Track Listing

1. Theodora, oratorio, HWV 68: Recit. Ah! Whither Should We Fly
2. Theodora, oratorio, HWV 68: Aria. As with rosy steps the morn
3. Theodora, oratorio, HWV 68: Recit. O bright example of all goodness!
4. Theodora, oratorio, HWV 68: Aria. Bane of virtue, nurse of passions
5. Theodora, oratorio, HWV 68: Recit. The clouds begin to veil the hemisphere
6. Theodora, oratorio, HWV 68: Aria. Defend her Heav'n!
7. Theodora, oratorio, HWV 68: Aria. Lord, to Thee each night and day
8. Theodora, oratorio, HWV 68: Recit. She's gone, disdaining liberty and life
9. Theodora, oratorio, HWV 68: Aria. New scenes of joy
10. La Lucrezia (O Numi Eterni), cantata for soprano & continuo, HWV 145: Recit. O Numi eterni! O stelle, stelle!
11. La Lucrezia (O Numi Eterni), cantata for soprano & continuo, HWV 145: Aria. Già superbo, del mio affanno
12. La Lucrezia (O Numi Eterni), cantata for soprano & continuo, HWV 145: Recit. Ma voi forse nel cielo
13. La Lucrezia (O Numi Eterni), cantata for soprano & continuo, HWV 145: Aria. Il suol che preme, l'aura che spira
14. La Lucrezia (O Numi Eterni), cantata for soprano & continuo, HWV 145: Recit. Ah! che ancor nell'abisso
15. La Lucrezia (O Numi Eterni), cantata for soprano & continuo, HWV 145: Aria. Alla salma infedel porga la pena
16. La Lucrezia (O Numi Eterni), cantata for soprano & continuo, HWV 145: Recit. A voi, a voi, padre, consorte
17. La Lucrezia (O Numi Eterni), cantata for soprano & continuo, HWV 145: Arioso. Già nel seno comincia a compir ... Furioso. Ma se qui n
18. Serse (Xerxes), opera, HWV 40: Aria. Se bramate d'amar, chi vi sdegna
19. Serse (Xerxes), opera, HWV 40: Recit. Frondi tenere e belle
20. Serse (Xerxes), opera, HWV 40: Aria. Ombra mai fù

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29656 in Music
• Released on: 2004-08-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Hybrid SACD - DSD, Import
• Dimensions: .26 pounds

Album Description
Grammy Nominee!

Amazon.com
If you think you've heard Handel's "Ombra mai fu" (known as his "Largo") so often, and in so many different arrangements, and sung by so many different voices, that you can no longer be moved or surprised by it, think again. This CD of Handel arias, mostly from his Theodora or the cantata La Lucrezia, ends with "Ombra mai fu," and as sung by Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, it is so tender, so beautiful, so impeccably shaded, that you'll think you're hearing it for the first time. But that's only four of this disc's 67 minutes---a follow-up to Hunt Lieberson's extraordinarily successful CD of Bach cantatas. There's not a dull or disinterested moment to be heard anywhere. As the violated Lucrezia, Hunt Lieberson alternately rages against the man who raped her and turns her grief inward; the former is terrifying in its intensity, the latter makes us almost feel as if we're eavesdropping. The five arias for Irene, Theodora's friend, confidante, and the upholder of Christian beliefs are all magical prayers or statements of faith, and from Hunt Lieberson, they become real, with each word honestly conveyed and colored. The voice itself is unfailingly beautiful---warm, lush, never forced, agile when necessary---and her breath control is stunning. She is backed ideally by Harry Bicket and The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the string soloists in the ensemble---the viola da gamba player, lutenist, etc.---are as gifted as she is. If you want proof that Handel was a great dramatist with a special gift for communicating emotion, all while listening to sublime sounds, this CD is a must. --Robert Levine

Musicweb - International
"One of the finest vocal recordings in any voice I've ever heard. Lorraine Hunt Lieberson has a magnificently powerful, pleasant, expressive, controlled voice with extraordinary power at both ends of the range and the dramatic instinct and musical intelligence to make the most of it ... she has explored her own capabilities and devised an extensive range of embellishments and ornaments which perfectly suit her voice and this music, so these performances are fully in character and authentic to the period."

Customer Reviews

Laurel upon Laurel!
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is steadily, assuredly demonstrating to the music world that here is a voice of such beauty, warmth, and intelligence that she simply has no peers. While other singers who traverse the Handel or Bach repertoires do so with success and dignity, Hunt Lieberson transcends them all in her poignant ability to go directly to the composer's intentions while keeping the singing fresh, creatively alive and eloquently real. Her way with ornamentation, especially that of her da capo embellishments, is simply ravishing: brilliant technique for technique's sake never gets in the way of enhancing the beauty of the vocal line. The CD presents arias from two of Handel's operas (both of which Hunt Lieberson has performed successfully on stage) - "Theodora" and "Serse" - and an added cantata "La Lucrezia". As the crowning light of her recording she performs with the gifted Harry Bicket and The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the collaboration is perfect! A compleat singer, this, and an inestimable gift to the music world.

Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson (1954-2006), supreme Handelian
I have never heard a voice purer of tone, more flexible in phrasing, and so gorgeously produced in a homogeneous column of sound such as this artist in Handel's repertoire. It is very tastefully sung (unlike a certain person whose name begins with R and ends with enaaay Fleming) and so dramatically touching that one could not help but feel that this repertoire finally has found its instrument. And how sad it is to know that this instrument has passed away two days ago. Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson died two days ago in her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico of breast cancer. It is such a huge loss to the opera world, as she is an artist who is still experiencing the prime of her career. The voice is just so beautiful, the tone so pure, that I lament that we can no longer hear any great roles from this artist. She will be missed.

Lorraine Hunt.....You Bloody Legend
Words are quite useless to describe the divine voice of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, there are not enough favourable adjectives one could give to praise this highly intelligent and dramatic musician. Ms Hunt has a voice and instinct so highly refined as to leave most singers for dead when it comes perfect articulation and phrasing and getting to the raw nerve of the piece. Her commitment to exploring the total pallate of colours possible for the human voice yealds sounds oftern too beautiful to bare.

Being a singer myself I can only say thankyou to Ms Hunt for one of the best singing lessons Ive every had in my life-listening to her Irene from Theodora instilled in me the importance and appreciation for exploring all the dramatic shades of colour a piece of music has to offer. Suddenly singing becomes more than an 'in your face-stand up and deliver' art form, but an interactive, truely human and utterly fragile and sensitive genre.
God bless you you true singing Diva. If only the everyone was made to listen to you for 5 minutes a day, what a world we would live in.

Oh yeah, this Disk presents all of Lorraine Hunt's efforts form the Sellars production of Handel's AMAZING opera/oratorio Theodora from Glynborne. The arias are amongst the most touchingly beautiful and richely crafted works of Handels output. They have changed the way I listen to music full stop. 5 STARS FOR LORRAINE AND 5 STARS FOR THE MUSIC.