Somewhat Speechless

No, not quite speechless, but so close.

Last night K treated me to a lovely night out and what a treat! After a splendid dinner together, we attended a recital by Renée Fleming, accompanied, beautifully, on the piano, by Richard Bado.

At the end of her recital, she was called back over and over, and gave several encores. As a last, she asked for a request from the audience, and, thanks to an enthusiastic woman near us, sang Song to the Moon, from Dvorak's opera, Rusalka. 

As someone commented on this video, “She puts the magic in between the notes like no other singer”. Every part was magic. 

Renée Fleming transported me to heaven.




She did sing some popular pieces, but no Cole Porter. I wish we could have sung this one to her, because Renée is the absolute top.

You're The Top
Cole Porter

At words poetic I'm so pathetic
That I always have found it best
Instead of getting 'em off my chest,
To let 'em rest - unexpressed.
I hate parading my serenading,
As I’ll probably miss a bar,
But if this ditty is not so pretty,
At least it'll tell you how great you are.

You're the top! you're the colosseum,
You're the top! You're the Louvre museum,
You're the melody from a symphony by Strauss,
You're a Bendel bonnet,
A Shakespeare sonnet,
You're Mickey Mouse!

You're the Nile! You're the tow'r of Pisa,
You're the smile, on the Mona Lisa!
I'm a worthless cheque, a total wreck, a flop!
But if baby I’m the bottom,
You're the top!

You're the top, you're Mahatma Gandhi,
You're the top! You're Napoleon brandy,
You're the purple light, of a summer night in Spain,
You're the National Gallery, you're Garbo's salary,
You're cellophane!

You're sublime, you're a turkey dinner,
You're the time, of the Derby winner,
I'm a toy balloon that's fated soon to pop;
But if baby I’m the bottom you're the top!

You're the top, you're a Waldorf salad
You're the top, you're a Berlin ballad
You're the nimble tread of the feet of Fred Astaire
You're an O’Neal drama, you're Whistler's mama, you're camembert

You're a rose, you're inferno's Dante
You're the nose, on the great Durante
I'm a lazy lout who's just about to stop
But if baby I’m the bottom,
You're the top!



p.s.  I just realized, this is the second time I have featured Song to the Moon with Ms Fleming as the artist. Must be getting old!

Thank you Lindsay! I checked and here is Ms. Fleming singing Cole Porter. So In Love from Kiss Me Kate. You need to listen to the introduction, so don't be put off.