I sob uncontrollably every single time I listen to this exquisite piece. Stunning in every way imaginable. I was but a pipsqueak when my older sister was studying voice under Eleanor Steber at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Utterly iconic! She was SUCH a Force! I still remember standing there, an Awed little girl, watching her sweep majestically past en route to the recital hall. Such a beautiful memory as I honor my 63rd birthday now! Sigh! " Who knows where the time goes?"
I'm reading Steber's (wonderful) autobiography now and just finished the part about giving this work its first performance. To correct the record about the work having been written for her: she commissioned it and was absolutely thrilled by its resonance with her West Virginia childhood: "I felt at once that it belonged particularly to me, because I also lived in a time when we lay on the grass on quilts and I can remember 'the frailings of fire that breathes....'" But shortly before the premiere she happened to overhear someone say that Barber did NOT write it for her. He had written it for another singer, the contralto Carol Brice, but for some reason it was never performed. He reset it for Steber. She was wounded to the core to learn this. She felt deceived and even cheated since it was a big deal to her that she had commissioned and paid for an original work written for her particular voice. She and Barber made their peace about it, but even after many years she wondered why she wasn't told up front. If Barber had said he had a wonderful piece all done but never performed that would suit her perfectly, she would have been fine with it, she wrote - it was the deception that wounded her. She learned this just a few days before the premiere with Koussevitsky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She had to "shove her anger to the back of [her] mind" to do justice to the piece. She, Barber, and Agee had expected the premiere to be a major musical event, but that very evening, the BSO announced Koussevitsky's retirement and the appointment of Charles Munch as its new conductor! That stole the musical thunder that night. "Knoxville" wasn't an instant success and Koussevitsky wasn't its ideal conductor. At one rehearsal he was so much at sea that he walked off in frustration and left it to Steber and the concertmaster to work things out. Agee wrote later that Koussevitsky didn't have the faintest idea what the words meant. Steber wrote: "'Knoxville' is so American, so much a part of our private language that I doubt Europeans can ever hear it as we do... such words for Americans [have] a quality that goes beyond their actual meaning to evoke a whole way of life... a sense of continuity, of childhood, of being loved and protected." She was stunned that after this difficult premiere the work eventually became "the timeless success it remains today. Nor can I conceive how anyone else could have introduced it to the world. It has been the most perfect piece for me, in every respect." And Barber "continued to compose his songs and operas until his untimely death, and I continued to sing them. As always, 'all the rest is dust and ashes.'"
I have long thought this was one of the greatest orchestral lieder ever... right up there with the best of Mahler. It has the most sincere pathos imaginable. If you are not moved by this piece, you need to listen to it a few more times, because this is TRULY great music.
Stylistically and vocally spot on, very 'upbeat,' vibrant and energetic without slipping into the operatic, with wonderful, clear, standard English that does Agee's text justice! Wonderful. A standard-setting performance of a core American masterpiece.
This was the first version I heard. I bought the album when I was in college (almost 60 years ago) simply because I loved the cover art. What a discovery! I recently listened to other lovely recordings of it, but this is still by far the most impassioned and moving.
The pioneer recording of this piece. And I'm happy to say that I was fortunate enough to meet Eleanor Steber, who commissioned this piece and autographed my copy for soprano and piano.
