richard53dog Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 I was very saddened today to read of the death yesterday of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. http://tinyurl.com/hpr22 I have thought of her as a very special performer since I first saw her as Donna Elvira in the Peter Sellars production of Don Giovanni. Really , in my book, she was one of the truly great singers of today Hunt Lieberson took her career down those avenues that were important to her, she didn't only go after high profile gigs. Her early death leaves an unfillable gap in the Met production of Orfeo, due to be directed by Mark Morris next season She fought battles with her health for several years now. RIP Richard Link to comment
Helene Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 That's very sad news. This New Yorker profile on Hunt Lieberson was published just a few years ago: The Soul Singer: A mezzo with the most potent voice since Callas Link to comment
Paul Parish Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 O Lord this is a shock. Yes, one knew that Ms Lieberson was ill -- but gone? Those of us in Berkeley remember her WHEN.... when she was Lorraine Hunt. She went to Berkeley High. THere's been a great early-music scene here for four decades, and she was part of it. Modest in temperament, greatly gifted in talents. Am I hallucinating, or didn't she sing Dido at the first performances of Morris's "Dido and Aeneas" here in Zellerbach Playhouse? I remmeber listening to the singer as often as i watched the dancer, whoever he was, kept looking at his fingernails. And I THINK she was the nightingale In "L'Allegro." (Wonderrfulissima) We heard her all the time, till her international career took off and she wasn't around so much. What a wonderful talent, what an artist, what a loss. PS THE New Yorker article is wonderful -- please go read it. Link to comment
zerbinetta Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 Very sad. I guess we knew it was coming, with all the cancellations & all, but that doesn't mitigate the loss. I will always remember her "swimming" across the stage in Purchase as Cleopatra in the Giulio Cesare. She was so all of a piece - mind, body, voice, artistry. Link to comment
ViolinConcerto Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 I am devastated. Her voice was golden liquid in my soul. If you remember, Peter Lieberson, her husband, is the son of Brigitta and Goddard Lieberson -- her stage name was Vera Zorina, and she was married to George Balanchine. Link to comment
Helene Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 The obituary in The New York Times has been posted to the website: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/05/arts/mus...r=1&oref=slogin And an anecdote, in a remembrance by Alex Ross in All the Rest Is Noise of the late Village Voice critic Leighton Kerner: Someone once jokingly asked him who his favorite Spice Girl was; he answered, "Lorraine Hunt Lieberson." The AP obituary, as posted in The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6070500038.html Link to comment
dirac Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Thank you for posting, richard53dog. Very sad news, indeed. Link to comment
Kathleen O'Connell Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Oh, this is such sad news! Playing in my head over and over now is her beautiful, radient voice singing “Schlummert ein": Schlummert ein, ihr matten Augen, Fallet sanft und selig zu! Go to sleep, weary eyes, Close gently and blessedly! J. S. Bach, Cantata No. 82, “Ich habe genug” Link to comment
carbro Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Jeff Lunden's remembrance for NPR. Audio will be available tonight around 7:30 pm Eastern Time. Link to comment
kfw Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 An earlier NPR piece is available here. Link to comment
Helene Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 A European perspective on Hunt Lieberson: an obituary in The Scotsman. http://news.scotsman.com/obituaries.cfm?id=988582006 Link to comment
richard53dog Posted July 21, 2006 Author Share Posted July 21, 2006 I was very saddened today to read of the death yesterday of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.Her early death leaves an unfillable gap in the Met production of Orfeo, due to be directed by Mark Morris next season She fought battles with her health for several years now. RIP Richard The Metropolitan Opera has announced that next seasons Orfeo performances will be dedicated to Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. Taking over the role of Orfeo will be countertenor David Daniels http://listserv.cuny.edu/Scripts/wa.exe?A2...a-l&T=0&P=14386 (the Opera-L List Serve owner Bob Kosovosky forwarded the press release onto his board ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > T H E M E T R O P O L I T A N O P E R A > Press Release > > Contact: Peter Clark > Metropolitan Opera > (212) 870-7457 > pclark@metopera.org <mailto:pclark@metopera.org> > > > The Metropolitan Opera dedicates > Orfeo ed Euridice performances > to the memory of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson > > > New York, NY (July 18, 2006) - The Metropolitan Opera will dedicate the May > 2007 performances of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice to the memory of > mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. The untimely death of this beloved > opera singer, who was to have sung the role of Orfeo, has been mourned by > the international artistic community since her passing on July 3. > The role of Orfeo, which may be sung by either a mezzo-soprano or a > countertenor, will be performed by American countertenor David Daniels. He > will be joined by Lisa Milne (Euridice) and Heidi Grant Murphy (Amor). Met > Music Director James Levine will conduct and Mark Morris will stage the new > production, which is funded by a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Wilmer J. Thomas, > Jr., with performances on May 2, 5 (matinee), 9, and 12 (matinee), 2007. > Peter Gelb, who becomes general manager of the Met on August 1, said, > "Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's death is a profound loss for the music world. > Joseph Volpe, James Levine, and the entire Met community join me in > extending our condolences to Lorraine's husband, Peter Lieberson, and to her > family, friends, and admirers around the world. We are dedicating the Orfeo > performances to her memory to commemorate Lorraine's extraordinary artistry > and tremendous generosity of spirit." > > # # # > > PRESS DEPARTMENT The Metropolitan Opera Press: 212.870.7457 > press@mail.metopera.org > Lincoln Center General: > 212.799.3100 www.metopera.org > New York, NY 10023 Fax: 212.870.7606 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * For help on commands, files, pictures, etc., visit the homepage: http://www.OPERA-L.org Link to comment
zerbinetta Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 An excellent & unsurprising choice. Better not to replace the irreplaceable Hunt Lieberson with a mezzo & Daniels has done the role to great acclaim. Link to comment
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