A top singer at the peak of her career

In a splendid academic piece of work which analyses the recent history of the diva, Oxford musicologist (and soprano) Emily Eisen devotes a chapter to Renée Fleming. Eisen discusses the process of construction of an opera diva in the early twenty-first century, taking into consideration photos, websites, interviews, and autobiographies. The musicologist suggests that a successful twenty-first century diva is a self-aware singer who knows how important her image is for the promotion of her career. Fleming’s prematurely written memoirs, her mention of her children in interviews and documentaries, and her spectacular dresses, Eisen argues, play a part in this campaign.From the moment Fleming appeared on stage for this concert performance of Jules Massenet’s Thaïs, it was obvious that nothing was left to chance. From her classic coiffure to…