Truly one of the greatest singing actresses I ever had the joy to sing, study, and work with. Lorraine, I miss you and your amazing voice so much. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Impossibly beautiful. If only we could have her again. I discovered Lorraine Hunt only about a year ago, and fell in love with her after I'd become obsessed with her interpretations of Bach and Handel. I listened countless times to "Vieni O Figlio," which often brought me to tears over a baby brother I'd lost many years ago. Only after investing so much emotion in this wonderful, compelling voice did I find out she herself died years before I happened upon her amazing recordings, shortly after she had just lost her own sister, and not long before her dear husband died prematurely as well. These revelations made for a long and deep sadness about the world and its felicitous cruelty, and about life, its terrible beauty and unforgivable brevity. And yet I return to Lorraine, ironically or not, for solace. She is a reminder that joy and art are as potent as loss and grief. Life is our destiny, before death.
Have heard this song performed numerous times by Lorraine; like now again. Every time my tears appear and I become overwhelmed by the divine sound coming out of the throat of this superb singer! Thank you Lorraine for your heavenly voice.
It's amazing to listen to her performance of "Oh, that I on wings could rise" or "Angels ever bright and fair", recorded when she sang the title role, many years earlier! That one singer could so perfectly express both roles in the space of a single career is nearly incomprehensible! *Only* Lorraine!!!
I just discovered Lorraine Hunt about a year ago, and fell in love with her after I'd become obsessed with her interpretations of Bach and Handel. I listened countless times to "Vieni O Figlio," often brought to tears over a baby brother I'd lost many years ago. Only after investing so much emotion in this wonderful, compelling voice did I find out she died years before, after she had just lost her own sister, and not long before her dear husband died prematurely as well. These revelations made for a long and deep sadness about the world and its felicitous cruelty.
I am very grateful for the preservation of this peak in LHL's career. This may be her greatest role, and she's heard here in 1996, the same year she consolidated her rep as pure mezzo and became an international luminary. It was also in 1996 that I attended one of the most extraordinary recitals of my experience, LHL at the Y with the estimable S. Blier at the piano. This particular video cut also shows LHL's staggering ease at poised agility while moving in a Bacchic frenzy (2:33 - 3:03)!
Curious that Handel gave some of the best arias to Irene rather than Theodora herself. But who cares, when we have Hunt Lieberson to sing them? No-one composed vocal music like Handel, and few people sang it like her. What a loss her death was.
The original Irene (Caterina Galli) and Theodora (Giulia Frasi) were among Handel's most often used oratorio singers, and friends of each other as well. Galli was the original Solomon, Frasi the original Susanna. When you have two equally fine singers, both composer favorites, this is what you get!
Además del maravilloso timbre, me asombra la profundidad emocional de su interpretación y cómo nos muestra todo el abanico que va de la desesperación a la aceptación.
“We sing and pray...” the staging of these final moments and the presence of artistic mind of LHL as she looks to her fellow actors/singers onstage. There really are no words.
more than better, this interpretation is miles away from anay others..i just find it by chance, and more than delighted still srkewed on it. once upon a day...... had the same physical emotion with o solitude, i was'nt so keen with alfred deller version after all bur as it was the first time i heard it it was so superbb that i kept my mouth shut and let my ears open
Superb performance by LHL in this production. Sadly, I only saw her sing once,in 2004, at Carnegie Hall: Philadelphia Orchestra in Mahler's Third Symphony, cond. by Christoph Eschenbach. She was transfixing. William Christie is superb also, despite having had a miserable time of it during rehearsals for this production. Difficult to imagine it working without him: a master.
There is a BBC R3 Norman Lebrecht interview with him, where he talks about the experience. Basically, Sellars and some of the cast ganged up on him and tried to exclude him from the creative process. Not necessarily related - although the suggestion is there in the interview - Christie had a heart attack, but was able to make the first night and the run.
54. Air Irene Lord, to Thee each night and day, Strong in hope, we sing and pray. Though convulsive rocks the ground, And thy thunders roll around, Still to Thee, each night and day, We sing and pray. Lord, to Thee. . . da capo
Besides her wonderful vocal performence, this religous ecstasy is unbelievable...each night and day, oh my god.... I can't help myself. That reminds me of Meryl Streep. She would act and feel the same way...