I LOVE this piece with all my heart, and I especially love Eleanor Steber's performance of it. She commissioned Samuel Barber to write it for her, and boy, does her voice sound exquisite on it! I love it, too, because of the text it is based on by James Agee. Having been raised a Southerner in North Carolina, James Agee captures the aching longing of a child wanting his parents to tell him who he is. Masterful, lyrical, perfect. KNOXVILLE: SUMMER OF 1915 by Samuel Barber with text by James Agee IT HAS BECOME THAT TIME OF EVENING WHEN PEOPLE SIT ON THEIR PORCHES, ROCKING GENTLY AND TALKING GENTLY AND WATCHING THE STREET AND THE STANDING UP INTO THEIR SPHERE OF POSSESSION OF THE TREES, OF BIRDS' HUNG HAVENS, HANGARS. PEOPLE GO BY; THINGS GO BY. A HORSE, DRAWING A BUGGY, BREAKING HIS HOLLOW IRON MUSIC ON THE ASPHALT: A LOUD AUTO: A QUIET AUTO: PEOPLE IN PAIRS, NOT IN A HURRY, SCUFFLING, SWITCHING THEIR WEIGHT OF AESTIVAL BODY, TALKING CASUALLY, THE TASTE HOVERING OVER THEM OF VANILLA, STRAWBERRY, PASTEBOARD, AND STARCHED MILK, THE IMAGE UPON THEM OF LOVERS AND HORSEMEN, SQUARING WITH CLOWNS IN HUELESS AMBER. A STREETCAR RAISING ITS IRON MOAN; STOPPING; BELLING AND STARTING, STERTOROUS; ROUSING AND RAISING AGAIN ITS IRON INCREASING MOAN AND SWIMMING ITS GOLD WINDOWS AND STRAW SEATS ON PAST AND PAST AND PAST, THE BLEAK SPARK CRACKLING AND CURSING ABOVE IT LIKE A SMALL MALIGNANT SPIRIT SET TO DOG ITS TRACKS; THE IRON WHINE RISES ON RISING SPEED; STILL RISEN, FAINTS; HALTS; THE FAINT STINGING BELL; RISES AGAIN, STILL FAINTER; FAINTING, LIFTING, LIFTS, FAINTS FOREGONE: FORGOTTEN. NOW IS THE NIGHT ONE BLUE DEW. NOW IS THE NIGHT ONE BLUE DEW, MY FATHER HAS DRAINED, HE HAS COILED THE HOSE. LOW IN THE LENGTH OF LAWNS, A FRAILING OF FIRE WHO BREATHES... PARENTS ON PORCHES: ROCK AND ROCK. FROM DAMP STRINGS MORNING GLORIES HANG THEIR ANCIENT FACES. THE DRY AND EXALTED NOISE OF THE LOCUSTS FROM ALL THE AIR AT ONCE ENCHANTS MY EARDRUMS. ON THE ROUGH WET GRASS OF THE BACK YARD MY FATHER AND MOTHER HAVE SPREAD QUILTS. WE ALL LIE THERE, MY MOTHER, MY FATHER, MY UNCLE, MY AUNT, AND I TOO AM LYING THERE THEY ARE NOT TALKING MUCH, AND THE TALK IS QUIET, OF NOTHING IN PARTICULAR, OF NOTHING AT ALL IN PARTICULAR, OF NOTHING AT ALL. THE STARS ARE WIDE AND ALIVE, THEY SEEM EACH LIKE A SMILE OF GREAT SWEETNESS, AND THEY SEEM VERY NEAR. ALL MY PEOPLE ARE LARGER BODIES THAN MINE, WITH VOICES GENTLE AND MEANINGLESS LIKE THE VOICES OF SLEEPING BIRDS. ONE IS AN ARTIST, HE IS LIVING AT HOME. ONE IS A MUSICIAN, SHE IS LIVING AT HOME. ONE IS MY MOTHER WHO IS GOOD TO ME. ONE IS MY FATHER WHO IS GOOD TO ME. BY SOME CHANCE, HERE THEY ARE, ALL ON THIS EARTH; AND WHO SHALL EVER TELL THE SORROW OF BEING ON THIS EARTH, LYING, ON QUILTS, ON THE GRASS, IN A SUMMER EVENING, AMONG THE SOUNDS OF THE NIGHT. MAY GOD BLESS MY PEOPLE, MY UNCLE, MY AUNT, MY MOTHER, MY GOOD FATHER, OH, REMEMBER THEM KINDLY IN THEIR TIME OF TROUBLE; AND IN THE HOUR OF THEIR TAKING AWAY. AFTER A LITTLE I AM TAKEN IN AND PUT TO BED. SLEEP, SOFT SMILING, DRAWS ME UNTO HER: AND THOSE RECEIVE ME, WHO QUIETLY TREAT ME, AS ONE FAMILIAR AND WELL-BELOVED IN THAT HOME: BUT WILL NOT, OH, WILL NOT, NOT NOW, NOT EVER; BUT WILL NOT EVER TELL ME WHO I AM.
My first introduction to Miss Steber was this recording. I fell in love wth her voice, and her technique is stunning! She continued singing well into her 60's, and I also continue singing, and I am 64 y/o. You must have flawless technique, placement and support to do this!
