Renee Fleming - Puts: The Hours (CD)

Premiered at New York's Metropolitan Opera in 2022 - with Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming and Kelli O'Hara as it's stars - Kevin Puts's The Hours was praised by The New York Times as "sincere and persuasive... fervent... and soaringly lyrical". The opera returns to the Met's schedule in May 2024. Based on both the award-winning 2002 film directed by Stephen Daldry and the original novel by Michael Cunningham, The Hours interweaves characters and events from three different periods of the 20th century. Joyce DiDonato, who takes the pivotal role of writer Virginia Woolf, says that: "Even though it deals with death head-on, the piece is life-affirming and tells a timeless story. The characters' struggles are shared universally, and by highlighting them through the different personalities and periods, hopefully everybody can find a part of themselves in the story." This audio recording showcases the opera The Hours, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts, which played to sold-out audiences at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City during it's world-premiere staged production last season. Featuring a libretto by Greg Pierce, adapted from Michael Cunningham's acclaimed novel and inspired by Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, the powerful story concerns three women from different eras who each grapple with their inner demons and roles in society. Joyce DiDonato (interpreting the role of Virginia Woolf) is joined by Renée Fleming as Clarissa Vaughan and Kelli O'Hara as Laura Brown, among others in this superstar cast, conducted by Yannick Nezet-Séguin.

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. Prologue. "Flowers... Flowers" (Chorus) [Live]
2. "Platters! - What's That, Babe?" (Clarissa, Sally, Chorus) [Live]
3. "She Pauses at It's Threshold..." (Chorus, Clarissa, Man Under the Arch, Walter, Virginia) [Live]
4. "Go Slowly. Ignore Your Novel" (Virginia, Clarissa, Chorus, Leonard) [Live]
5. "There's the Scowl" (Virginia, Leonard, Chorus) [Live]
6. "Clarissa! - Barbara!" (Barbara, Clarissa, Chorus, Virginia, Leonard) [Live]
7. "Richmond... She Opens the Curtains" (Virginia, Chorus, Man Under the Arch) [Live]
8. "Missus Dalloway Said She Would Buy the Flowers Herself" (Laura, Virginia, Chorus, Dan, Richie) [Live]
9. "Oh Dan. Roses? on Your Birthday?" (Laura, Dan, Richie, Chorus) [Live]
10. "You Know What We're Going to Do?" (Laura, Virginia, Richie, Clarissa) [Live]
11. "Here on This Corner" (Clarissa) [Live]
12. "Good Morning, My Love!" (Clarissa, Richard, Angelica, Quentin, Julian) [Live]
13. "We Need Four Cups" (Laura, Richie, Chorus, Nelly, Virginia) [Live]
14. "Oh! a Reminder, Ma'am, Your Sister's Coming at Two" (Nelly, Virginia, Richie, Laura, Kitty, Chorus, Angelica, Quentin, Julian, Man Under the Arch) [Live]
15. "...'Cause I'm Going to Die" (Chorus, Clarissa, Sally) [Live]

Disc: 2

1. "Heaven? Somebody Else's Heaven?" (Chorus, Laura, Hotel Clerk) [Live]
2. "Did It Matter Then, She Asked Herself" (Laura, Virginia) [Live]
3. "It's Happened - I Thought I'd Be Overjoyed, Richard!" (Leonard, Clarissa, Chorus) [Live]
4. "Louis? - Clarissa. Caught Me Smoking" (Clarissa, Louis, Chorus) [Live]
5. "Ent (Ha)Da Oikeîs en Te Ge" (Chorus, Angelica, Quentin, Julian, Virginia, Vanessa, Laura) [Live]
6. "Richard! Get Down from There" (Clarissa, Richard) [Live]
7. "For Alone You Are Holy..." (Chorus, Man Under the Arch) [Live]
8. "MM... 'Stead of Jousting You'd Rather..." (MRS. Latch, Richie, Laura, Clarissa, Virginia, Leonard, Nelly) [Live]
9. "Happy My Birthday!" (Dan, Richie, Walter, Sally, Louis, Clarissa, Virginia, Leonard, Laura) [Live]
10. "This Is My Partner, Sally" (Clarissa, Sally, Laura, Dan, Leonard) [Live]
11. "All Along?" (Clarissa, Laura, Virginia) [Live]