten the 5th star, had the film been put together more thoughtfully and aesthetically.
Rating:
Summary: I loved this DVD, but...
Review: Overall, this DVD is wonderful. The content and interviews with Renee Fleming, her sister, family, colleagues, and fans provided moving and keen insights about the world's renowned lyric soprano. The vignettes were my favourites (separate from the film) as Fleming provided personal details about her past/current struggles as a singer, mother, and person. Her honest descriptions are touching and reflect her self awareness (what a rarity!). In particular, the vignettes "Vocal Beginnings" and "Rehearsal and Recital" were my favourite and should be of immense interest to other voice students--the former includes Fleming's comedic performance of a song that parodies the relationship between a singer and a voice teacher. The film also captures beautiful candid shots of Fleming with her daughters and in rehearsals (one in particular where she must stop singing because the music has moved her to tears). This just goes to explain why she is such a communicative artist. What I didn't like about the film was the way it was put together. It felt like a quilt made up of incongruent patches. Throughout the film, there are patches of Fleming singing/speaking stitched together with nature scenes. The inclusion of these nature scenes makes the film feel a little corny and choppy--almost like something one would envision in a New Age relaxation/meditation video. I also didn't care for the mini interviews with some of her fans. When asked what was so special about her voice, the opinions were oftentimes predictable and mundane. Why not ask the real experts? I suppose there is some merit in getting the audience's opinions but it does not make for interesting footage. More interviews with individuals like Sir Peter Hall (a stage director with whom Fleming works in the film) would have made the film more enlightening and insightful. I must give credit to the director, however, for his touching personal note (in the enclosed DVD booklet). In it, he describes his observations of Fleming over the 9 months it took to make the film. Too bad he didn't interview himself in the film! Overall, the film has wonderful CONTENT and it could have gotten the 5th star, had the film been put together more thoughtfully and aesthetically.
Rating:
Summary: What more could you ask for!
Review: This is just a dream! All that a Renee Fleming fan could ask for. This has so much video footage -- the footage that you missed and the footage that you didn't even know existed. There's footage of her singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel, "Amazing Grace" (from Ground Zero), Desdemona's final scene in Otello (a live Opera performance), duets with Pavarotti, Domingo and oh so much more!! If you thought listening to her was the best this world has to offer, you have no idea where SEEING her will take you! Believe it or not, her recordings are not the best she has to offer -- you just wouldn't believe how much soul she emits in live performance. However, many of the interviews could have been shaved down (Many were filled with uninteresting dialogue or subject matter). I also would have really liked a good section to be dedicated to a biographical timeline. Again, this is just a Renee Fleming finatic's dream!!! Buy! Buy! Buy!
Rating:
Summary: A good attempt but just falls short
Review: We know Fleming rocks. A highly talented artist who gets some serious flack from those who don't like and some major adoration from the rest of us. But then didn't Callas, Domingo, Ponselle etc?
The DVD is ok, we get a wonderful moment seeing her on the muppets and some touching insight into her personal feelings, the intense shyness she dealt with as a teen and indeed now, how she deals with being a devoted mum as well as a hard working musician and we also get some wonderful rehearsal footage.
However, this director puts no energy and sparkle into this DVD, it becomes bland and at times boring (the 9/11 memorial service and Mme Fleming meeting the Clintons being particular low lights) and rather emotional interviews with her mother may leave one not knowing where to look. It is seeing Ms Fleming herself, rehearsing, performing (there are some wonderful excerpts of arias and opera's where we get to indulge in her creamy tone and vocal gold) and sharing her thoughts that we need more of in this DVD.
You have to be a Fleming fan to sit through the 20-30% of this DVD that is uninteresting or flat but rest assured Fleming is Fleming and that's why it's worth buying.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing Too Intriquing Here .
Review: What exactly is it that Renee's fans don't like about this DVD? That she contemplated quitting to become a more devoted mother; that she only sang a phrase or two first with Pavarotti and then with Domingo in this DVD showing that she has reached the top notch; that most contributors are no more than ordinary people in the street, or else her own loving mother; that she wasn't exactly a child prodigy with a perfect musical upbringing? What exactly is it, since both the sound and picture are so perfect? That the singing appears in piecemeal and not glamorous enough, perhaps? But there is an in depth portrayal of the rehearsing and performing of Desdemona in Othello! Sure there is nothing too intriquing here, but it's a very good, if not too great, DVD to watch. It gives us a full and realistic picture of this very good, if not too great, modern opera singer. It doesn't compare unfavouable with the video biographies of Solti or Oistrakh on DVD at all. Not being one of her fans and as such, without too much expectations, there isn't any disappointment as such. It does give me more or less the full worth of the price.
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