Eleanor Steber was my voice teacher at the American Institute of Musical Studies (Aims) in Graz, Austria. I say she was my voice teacher even though most of us only had one or two lessons with her (I had two). Her voice was the first "modern" sounding soprano of her era. Her breath support was amazing. Even in Graz, she still had a powerful voice. She gave a recital that summer, mostly Bach and Mozart....the two composers that really brought her voice to light. Some of her high notes were gone by this time, but her interpretation was incredible enough you forgave her for any pinched high notes. She was 65 at this time and still a wonder to behold.
Shocking news! More than one singer can 'own' this piece. Eleanor Steber (who commissioned the work), Eileen Farrell, Leontyne Price. Favoring one of these over the other is really minor differences in personal taste. We are beyond fortunate to have these three such stellar (and exquisite performances) of (imo) Barber's finest work on record.
Steber, hands down! The James Agee text takes me immediately back to my childhood when I would visit my grandmother in her small Ohio town. We would sit on her porch on a Saturday night and neighbors would pass by on the sidewalk and stop in for a visit. Those simple times are long gone.
I love this piece, one of the best (IMHO) 20TH century classical operatic pieces, though I felt Maria Valdez (kalidescope orchestra) had the most expressive performance, followed by Dawn Upshaw...
Steber was my voice teacher in 1979 at the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria. I was 17 years old. They are celebrating their 50th year this summer. I am still the youngest student to attend this school. Even at this late stage in her life, she still had a powerful voice. It was her friendship with Samuel Barber that she was able to commission this now staple piece of soprano repertoire. Barber also wrote his opera "Vanessa" with Steber in mind. She also premiered the opera at the MET.
There was no one like this amazing singer! Always beautiful, luscious tone, and always appropriate to the music and text. She ABSOLUTELY owns this work. After all, it was written for her!
I stated above that I did meet her many years ago, mentioned this piece to her. She told me that she commissioned it from Barber. She thereupon signed my voice and piano copy for me.
There are several excellent performances of this masterpiece on the internet, among which are Leontyne Price and Eileen Farrell. But this one is my favorite of them all.
I don't know if she is over-mic'ed, but I find her sounding like she is pushing her voice in all the forte sections. It's not that she doesn't have enough voice, but that she is using too much....it sounds like she is shouting, in a way. It's something about the color of the voice when she does this...it's the same color through all those sections, and Barber didn't mark the music like that, nor does that fit the text. When the text changes, the singer needs to differentiate between the different moods. I don't hear her doing that. btw, I am not the person who 'disliked' this video, just explaining why someone might not like it.
I'm torn between this and the Price recording. Yes, this is the original and Steber is stellar but there just something so magical about Leontyne's pianissimi in the second half of her interpretation of this gorgeous piece. I thinks it's fair to love them both equally. :-)
Steber premiered this piece(which she commissioned from Barber). Barber also wrote his opera "Vanessa" with Steber in mind which she also premiered at the Met. Leontyne Price premiered Barber's "Prayers of Kierkegaard".
Of all the recordings of this beautiful nostalgic piece, Eleanor Steber captures the essence of the poem and her diction is superior to many of the others, apart from Renee Fleming. Sally Matthews sang this piece beautifully too but her diction wasn’t as good.
I sob uncontrollably every single time I listen to this exquisite piece. Stunning in every way imaginable. I was but a pipsqueak when my older sister was studying voice under Eleanor Steber at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Utterly iconic! She was SUCH a Force! I still remember standing there, an Awed little girl, watching her sweep majestically past en route to the recital hall. Such a beautiful memory as I honor my 63rd birthday now! Sigh! " Who knows where the time goes?"
