Wonderful Lorraine
I'd have to agree with all the other reviews except that of TicoKid (Hal) who is talking out of his arse!
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Overall excellent
I have to agree with the other reviewers - track 2 ("As with rosy steps the morn") is a work of utter genius, not only on the part of the composer but also of the performer. The delicacy and warmth of interpretation through the whole CD is really remarkable... You won't regret this download.
So very good
If you don't do anything else all day - heck, all week, just listen to track 2 - As With Rosy Steps the Morn, and track 7 - Lord To Thee Each Night and Day. Listen now. Now. That's right - now. Aren't you glad you did that? When was the last time you heard something so beautiful? I agree. Gosh we miss her!
Unique
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is (alas! was)unique. There are too many sopranos around that sing Bach and Handel smooth and perfect. Hunt Lieberson sings like a human being, she is vulnerable! It is deeply moving.
A moving experience
Lorraine Hunt and Handel were made for each other. Anyone who saw her perform Theodora at Glyndebourne will tell you that it was a life changing experience. This recording recaptures some of that impact. With Harry Bicket behind "the baton" you can't go wrong. I defy anyone with a soul not to find "As With Rosy Steps The Morn" most moving. A fine memorial for an artiste who died too young.
Wrong voice for Handel
Handel requires a quality voice, not a load voice. The libreto is important, and the vowels have to be clear. She is incapable of turning off her vibrato, and this makes the vowels unintelligible. I could not understand the words, and the feeling did not come across either. What a shame!
Riveting
I originally heard this cd played on BBC 3's Record Review and was so rivetted by it that I went out and ordered it on SACD straight away. It simply is stunning - Liberson's delicate rendition of the arias interprets the melancholic arias of Theodora with genuine sensitivity, and the accompaniment is both supportive and sensitive. Thoroughly enjoyable recording - and great to see the wonderful Avie label on emusic at last!
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eMusic Features
The Emotional Eloquence Of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
By Justin Davidson, eMusic Contributor
Because she died early and her celebrity came late, and because she always sang as if she were on intimate terms with death, a whiff of tragedy clings to the recordings of mezzo soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. In her recital performance of Mahler's orchestral song "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen," she practically exhales the opening words ("I am lost to the world") in a voice that buzzes with desolate pallor. As the song goes… more »