Category: people

Remembering Lorraine Hunt Lieberson

“Transformation was the heart and soul of Hunt Lieberson’s art. She transformed herself from violist to vocalist in her late 20s. She transformed herself from soprano to mezzo soprano. In performance, she abandoned herself to such an astonishing degree that, like a dancer’s, every muscle in her body — not just her exceptional vocal cords — seemed directed toward singular, mesmerizing expression. Her voice too was like no other. Her rich, viola tone filled whatever space she was in, wrapping a listener in her singing. She even created that effect once in the Hollywood Bowl, which is an acoustic impossibility.”

Lieberson – Gone Too Soon

The music world was just getting to appreciate the amazing talent of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, when she died this week at 52. “To be sure, the sheer beauty and agility of her singing made every one of her performances something to marvel at. The bright, airy, richly colored sound of her soprano performances was as remarkable as the earthy splendor that infused her singing after she switched to the mezzo-soprano repertoire.”

The Rise And Fall Of Clement Greenberg

“In real life Greenberg was quarrelsome, bullying, and cocksure to a fault. His arrogance made him both a powerful critic and a formidable adversary, but it also earned him enemies by the score, and he lived to see them win out over him and to become ascendant in the world of postmodern art. In falling from grace, Greenberg fell from a great height.”

Mourning Lieberson

The death of 52-year-old mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson from cancer is hitting the music world hard. “No death in the classical-music community since Leonard Bernstein’s is likely to arouse such a sense of personal grief among those who heard but never knew her. Both artists tended to reveal their innermost selves in performance, and to do so passionately in the service of great art. She did so, however, in places where you might not think to find it: modern and ancient music.”