I'm reading Steber's (wonderful) autobiography now and just finished the part about giving this work its first performance. To correct the record about the work having been written for her: she commissioned it and was absolutely thrilled by its resonance with her West Virginia childhood: "I felt at once that it belonged particularly to me, because I also lived in a time when we lay on the grass on quilts and I can remember 'the frailings of fire that breathes....'" But shortly before the premiere she happened to overhear someone say that Barber did NOT write it for her. He had written it for another singer, the contralto Carol Brice, but for some reason it was never performed. He reset it for Steber. She was wounded to the core to learn this. She felt deceived and even cheated since it was a big deal to her that she had commissioned and paid for an original work written for her particular voice. She and Barber made their peace about it, but even after many years she wondered why she wasn't told up front. If Barber had said he had a wonderful piece all done but never performed that would suit her perfectly, she would have been fine with it, she wrote - it was the deception that wounded her. She learned this just a few days before the premiere with Koussevitsky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She had to "shove her anger to the back of [her] mind" to do justice to the piece. She, Barber, and Agee had expected the premiere to be a major musical event, but that very evening, the BSO announced Koussevitsky's retirement and the appointment of Charles Munch as its new conductor! That stole the musical thunder that night. "Knoxville" wasn't an instant success and Koussevitsky wasn't its ideal conductor. At one rehearsal he was so much at sea that he walked off in frustration and left it to Steber and the concertmaster to work things out. Agee wrote later that Koussevitsky didn't have the faintest idea what the words meant. Steber wrote: "'Knoxville' is so American, so much a part of our private language that I doubt Europeans can ever hear it as we do... such words for Americans [have] a quality that goes beyond their actual meaning to evoke a whole way of life... a sense of continuity, of childhood, of being loved and protected." She was stunned that after this difficult premiere the work eventually became "the timeless success it remains today. Nor can I conceive how anyone else could have introduced it to the world. It has been the most perfect piece for me, in every respect." And Barber "continued to compose his songs and operas until his untimely death, and I continued to sing them. As always, 'all the rest is dust and ashes.'"
Thank you!
I have long thought this was one of the greatest orchestral lieder ever... right up there with the best of Mahler. It has the most sincere pathos imaginable. If you are not moved by this piece, you need to listen to it a few more times, because this is TRULY great music.
You are exactly right. It is transcendental. And Eleanor sings it beautifully
“The most sincere pathos imaginable”. Beautiful sentence though I might not understand it.
Stylistically and vocally spot on, very 'upbeat,' vibrant and energetic without slipping into the operatic, with wonderful, clear,
standard English that does Agee's text justice! Wonderful.
A standard-setting performance of a core American masterpiece.
Eleanor Steber's performance of this leaves me speechless, in tears. Perfect.
The most perfect poet, composer, singer combination I have ever heard!
yessss！！🥲
I love this composer ...
beautifulmusic and Steber's performance still holds the lead of performances.
Thank you, dear lady, for commissioning this work!
This was the first version I heard. I bought the album when I was in college (almost 60 years ago) simply because I loved the cover art. What a discovery! I recently listened to other lovely recordings of it, but this is still by far the most impassioned and moving.
My beautiful coach for many inspired years...I love you ❤😢😮😅😅
The pioneer recording of this piece. And I'm happy to say that I was fortunate enough to meet Eleanor Steber, who commissioned this piece and autographed my copy for soprano and piano.
"...and who shall ever tell the sorrow of being on this earth, lying on quilts, on the grass, in a summer evening, among the sounds of the night?"
The acute loneliness of the artist child, rising almost to a panic.
@@photo161
You nailed it.
What wonderful diction she has. Superb... and just the right timbre for this work.
Barber and Steber...🥰
How Barber KNEW her voice!
still the best performance of this amazing piece of music.
I LOVE this piece with all my heart, and I especially love Eleanor Steber's performance of it. She commissioned Samuel Barber to write it for her, and boy, does her voice sound exquisite on it! I love it, too, because of the text it is based on by James Agee. Having been raised a Southerner in North Carolina, James Agee captures the aching longing of a child wanting his parents to tell him who he is. Masterful, lyrical, perfect.
KNOXVILLE: SUMMER OF 1915 by Samuel Barber with text by James Agee
IT HAS BECOME THAT TIME OF EVENING
WHEN PEOPLE SIT ON THEIR PORCHES,
ROCKING GENTLY AND TALKING GENTLY
AND WATCHING THE STREET
AND THE STANDING UP INTO THEIR SPHERE OF POSSESSION
OF THE TREES, OF BIRDS' HUNG HAVENS, HANGARS.
PEOPLE GO BY;
THINGS GO BY.
