Product Description

The late Metropolitan Opera star Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, partnered by the brilliant young tenor Joseph Kaiser, and pianists Steven Blier and Michael Barrett, gave a concert of Spanish Love Songs in 2004. Their memorable and wide-ranging New York Festival of Song program includes Spanish and Spanish-related songs by Granados, Turina, Ravel, Schumann, Wolf, Sondheim and others. The release of Spanish Love Songs coincides with the Metropolitan Opera debut of Joseph Kaiser, singing the role of Romeo in Gounod's Romeo et Juliette, conducted by Placido Domingo. This will be followed immediately by Met performances singing Tamino in The Magic Flute. (Kaiser's Tamino has been widely seen in Kenneth Branagh's recent film of The Magic Flute. Lorraine Hunt Lieberson was the winner of the 2007 Grammy Award for 'Best Vocal Recording', for her performance of her husband Peter Lieberson's Rilke Songs (BRIDGE 9178), accompanied by pianist Peter Serkin. Ms. Lieberson's performances were highly regarded for their searing intensity and searching commitment.
Spanish Love Songs takes a whirlwind tour of Iberian culture, from the mystically introspective to the opulently romantic. On Spanish Love Songs we hear the great masters Robert Schumann, Hugo Wolf and Maurice Ravel, fascinated by the beauty of Spanish culture, alongside the music of Spain's greatest composers of song. As an encore, the four performers combine for a delightful performance of Barcelona from Sondheim's Company.

Track Listing

1. El mirar de la maja, song for soprano & piano (Tonadillas al estilo antiguo, No. 6), H. 136/6
2. Desc�brase el pensamiento de mi secreto cuidado, song for soprano & piano (Canciones amatorias, No. 1), H. 24/1
3. Larir�-Abril, song for voice & piano
4. La Farruca, song
5. Nani, nani: Canci�n de cuna, song for voice & piano (Canci�nes sefard�es No. 3)
6. Una pastora yo ami, song for voice & piano (Canci�nes sefard�es No. 2)
7. Canciones para ni�os, for voice & piano, No. 2, 'El lagarto est� llorando'
8. Damunt de tu nomes les flors, for voice & piano (Combat del somni No. 1)
9. Le Bachelier de Salamanque, for voice & piano
10. Vocalise-�tude en forme de Habanera, for voice & piano
11. Espa�a, rhapsody for orchestra, also arranged for 2 pianos
12. Romanze for piano in B major (Sehr markiert), Op. 28/3
13. Liebe mir im Busen z�ndet, song for voice & piano (Spanisches Liederbuch)
14. Alle gingen, Herz, zur Ruh, song for voice & piano (Spanisches Liederbuch)
15. Auf dem gr�nen Balkon, song for voice and piano (Spanisches Liederbuch)
16. Komm, o Tod, von Nacht umgeben, song for voice and piano (Spanisches Liederbuch)
17. Luisa Fernanda, zarzuela: De este apacible rinc�n
18. El Ni�o Judio, zarzuela: De Espa�a vengo
19. La paloma, for voice & piano (or orchestra)
20. Company, musical: Barcelona

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #97019 in Music
• Brand: Kaiser
• Released on: 2007-10-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Customer Reviews

Musical to the Core
If you're under the Lorraine Hunt Lieberson spell, or you've not yet heard her and you're wondering about the effusive reviews of those who are avidly snapping up every recording she made during her too-short life, you won't be disappointed by this addition. It's classic Lorraine, with a pleasing variety of songs, the inimitable passion and depth of musical and dramatic engagement, in addition to "the voice."

Since it's a live recording, you are transported to an occasion in time, with an audience responding. The reminder that no further such occasions are possible, make a release like this all the more treasured. The booklet contains interesting comments from her fellow musicians about her musical impact and artistry.

When are we going to get her singing Didon on a Les Troyen release from the Met - both audio CD and DVD, please?!

What's Not to Love?
This compilation is a reminder of the stunning artisty of the late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. It's also a nice introduction to the young tenor Joseph Kaiser near the very beginning of his rapidly ascending career.

Mezzo-soprano and tenor take turn singing a variety of songs written by Spanish composers or inspired by Iberia. Occasionally the two talented singers sing together, in "La paloma" and Charbrier's "Espana". And most fetchingly, in "Barcelona", from Sondheim's musical "Company". Rarely have two opera singers enunciated English so clearly as happens in this wry number.

Sterling accompaniment by Michael Barrett and Steven Blier helps steer this assortment of popular and classical songs, recorded at a 2004 New York Festival of Song recital. The accompanying booklet include evocative tributes to Ms. Lieberson by the two pianists.

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson & Joseph Kaiser in recital
This live recording from Caramoor in 2004 of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson & Joseph Kaiser w/2 excellent supporting pianists is a total pleasure. The rising Canadian tenor Joseph Kaiser shows that he can be persuasive in the song literature as well as in opera. Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, of course, is a superb dramatic interpreter but proves in the Ravel vocalise that she can act with her voice even without words. The solos are wonderful but the duet work struck me as the most rewarding, particularly the unexpected and well dramatized Sondheim "Barcelona" encore. Any LHL fan will have to have this!