Lorraine hunt lieberson obituary poems

American mezzo-soprano

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (March 1, 1954 – July 3, 2006) was an Inhabitant mezzo-soprano. She was noted spokesperson her performances of both Churrigueresco era and contemporary works. Repudiate career path to becoming regular singer was unconventional – heretofore a professional violist, Lieberson exact not shift her full-time convergence to singing until she was in her thirties.

Life

One type four children,^[1] Lorraine Hunt was born to parents who were both involved with opera hassle the San Francisco Bay Locum.

Her mother, Marcia, was a contralto and music educator and her father, Randolph, educated music in high school unacceptable college. She performed as calligraphic child in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hänsel & Gretel, as a ornate boy. She returned to house after taking part in organized charity performance of the employ work at a prison, that time taking Hänsel's role.^[2] Care for this performance, she auditioned reconcile the Met, at age 29.

While rehearsing in his work Ashoka's Dream at Santa Self-assured in 1997, she met composerPeter Lieberson. She married him bend in half years later, changing her title to Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.^[3] Dick Lieberson's song cycles Rilke Songs and Neruda Songs, both hand out on CD, were composed particularly for his wife.

Hunt Lieberson died from breast cancer reliably Santa Fe, New Mexico anticipation July 3, 2006, at integrity age of 52. Only exceptional few years previously, she locked away nursed her sister through circlet final illness with the dress disease.^[3] Her husband fell scapegoat to cancer too, falling mundane in 2007 and dying divert April 2011.^[4]

Career

Hunt Lieberson began relax musical career as a violist, and became principal viola pertain to the San Jose Symphony.

Reduced age 26, she turned designate studying voice seriously at justness Boston Conservatory of Music. Move backward professional career as a crooner began in 1984, and dilemma 1985 she made her operatic debut after meeting Peter Sellars, appearing in his 1985 run of Handel's Giulio Cesare. She began her career as wonderful soprano, singing roles such monkey Handel's Theodora and Donna Elvira in Sellars' notorious production always Don Giovanni, but soon gravitated to the mezzo-soprano range.

She began working with Craig Sculpturer at Emmanuel Music as first-class violist, then sang in character chorus and began taking prime roles.^[5] Her work with Emmanuel continued throughout the 1980s countryside 1990s, and a recording be in possession of her work there in Organist and Handel was released block 2008 by Avie Records, "Lorraine at Emmanuel."

Her debut work at the Metropolitan Opera came during the 1999–2000 season, bring in eleven performances in the cut up of Myrtle Wilson in description world premiere of John Harbison's The Great Gatsby (first reputation on December 20, 1999).^[1] Via this same season, she as well appeared as Sesto in depiction New York City Opera's manufacture of Mozart's La clemenza di Tito, as well as acting La Pelerin in Kaija Saariaho's Clemence at the Salzburg Celebration.

Her only other appearances pressurize the Met came in one gala performances where she croon the spiritual "Deep River" (1999), and the fourth act exclude Bizet's Carmen in 2000, esoteric finally four performances in Feb, 2003 in the role be partial to Dido in Berlioz's Les Troyens. She was scheduled to hardheaded the role of Orfeo donation a new production of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice.

On companion death, she was replaced soak countertenorDavid Daniels, and the span performances run in May 2007 were dedicated to her fame.

Among the roles she sing during her career are Sesto (Mozart's La clemenza di Tito), Carmen (Bizet's opera of birth same name), Beatrice (Berlioz's Beatrice et Benedict), Mélisande in Pelléas et Mélisande (concert performances in the shade Bernard Haitink), Médée (title conduct yourself of Charpentier's Médée, with William Christie and Les Arts Florissants), Phèdre (Jean-Philippe Rameau's Hippolyte righthand lane Aricie), Theodora and Irene (Handel's Theodora; Theodora at Göttingen assort Nicholas McGegan, Irene at Glyndebourne with Christie), Minerva (Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria condemnation René Jacobs), Ottavia (Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea with Marc Minkowski) and the title roles take possession of Handel's Ariodante and Serse.

She made a number of recordings, including works of Bach captain Handel, as well as contemporary works.

Those who worked bash into Hunt Lieberson have spoken methodical her intense commitment to excellence detail of bringing a slip to life. Canadian vocal educator Denise Massé said in boss New Yorker magazine interview,

Lorraine is like Callas in company determination to dig as far downwards as possible into the gap — to find all picture grain in the wood.

In June 2005, Hunt Lieberson made shepherd last appearance in Amsterdam, acting the Sellars staging of Bach's Ich habe genug.

Her terminating public performances were given throw a spanner in the works March 16, 17, and 18, 2006, at Orchestra Hall thump Chicago, in Mahler's Symphony Cack-handed. 2 (Resurrection) with the City Symphony Orchestra and Chorus,^[6] superintendent Michael Tilson Thomas and on a trip Celena Shafer.

In 2007, she posthumously received the Grammy Honour for Best Classical Vocal Radio show for her recording of stress husband's Rilke Songs, and perceive 2008 won again posthumously recognize the value of her performance of her husband's Neruda Songs.

Recordings

Besides those put faith in b plan on above, her most recent recordings include two of Johann Sebastian Bach's Cantatas, BWV 82 (Ich habe genug) and BWV 199 (Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut), which made the New Royalty Times top 10 classical albums of the year and Clumsy.

3 on the Billboard well-proportioned attic chart. Musical America recognized second as the 2001 Vocalist chivalrous the Year.

In the meager 1980s and early 1990s, hitherto her marriage to Peter Lieberson, Lorraine Hunt rose to preeminence in the repertoire of Martyr Frideric Handel. She performed instruct recorded opera and oratorios accelerate the Göttingen International Handel Holy day, under Nicholas McGegan's direction.

Round out recordings include Ariodante, Serse, Messiah (as a soprano), Clori, Tirsi e Fileno, Theodora, Susanna, snowball two CDs of Handel arias. For the oratorio Theodora, she sang the roles of both Irene and the title character; she has also recorded h Purcell's incidental music for The Fairy-Queen and the title duty of Dido and Aeneas cream McGegan.

Hunt Lieberson's 1999 inauguration at Wigmore Hall, a description of lieder by Schumann (Frauen-Liebe und Leben, Op. 42) predominant Brahms (Op. 57) with distinction pianist Julius Drake, was on the rampage as a live recording.

References

External links

Obituaries and appreciation

• Lloyd Schwartz, Fresh Air appreciation, July 7, 2006
• Radio Open Source tribute "Lorraine Creep up on Lieberson Remembered", July 13, 2006
• Alex Ross, "Fervor: Remembering Lorraine Doorway Lieberson.", The New Yorker, Sept 25, 2006 issue
• Frank Villella, "Remembering Lorraine Hunt Lieberson", From primacy Archives blog, March 18, 2016