A HORSE, DRAWING A BUGGY,
BREAKING HIS HOLLOW IRON MUSIC ON THE ASPHALT:
A LOUD AUTO: A QUIET AUTO:
PEOPLE IN PAIRS, NOT IN A HURRY,
SCUFFLING, SWITCHING THEIR WEIGHT OF AESTIVAL BODY,
TALKING CASUALLY, THE TASTE HOVERING OVER THEM
OF VANILLA, STRAWBERRY, PASTEBOARD, AND STARCHED MILK,
THE IMAGE UPON THEM OF LOVERS AND HORSEMEN,
SQUARING WITH CLOWNS IN HUELESS AMBER.
A STREETCAR RAISING ITS IRON MOAN;
STOPPING; BELLING AND STARTING, STERTOROUS;
ROUSING AND RAISING AGAIN ITS IRON INCREASING MOAN
AND SWIMMING ITS GOLD WINDOWS AND STRAW SEATS
ON PAST AND PAST AND PAST,
THE BLEAK SPARK CRACKLING AND CURSING ABOVE IT
LIKE A SMALL MALIGNANT SPIRIT SET TO DOG ITS TRACKS;
THE IRON WHINE RISES ON RISING SPEED;
STILL RISEN, FAINTS; HALTS; THE FAINT STINGING BELL;
RISES AGAIN, STILL FAINTER; FAINTING, LIFTING, LIFTS,
FAINTS FOREGONE: FORGOTTEN.
NOW IS THE NIGHT ONE BLUE DEW.
NOW IS THE NIGHT ONE BLUE DEW,
MY FATHER HAS DRAINED,
HE HAS COILED THE HOSE.
LOW IN THE LENGTH OF LAWNS,
A FRAILING OF FIRE WHO BREATHES...
PARENTS ON PORCHES: ROCK AND ROCK.
FROM DAMP STRINGS MORNING GLORIES HANG THEIR ANCIENT FACES.
THE DRY AND EXALTED NOISE OF THE LOCUSTS FROM ALL THE AIR AT ONCE ENCHANTS MY EARDRUMS.
ON THE ROUGH WET GRASS OF THE BACK YARD
MY FATHER AND MOTHER HAVE SPREAD QUILTS.
WE ALL LIE THERE, MY MOTHER, MY FATHER, MY UNCLE, MY AUNT,
AND I TOO AM LYING THERE
THEY ARE NOT TALKING MUCH, AND THE TALK IS QUIET,
OF NOTHING IN PARTICULAR,
OF NOTHING AT ALL IN PARTICULAR,
OF NOTHING AT ALL.
THE STARS ARE WIDE AND ALIVE,
THEY SEEM EACH LIKE A SMILE OF GREAT SWEETNESS,
AND THEY SEEM VERY NEAR.
ALL MY PEOPLE ARE LARGER BODIES THAN MINE,
WITH VOICES GENTLE AND MEANINGLESS
LIKE THE VOICES OF SLEEPING BIRDS.
ONE IS AN ARTIST,
HE IS LIVING AT HOME.
ONE IS A MUSICIAN,
SHE IS LIVING AT HOME.
ONE IS MY MOTHER WHO IS GOOD TO ME.
ONE IS MY FATHER WHO IS GOOD TO ME.
BY SOME CHANCE, HERE THEY ARE, ALL ON THIS EARTH;
AND WHO SHALL EVER TELL THE SORROW
OF BEING ON THIS EARTH, LYING, ON QUILTS, ON THE GRASS,
IN A SUMMER EVENING, AMONG THE SOUNDS OF THE NIGHT.
MAY GOD BLESS MY PEOPLE,
MY UNCLE, MY AUNT, MY MOTHER, MY GOOD FATHER,
OH, REMEMBER THEM KINDLY IN THEIR TIME OF TROUBLE;
AND IN THE HOUR OF THEIR TAKING AWAY.
AFTER A LITTLE I AM TAKEN IN
AND PUT TO BED.
SLEEP, SOFT SMILING, DRAWS ME UNTO HER:
AND THOSE RECEIVE ME, WHO QUIETLY TREAT ME,
AS ONE FAMILIAR AND WELL-BELOVED IN THAT HOME:
BUT WILL NOT, OH, WILL NOT,
NOT NOW, NOT EVER;
BUT WILL NOT EVER TELL ME WHO I AM.
I'm from Charlotte. And, "what you said"... I couldn't have expressed it more succinctly. Thanks... J.
so lovely...poignant..thank you...
