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Distant Light (Renée Fleming album)

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2017 studio album by Renée Fleming
Distant Light
Studio album by Renée Fleming
ReleasedJanuary 20, 2017
RecordedFebruary 10–13, 2016
VenueKonserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden
GenreClassical
Length53:24
LabelDecca
Renée Fleming chronology
Christmas in New York
(2014) 		Distant Light
(2017) 		Broadway
(2018)

Distant Light is an album by American soprano Renée Fleming. It was released on January 20, 2017, by Decca Records.

Critical reception

Richard Morrison of The Times described Distant Light as an "ambitious album" featuring "superbly reimagined arrangements" by Hans Ek that "show how much stylistic overlap exists between experimental pop and postmodern classical". Gulf News described Barber's "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" as "a perfect fit for Fleming's silvery, soaring soprano". They also noted the "textured, emotional soundscape" of Hillborg's The Strand Settings and the "contemporary" sound of Björk's songs. Alexandra Coghlan of Limelight magazine stated that the album plays out like "a coherent and convincing recital programme" that "quietly dissolves divisions between genres to rather wonderful effect".

David Patrick Stearns of Gramophone magazine described Distant Light as a "haphazard" collection of music, where Barber and Björk struggle to sit alongside Hillborg's song cycle. Associated Press opined that Fleming's performance of "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" was "long overdue" but "misses the mark" due to conductor Sakari Oramo's "inconsistent" tempo and phrasing.

Track listing

  1. "Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24" (Samuel Barber) – 15:29
  2. "The Strand Settings: 1. Black Sea" (Anders Hillborg) – 4:17
  3. "The Strand Settings: 2. Dark Harbor XX" (Hillborg) – 5:08
  4. "The Strand Settings: 3. Dark Harbor XXXV" (Hillborg) – 5:25
  5. "The Strand Settings: 4. Dark Harbor XI" (Hillborg) – 5:40
  6. "Virus" (Björk, Sjón) – 4:19
  7. "Jóga" (Björk, Sjón) – 4:32
  8. "All Is Full of Love" (Björk) – 3:12
  9. "Undo" (Björk, Thomas Knak) – 5:17

Charts

Chart performance for Distant Light
Chart (2017) Peak
position
UK Classical Artist Albums Chart (OCC) 4
US Top Classical Albums (Billboard) 17

References

  1. Morrison, Richard (January 6, 2017). "Classical: Renée Fleming: Distant Light". The Times. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  2. "Renee Fleming's 'Distant Light' album review". Gulf News. January 9, 2017. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  3. Coghlan, Alexandra (April 26, 2017). "Distant Light (Renée Fleming, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic/Oramo)". Limelight. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  4. Stearns, David Patrick. "Renée Fleming: Distant Light". Gramophone. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  5. "Review: Renee Fleming's "Distant Light"". Associated Press. July 28, 2017. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  6. "Official Classical Artist Albums Chart Top 50 - 13 January 2017 - 19 January 2017". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  7. "Classical Albums – January 28, 2017". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
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