Thank you, Wei, for the birthday dinner and the beautiful white roses.
Sadly, some news has come out on this tranquil 4th of July: the mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson has died of cancer at the age of 52. Earlier in the year, we had heard that she was ill again but I guess we all just hoped she would beat the odds. That has not come to pass.
While I did not share the general admiration for her Dido in the Met's TROYENS, I do have two very special memories of Lorraine Hunt. The first was her incredible Sesto in the Peter Sellars production of GIULIO CESARE at Purchase many years ago - it would have been one of her earliest operatic appearances. A few years ago, she sang a splendid Sesto in Mozart's CLEMENZA DI TITO at the NYC Opera. Her utterly distinctive voice and her powerfully emotional delivery - while never breaking the Mozartean frame-work - made for a very memorable portrayal.
Happy birthday!
Posted by: Ken | July 05, 2006 at 01:50 PM
I loved that woman.
I am sick that she died at 52.
I shall now put on one of her CD's and wish she were still here.
Very sad news.
Posted by: jimmattimore | July 06, 2006 at 04:47 PM
First they took Troyanos, then my friend Makiko, now Lorraine H-L.
Could we not take the money we are pouring into that ghastly war and use it to find a cure before more voices are stilled?
Posted by: philip | July 06, 2006 at 05:31 PM