Johannes Brahms George Frederick Handel Claude Debussy - Recital Lorraine Hunt Lieberson at Ravinia (15 tracks) +Album Reviews

Another Treasure

Lois C. Fleming | Chicago Suburbs, USA | 02/20/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's always bugged me that I missed hearing this Ravinia concert on August 5, 2004, since I live 20 minutes from the park. Now we have a recording of it, and what a great recital it is. Especially if you have other recordings of Lorraine singing some of the pieces she included in this program, you'll want this recording. She is in full control, vocally secure, and as passionate in singing about the varieties of love, as in her signature Glyndeborne Irene on the Theodora DVD. Her introductions to some of the pieces reveal a speaking voice as lovely as her singing.

The recording is very "present." At times I feel like I want to move away from the piano a bit - or close the lid. But the aliveness captures every nuance of Lorraine's vast array of emotional warmth, depth, passion and very self as she interprets each song. The duet from Handel's Julius Caesar with Drew Minter is noteworthy.

Please buy this CD to encourage more digging the archives for Hunt Lieberson treasures not yet released.

"

A Voice That Captures The Spirituality Within The Words And

Raymond Vacchino | Toronto, ON. Canada | 04/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I discovered the radiance and sincerity of Lieberson's voice at a concert she gave in Amsterdam while I was visiting the city on my thirtieth birthday. It was an experience of revelation for me and one I have never forgotten.

This recording, "Recital at Ravinia", displays Lieberson's rare found ability to capture the spirituality within the words and the music. In the songs by Brahms she conveys the drama and passion with remarkable depth, heart-warming affection and richly expressive characterisation. Her approach to the works of Debussy reflect each songs withdrawn poetry and fantasy with an ease and delicacy that suggests, once more, a wholly exceptional artist fully at home in the composer's sound world.

The ear is welcomed to Handel and Mozart by Lieberson's intimate sound with sophisticated grading of dynamics, displays of bravura that deserve to be heard more often, and how important pianist Peter Serkin's arsenal is when Lieberson needs to showcase the dramatic elements of the text, and demonstrates virtuosic climaxes with absolute calculation. In the songs by Thacker, Burleigh and Telson, Lorraine's command of their varying musical styles conveys a sense of rich enterprise and inclusiveness from start to finish.

Throughout this recording Lieberson's wondrous artistic blessings are utilised. Elegantly tapered phrasing, effortless musical grace, dramatic passion, and all the imaginative freedom to concentrate fully on the heart of the music, makes one come away dazzled by the unique elan of these magnificent performances.

"The death of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson was a tragic loss to the world of the performing arts,thus making this recording one to be cherished and forever treasured."

Author: Raymond Vacchino M.Mus. (Classical Music Critic)"

A Voice for the Ages

Dr. Debra Jan Bibel | Oakland, CA USA | 05/12/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When the death of a great artist tragically shortens a performing career, how fortunate we are that event producers have had the foresight to record recitals. This particular one, Recital at Ravinia [2004], has the astonishingly powerful mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson accompanied by pianist Peter Serkin. There was a theme to this event: songs of love, with selections from Brahms, Handel, Debussy, and Mozart, plus encores by Burleigh and Telson. The sensitivity and interpretive art of Lieberson leave one frozen in awe. I have her recordings of Handel, Bach, Mahler, and her husband's Neruda Songs, but this recording is fast becoming a favorite. The sound is far superior to the BBC recording of a 1998 recital; it has the delayed depth and clarity of a good concert hall, such that you may think that you are there. Serkin provides the appropriate dramatic support. In music, there has been some voices that grab you, that make the ordinary song seem profound, that bring the listener to a sublime state. In jazz, there was Billie Holiday; in pop, there was Sinatra; in opera, we had Pavarotti; and in classical leider, we had Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. If you have never thought much about classical art songs, this album may serve as an introduction, but it creates a high standard."

A tragic mood hangs over this masterful recital

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 02/12/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"During the last years of her life, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's singing, always touching and emotional, became heartrending. This recital from 2004 is particularly haunted. The selections are taken slowly, often very slowly, with maximum expression, as if the singer cannot help but cling to every phrase. At times, as in the Mozart group, the pacing is too broad and the emotion too wrenching for the material. At other times, as in the Brahms group, her deep feelings lead to transcendent music-making, the kind that is breathless and blissful at the same time. The two cantatas by Handel and Mozart find Hunt Lieberson in prime territory. They are given tragic resonance and highly romantic delivery.

But categories like classical and romantic are irrelevant. Everything here has a tragic resonance. Surely Hunt Lieberson herself felt this at the time. Peter Serkin's accompaniments are also unusually subdued. I found it difficult to get through the recital in one go. Every song stands on its own as an object lesson in perfect mastery, recalling the greatness of Christa Ludwig and Janet Baker. Hunt Lieberson was a more profound interpreter of Handel (and Bach) than either one, and the warm, ample voice remained amazingly well preserved through so much suffering. This CD is the most difficult to listen to among the treasures that have come out since Hunt Lieberson's death. One might be well advised to begin instead with "Lorraine Hunt Lieberson at Emmanuel," which is devoted to her sublime Baroque singing. To tell the truth, this incomparable artist, like Kathleen Ferrier, another doomed and beloved singer, left hardly a note behind that isn't magnificent. In both cases, it was the spiritual dimension that remains so memorable."

Warm and subtle loving voice

M. C. M. Cornelissen | the Netherlands | 09/20/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I read a review on Lorraine Hunt Liebersons recital given on august the 5th at Ravinia in 2004. I ordered the cd and was stunned and overwhelmed by the warm and human quality of Lorraine's voice. The cd breathes the whole scale of human love in all its nuances and subtilities. The three love songs by Brahms, the Händel cantate La Lucrezia; this is a culminating point especcialy the recitativo A voi. Actualy the whole cd is a chaine of culminating points. Hunt also excels and masters the impressionistic songs of Debussy. The Mozart songs are surprisingly subtle, especcialy Abendemfindung an Laura is moving to tears.

The delicate and sensitive way in which Peter Serkin accompanies Lorraine Hunt is remarkable. They listen carefully to each other and their interaction is obvious and touching. They pass on to each other the initiative of the melody in an extreme coöperative way. The accompaniment is a master piece at its own.

The death of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson at the age of 52 years is a great loss to the whole music loving world, especciaaly to the world of the performing arts. This cd is a precious gift of Lorraine to all of us.

Merle Cornelissen (I am of the Netherlands, english is not my native tongue)."

Search - Johannes Brahms, George Frederick Handel, Claude Debussy :: Recital: Lorraine Hunt Lieberson at Ravinia

CD Details

Synopsis

Similar CDs

CD Reviews