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Opera Star Renee Fleming Takes on Arcade Fire, Death Cab for Cutie on "Dark Hope"

February 25, 2010 12:00 AM ET

Superstar soprano Renee Fleming is reinterpreting the term "rock opera" this spring with her new album Dark Hope. The Grammy-winning opera singer will take on songs by Arcade Fire, Muse, Death Cab for Cutie, Peter Gabriel, Leonard Cohen and many more on the disc, which was produced by David Kahne. "I've always been inspired by artists who have shown musical and intellectual curiosity and the courage to take risks," Fleming says. "Because everything about the voice interests me, I felt it would be fascinating to learn a completely different style of singing."

Fleming jumps from Mozart and Carmen to Jefferson Airplane, Duffy and Mars Volta on Dark Hope, and she says her primary goal was interpreting the songs in a way that made sense for her own unique voice. "Every song has a story, so this whole idea of enacting or playing a role is doubly true for this music." Fleming's sister and two daughters also join her on Dark Soul as backup singers.

Fleming is set to take on Band of Horses' "No One's Gonna Love You," Arcade Fire's "Intervention" and Tears For Fears' "Mad World." She'll also become the latest singer to violate Leonard Cohen's call for a moratorium on "Hallelujah" covers, but we're sure Cohen would give a voice like Fleming special permission to tackle the classic track.

Dark Hope Track List:
"Endlessly" (Muse)
"No One's Gonna Love You" (Band of Horses)
"Oxygen" (Willy Mason)
"Today" (Jefferson Airplane)
"Intervention" (Arcade Fire)
"With Twilight As My Guide" (The Mars Volta)
"Mad World" (Tears for Fears)
"In Your Eyes" (Peter Gabriel)
"Stepping Stone" (Duffy)
"Soul Meets Body" (Death Cab For Cutie)
"Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen)

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