The Hours,
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Woolfe described it in his New York Times review, Strauss’ “sublime final trio is rendingly recalled in The Hours, as Clarissa, Laura and Virginia at last acknowledge one another, joining in sober then swelling harmony. It’s a superb sequence, a nod to Strauss that has a sweet longing all its own.”
Asked whether it was daunting to follow Meryl Streep as Clarissa Vaughan, Fleming laughingly replies, “For me the most intimidating role was Blanche Dubois [in the operatic version of A Streetcar Named Desire]. What I learned from that is that the music changes the game, it adds an element so it’s not such a blank page. I’ve done some theater roles, and it’s very exposed. Speaking words into the silence can be terrifying.”
The Hours marked Fleming’s return to the Met after a seven-year hiatus. She says the rehearsal process was a joyful experience and that opening night was both thrilling and thought-provoking. “Being back with the audience, hearing a live orchestra, and working with all these great colleagues was a fantastic metaphor for what should be happening with our society and our leaders.”
The national schedule for subsequent Metropolitan Opera broadcasts on Great Performances is Verdi’s La Traviata, April 2; Giordano’s Fedora, May 7; Cherubini’s Medea, June 16; Wagner’s Lohengrin, July 9; Verdi’s Falstaff, Aug. 6; Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier, Sept. 10; Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Oct. 1; Terence Blanchard’s Champion, Nov. 5; and Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Dec. 10. Check newmexicopbs.org as the broadcast dates approach to confirm the date and time of the local broadcasts.