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APPENDIX 1

THE BATTLE FOR RUSALKA

WHO IS THE THE REAL RUSALKA -- ANNA NETREBKO OR RENEE FLEMING?

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People seem to think that the battle for Rusalka is about two great Divas of our

day, Anna Netrebko and Renee Fleming. In so far as one note and its

interpretation in Dvoraks aria La Chanson de la Lune lies between the Divas,nothing could be further from the truth. Some people have called it a storm in a

teacup, others have wittily called it the long!and!the!short of it; but the

di"erence in interpretation has a significance beyond its operatic environment.

Renee Fleming s primal scream for love is a necessary protest that has the same

significance as witchcraft in ancient Europe. Whether the isssue is one of

nymph!hood, womanhood or motherhood, one can be assured that its

anthropological underpinnings have not been understood by many, including,

possibly, Ms Fleming herself.

But before any major discussion can begin as to the role of the divine femine in

religion!torn world , dominated entirely by male egocentrics, the source of the

divination in Rusalka must be revisited. It should become clear to most people,

one: that the change in Dvoraks plan for a curt ending is not supported either by

the nature of Rusalka or the antecedents to the final cadence as emotioally

manipulated by him. And two: that however fortuitous it was that Ms Flemings

intuitions and emotioanal make!up led her to interpret as she did, theinterpretation resonates anthropologically in the origin, role and destiny of

woman in modern society.

Before such a debate can begin, the mechanics of what has happened should be

made clear. And the rest of this article is devoted to that end.

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When Renee Fleming was asked in an inverview what aria she liked to sing most, shereplied instantly:

The Song to the Moon, from Rusalka, is my signature piece.

I don't think people in general understand to what lengths Ms Fleming has gone to makethis aria her signature piece. At the end of this article , I hope it becomes clear why --and how -- she made this confident response; for , in truth, Rusalka does bear theindelible stamp of Ms Flemings initials. Not only that but , amongst other things, shehas shamelessly broken all Dvorak's rules and, in the process, has left all other Divas atan unutterable disadvantage.

No comparison demonstrates these claims more clearly than that obtaining when MsFlemings very polished interpretation of Rusalka is juxtaposed with that of the coleenfrom Krasnodar, Ms Netrebko.

While both Divas, Russian and American, are entirely adorable, I have to confess aweakness. I am incurably in love with Anna Netrebkos girlish ways and Russian voice.Above all else, I want to hear her sing Russalka at her best. As painful as it is to admit it, Ifeel at the moment that she has to learn some more discipline: and whats even worse --she has to learn it from Ms Fleming! Indeed, she cannot learn it from any other livingDiva. There is no other way! I believe that Anna Netrebko can be the best Rusalka that(n)ever lived only if she can learn something -- something very precious -- fromMs.Fleming.

What could one accomplished Diva possibly learn from another? And how are all otherDivas at an unutterable disadvantage? Surely these outrageous statements require an

explanation -- if not an apology!

If one might be permitted to apologise after one has explained, the apology will be betterappreciated. But first one should listen to these two Divas ostensibly singing the samesong.

Let us listen to Anna Netrebko first. She prays to the moon to be sent her prince of love.Silvery moon, she sings,

shine on us,shine on us

Moon ahhhhh! Moon,Shine on us.

These are the hopeful sentiments upon which her final few notes are devoted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iLqXZHO45o&feature=related

The irritating props aside, this is really a wonderful Rusalka. As ever, her voice isdelicious; it is like dark chocolate. It is heavenly, glorious, full and rich, as a rose is rich.But there is the suggestion of a serious fault. It occurs in Rusalkas finish.

Now let us listen to Renee Flemings interpretation of this same aria:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_lbJ1MaDeo

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iLqXZHO45o&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_lbJ1MaDeohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_lbJ1MaDeohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iLqXZHO45o&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iLqXZHO45o&feature=related

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Anyone with an ear to hear will appreciate the colossal di!erence in the interpretation ofthe final cadence. But since the cadence is the climax, it sums up the whole song. Dontlet anyone tell you that the tail does not wag the dog; without a tail, the dog, the fish andthe Diva are apt to lose their balance. And in a Diva this is fatal.

Silvery moon, she sings,shine on us,shine on us

MOON, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Moon,SHINE ON US!

In Fleming's cadence , we get a totally di!erent ending, not just a longer and more angryending, but one that is calculated to rebalance the harmonies that went before. It is moreof a completion, as understood in musical technology, than an ending. The climax isnot a matter of chronology as one might well imagine in a Coda. On the contrary, it is a

bit like what the Bible says: that which shall be first shall be last, and that which shall belast shall be first. It is sometimes like that with musical matters also. It is a matter ofhistory - a history that has strong reflexive resonances, so that what has transpired sincethe sounding of the first tonic is revisitable aurally (like a recapitulation in the clasicalsonata) at any time before the the final tonic kicks in. What this means is that every singlenote, interval, marking, contour and musical event is both transparent and answerable atthe final cadential climax. When people say that so-and-so died. His whole life flashedbefore him before he died. That is precisely what the cadential climax does in Rusalkaand Ms Fleming has engineered it such that, without Dvoraks help, everyone has timeenough to ponder with their ears upon the purport of Rusalkas entire aria.

