NYT Review of René Fleming's Strauss in Atlanta, Ga.`

[Lance]

Has anyone seen a review of this concert in Atlanta with René Fleming singing Strauss's Four Last Songs and a group of lieder with the Atlanta Symphony under Stutzmann? My sister was at the concert and the audience could barely hear her because the orchestra was so loud. If anyone can post that review, it would be most appreciated. I'm surprised because Nathalie Stutzmann is a singer who would be well aware of this kind of problem. I've been to Atlanta in that concert hall and thought the acoustics to be excellent.

[Rach3]

Atlanta Journal Constitution mostly behind a paywall , but it appears your sister’s assessment was correct, and what can be read says orchestra too loud:

https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/atlant ... W2NDDCYSQ/

[maestrob]

Has anyone seen a review of this concert in Atlanta with René Fleming singing Strauss's Four Last Songs and a group of lieder with the Atlanta Symphony under Stutzmann? My sister was at the concert and the audience could barely hear her because the orchestra was so loud. If anyone can post that review, it would be most appreciated. I'm surprised because Nathalie Stutzmann is a singer who would be well aware of this kind of problem. I've been to Atlanta in that concert hall and thought the acoustics to be excellent.

Stutzmann is indeed a singer and quite inexperienced as a conductor, especially in Romantic music. Not sure if you saw my comments on her debut with the NY Philharmonic last year, where she conducted Wagner and Dvorak's New World Symphony. The Wagner was fine, but her tempo choices in the Dvorak were embarrassing. They invited her back next season to conduct Lorin Maazel's "The Ring Without Words." I'm not sure that we will go to that one.