My first introduction to Miss Steber was this recording. I fell in love wth her voice, and her technique is stunning! She continued singing well into her 60's, and I also continue singing, and I am 64 y/o. You must have flawless technique, placement and support to do this!
Eleanor Steber was my voice teacher at the American Institute of Musical Studies (Aims) in Graz, Austria. I say she was my voice teacher even though most of us only had one or two lessons with her (I had two). Her voice was the first "modern" sounding soprano of her era. Her breath support was amazing. Even in Graz, she still had a powerful voice. She gave a recital that summer, mostly Bach and Mozart....the two composers that really brought her voice to light. Some of her high notes were gone by this time, but her interpretation was incredible enough you forgave her for any pinched high notes. She was 65 at this time and still a wonder to behold.
Shocking news! More than one singer can 'own' this piece. Eleanor Steber (who commissioned the work), Eileen Farrell, Leontyne Price.
Favoring one of these over the other is really minor differences in personal taste. We are beyond fortunate to have these three such stellar (and exquisite performances) of (imo) Barber's finest work on record.
Steber, hands down! The James Agee text takes me immediately back to my childhood when I would visit my grandmother in her small Ohio town. We would sit on her porch on a Saturday night and neighbors would pass by on the sidewalk and stop in for a visit. Those simple times are long gone.
I love this piece, one of the best (IMHO) 20TH century classical operatic pieces, though I felt Maria Valdez (kalidescope orchestra) had the most expressive performance, followed by Dawn Upshaw...
As Much as I love Leontyne Price, Steber owns this. You are so lucky to have an autograph.
Steber was my voice teacher in 1979 at the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria. I was 17 years old. They are celebrating their 50th year this summer. I am still the youngest student to attend this school. Even at this late stage in her life, she still had a powerful voice. It was her friendship with Samuel Barber that she was able to commission this now staple piece of soprano repertoire. Barber also wrote his opera "Vanessa" with Steber in mind. She also premiered the opera at the MET.
I heard Price do this at Saratoga and I didn't recognize it. Steber OWNS it, as you say.
I could never sing it because of losing my father.
There was no one like this amazing singer! Always beautiful, luscious tone, and always appropriate to the music and text. She ABSOLUTELY owns this work. After all, it was written for her!
I stated above that I did meet her many years ago, mentioned this piece to her.
She told me that she commissioned it from Barber. She thereupon signed my voice and piano copy for me.
Beautiful performance, the quintissential "American" voice.
sublime. indescribably saudade.
Caesaria Evora...
There are several excellent performances of this masterpiece on the internet, among which are Leontyne Price and Eileen Farrell. But this one is my favorite of them all.
Barber wrote it for her
One "dislike"... how is it possible not to love that ?
I don't know if she is over-mic'ed, but I find her sounding like she is pushing her voice in all the forte sections. It's not that she doesn't have enough voice, but that she is using too much....it sounds like she is shouting, in a way. It's something about the color of the voice when she does this...it's the same color through all those sections, and Barber didn't mark the music like that, nor does that fit the text. When the text changes, the singer needs to differentiate between the different moods. I don't hear her doing that. btw, I am not the person who 'disliked' this video, just explaining why someone might not like it.
@@coloraturaElise So, we take it you re a common opera queen.
May the best voice win. Love the music.
My favorite.
magnificent!
I'm torn between this and the Price recording. Yes, this is the original and Steber is stellar but there just something so magical about Leontyne's pianissimi in the second half of her interpretation of this gorgeous piece. I thinks it's fair to love them both equally. :-)
Both performances, each, one kind of perfect!
By all means love and honor both performances of this remarkable and special composition by one of America's greatest composers.
Steber premiered this piece(which she commissioned from Barber). Barber also wrote his opera "Vanessa" with Steber in mind which she also premiered at the Met. Leontyne Price premiered Barber's "Prayers of Kierkegaard".
I also highly recommend this recording with Sylvia McNair and the Atlanta Symphony:
ua-cam.com/video/WG8_nLJ6238/v-deo.htmlsi=udSnR44JJDnIAKQe
😎🎹
Of all the recordings of this beautiful nostalgic piece, Eleanor Steber captures the essence of the poem and her diction is superior to many of the others, apart from Renee Fleming.
Sally Matthews sang this piece beautifully too but her diction wasn’t as good.