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Soprano Renee Fleming went for years without a recording contract, so when she finally landed one, she had a lot of roles she'd been singing for some time. This is a cross section of them, including "Porgi Amour" from The Marriage of Figaro, the "Letter Scene" from Eugene Onegin, "Song to the Moon" from Rusalka, and the "Willow Song" from Otello. Every one has a strong dramatic conception and vocal authority that comes with having them in her voice for years. Her innate dramatic volatility can't help be seconded by that of conductor Solti. -- David Patrick Stearns As the possessor of one of the great lyric soprano voices of our time, soprano Renée Fleming is in demand in the world's great opera houses. (It doesn't hurt that she's also lovely and a fine actress.) This album is an outstanding collection of great arias, ravishingly sung. It shows something of Fleming's range, including as it does music by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Dvorák (the sumptuous "Song to the Moon" from Rusalka, the best part of the entire opera, and sung here in definitive fashion), Verdi, Britten (an effective "Embroidery Scene" from Peter Grimes), and Richard Strauss. This disc is a good starting point for someone seeking to learn more about operatic singing, and a valuable addition to the library of anyone already converted. Fleming is given strong support by mezzo-soprano Larissa Diadkova, baritone Jonathan Summers, and by the late Sir Georg Solti in one of his last recordings. -- Sarah Bryan Miller

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1. Le nozze di Figaro, K.492 / Act 2 - "Porgi amor"
2. Le nozze di Figaro, K.492 / Act 3 - "E Susanna non vien!" - "Dove sono i bei momenti"
3. Eugene Onegin, Op.24 / Act 1 - Letter scene. "Puskai pogilabnu ya, no pryezhde"
4. Rusalka, Op.114 / Act 1 - O Silver Moon
5. Otello / Act 4 - "Era più calmo?..."Piangea cantando".."Ave Maria"
6. Peter Grimes, Op.33 / Act 3 - "Embroidery in childhood"
7. Daphne, Op.82 - 19. Ich komme, ich komme (transformation scene)