In this way, and in this sense, all of Flemings labours are revisited, relived,complimented and rewarded; all her previous toil resonates anew as she gathers theminto a most poignant climax, which becomes by right the cornucopia of the ariasemotional angst. Anna Netrebko, however, even if blessed with an unbeatable voice and adefinite language advantage, allows her labours in the end to be somewhat squandered.She lets her work, and the beautiful way she has worked the cadences throughout thearia, slip like a trifle into a Czech lake. The overall e!ect is that the technique (andmusicality) of Ms Fleming defeats by far the natural outpourings of Anna Netrebko, aswell as Dvoraks original invention!

In some ways, of course, it is not Anna's fault. But, then, whose fault is it? How comethese two Divas seem in the final cadence to be ostensibly singing from two identical

scores , yet sound so di!erent? Is it the fault of her minders, trainers, and teachers?

I have said that the two Divas sang ostensibly from the same song.That is what we areled to believe. And in so far as Song to the Moon, was written by Dvorak in G flat Majorand in " time, that is the case. But in examining the arias final cadence, we have found amost remarkable contrast between that sung by Netrebko and that sung by Fleming. It isonly when we hear Ms Flemings final cadence does it dawn on us that the Divas could besinging from two totally di!erent scores. In conjoining the climax to the final cadence,the emotional prayer of the Water-nymph has been one of exponential proportions.Perhaps it is this disproportion that needs to be explained.

The aria has been so constructed by Dvorak that the final cadence -- indeed, the finalfew notes -- are the moment of the aria's climax. To bring both climax and final cadencetogether in one moment is no mean feat on Dvoraks part ; it demonstrates his genius inthese matters.

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But this cadential climax is also unusual in another way. In order to enhance its impact,Dvorak allows the cadence to dawdle close to a recitative base, then with the speed andassent of the entry to Nessun Dorma, it rockets upwards in sequential momentum to thehigh B flat in the Sopranos register, and only then crashes -- dives, in fact -- to asudden sub-aquatic tonic.

It is truly wonderful stu!: this final cadence alone is the female version of NessunDorma!

How, one might ask, is it claimed that the Divas are singing from a di!erent score?

To understand what has happened is not easy to explain.

if we listen to several Divas, all singing the exact same aria -- say, Lucia Popp, GabrielaBenackova, Milada Subrtova, Anna Netrebko and Renee Fleming -- it will soon becomeevident that Ms Fleming -- not Anna Netrebko -- is the odd Diva out. All the rest singDvorak's Rusalka as directed.

Maybe the directions are the problem; for notwithstanding his emotionally powerful lead-in to the cadential climax, Dvorak -- perhaps for other reasons -- only devotes twothirds of a bar to the high B flat, or , in any event, a short note and a short-circuitedresolution to the climax he has otherwise so meticulously prepared for something moreexciting. It sounds great. But if you listen to any of the Divas -- or as in this case, toAnna Netrebko -- you will hear this final, somewhat sudden and curt -- almostchastising -- descent at the end. Indeed, one may go away with the feeling that one hasheard a splendid aria, well sung, but too suddenly ended. And this may have been thespecific aim of Dvorak: one is not always acquainted with Czechoslovakian Waternymphsas the maestro. In any event, tens of thousands of pilgrims make their way to 'YOU TUBE'

to hear it: and while there at it , to get a gander of Anna Nebtrebko in a bikini. But It isonly when one listens to Renee Flemings singular interpretation that one becomes awarethat one is in the presence of a much more revolutionary Rusalka than was hithertocontemplated.

Anna Netrebko (as Rusalka) has prayed that the Moon might send her princely lover toher. After her prayers, she submerges herself like a submarine with girlish haste andalmost Christian contrition. As we have seen, Ms Fleming does not come in a bikini;neither is she in a swimming mood, nor, for that matter, is she likely to be fobbed o!byhunky silhouttes. If anything, she is furious. We all know that like Ms Netrebko, she hasprayed most fervently -- movingly, in fact -- to an indi!erent moon; but, now that it istime for her to take her departure, she refuses to play the role of the fat lady: she simply

will not budge unil she has had her say. She remains on in o#ce un-apologeticallydefiant, with anger in her eyes, terror in her tongue and revolution in her heart. LikeHamlet , she is now Christian or Pagan to whatever end may come, but that end cannotbe indi!erence!

When and where all the other Divas have gone, Ms Fleming will not go -- not even forDvorak! So, when Ms Fleming (as Rusalka) climaxes, there is no scurrying into the safetyof a lake. On the contrary, the earth trembles. When she reaches the high B flat in thefinal cadence, far from bailing out modestly, she holds on to the B flat for bare life (ifone might use such an apt expression): and she seems to hold on to it forever, which ismaybe twice, three times-- but more likely ten times -- longer than any other Diva

(including Anna Netrebko) : so long, in fact, that the orchestra have packed it in and aretaming their break, while Ms Fleming, still vibrating in flagrante delicioso, sees the ariathrough to the last syllable of its emotional obligation : durchgefuert, as Schonbergwould say! In this climax, she is the consummate creative artist - and I personally dont

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When I shall hear Anna Netrebko singing Rusalka from Ms Flemings hymn-sheet , I willknow that Water-nymphs shall have been saved, that I shall have gone to Heaven, andthat all my prayers as well as my apologies shall have become redundant!

Finally, while it appears of no consequence, one still sneakishly wonders from whom thecamera-man, particularly at the arias great climax, got his directions. If it was from Ms

Flemings impressario , then he certainly got his money's worth. If, however, it came fromMs Fleming herself, then it constitutes an even more worrying stroke of genius than thatexhibited in her singing !

Seamus Breathnach

www.irish-criminsology.com

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