An·thro·po·cene (ˈanTHrəpəˌsēn)
adjective
relating to or denoting the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.
"we've become a major force of nature in this new Anthropocene epoch"
noun
the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.
"some geologists argue that the Anthropocene began with the Industrial Revolution"
As the coronavirus pandemic caused the closure of performance halls and the cancellation of concerts, Renée Fleming found herself, like so many of us, contemplating the world around her and her place in it. She took daily walks in the woods near her Virginia home, taking in nature and remembering her time living outside of Rochester amidst farmlands. And while she walked, she began to conceive of what would become Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene. She called conductor and pianist Yannick Nézet-Séguin and asked him to collaborate with her in this collection of art songs. He readily agreed.
The result is a reflection on the fragility of our environment and how we have treated the world around us. Says Fleming, “The music on the album begins in a time almost two centuries ago, when people had a profound connection to the beauty of nature…Nature has been so good to us; we have not been so good to nature.”
