Sunday, January 30, 2011

Paul Simon and Renée Fleming In Concert

Music's New Royal Couple
(Photo: Michael Bryant/Philadelphia Inquirer)
The Academy of Music 154th Anniversary Concert, and the Philadelphia Orchestra's biggest annual fundraiser, was the occasion for music legend Paul Simon to be singing his first duet with opera singer Renée Fleming.  The song of choice? "The Sound of Silence."

"This is the beginning of the Simon and Fleming era!" proclaimed Paul Simon by way of introducing his first-ever duet with opera star Renee Fleming.

"You've kept your high notes!" said Fleming with a playful air of envy.

"Musetta svaria sulla bocca viva"
(Photo: Michael Bryant/Philadelphia Inquirer)


On the program for Fleming were two arias from Leoncavallo's La Boheme, Puccini's "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi and for an encore Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." For his part Simon sang "Boy in the Bubble," "Love and Hard Times," and "Loves Me Like a Rock."

[Source]