Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Craig Smith, Emmanuel Music Orchestra :: Lorraine Hunt Lieberson - Bach Cantatas BWV 82 and 199

Online stupidity

Thomas Frey | Cincinnati, Ohio United States | 03/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is not addressed to any particular cd, but to the woeful ignorance of Amazon.com in regard to classical music, particularly classical vocal music. My case lies in your "listen to" features that are supposed,I would assume, to allow a propective buyer to hear THE VOCALIST. What whoever manages thess things obviously does know or care about is that most classical vocals (arias, cantatas, songs etc.) have long orchestral introductions, so that your exceedingly generous 30 seconds of music often does not allow one to hear the VOCALIST!!!
If you do desire to sell classical vocal cds, why don't you do the smart thing and select that 30 seconds somewhere within the piece, so that one might more readily hear the VOCALIST and not 30 seconds of intro music. I doubt very much that you will listen to or act upon my suggestions as there is nothing more stubborn or resistant to change as stupidity."

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson - simply a phenomenon!

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 10/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those who have had the ecstatic pleasure of hearing Lorraine Hunt Lieberson in person this CD of two luminously performed Bach Cantatas will be no surprise, and will even be a welcome reprise. Surely one of the most sensitive, vocally gifted, insightful singers before the public today, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is destined to become known throughout the world as the megastar she truly is. This may be despite her apparent selflessness of interpreting music as complex and subtle as Bach's cantatas # 82 and #199. Most singers who approach the Baroque repertoire emphasize pyrotechnic execution of Bach's seemingly brutal writing. Hunt Lieberson finds the poetry and the essence of the words and wraps them effortlessly with the music into extended moments of communication. In both of these cantatas the solo oboe is treated less like an incidental obbligato than as a voice, equal to the vocal line and to the orchestra in the singer's approach. Everything is in its place, the lush beauty of her mezzo soprano timbre is nothing short of stunning, and her musicianship qualifies her as a true 'Musician's Musician.' In some circles that connotation might suggest that this is a technically fine but 'dry' performer: Hunt Lieberson is without a doubt one of the most warmly compassionate singers of our time. This CD deserves not only the Grammy, but it also deserves a place in the collection of every music lover - Baroque and beyond. Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is a Phenomenon."

God revealed

Erin Matthiessen | Portland, OR USA | 11/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bach is God, and Lorraine Hunt Leiberson reveals Him. The purity of her line, the ardor of her phrasing, the total devotion to the music, the willingness to walk the line between insanity and humility (yes, there is such a line)- these are what make Hunt Leiberson the perfect channel for Bach. No one since Dame Janet Baker has understood so deeply, has inhabitated so fully the pulsing heart of Bach's humanity as well as his religiosity. While dancing in the Mark Morris Dance Group I had the priviledge of dancing to her singing (of Handel, as it happens in this instance), one of the high points of my career, a memory I cherish. And now through this CD we all can appreciate the heartfelt depth of her expression, the beautiful legato, the giving way to emotion that, in its restraint, is even more devastating. She is one of the best singers alive today."