Lorraine Hunt - Handel Arias [Import, Original recording reissued]

George Frideric Handel (Composer), Nicholas McGegan (Conductor), Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (Orchestra), Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
• Orchestra: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
• Conductor: Nicholas McGegan
• Composer: George Frideric Handel
• Audio CD (May 17, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Original recording reissued
• Label: Harmonia Mundi
• ASIN: B0000007EU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,922 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #18 in Music > Imports > Opera & Vocal
  • #37 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Historical Periods > Baroque (c.1600-1750)
  • #57 in Music > Classical > Ballets & Dances > Baroque Dance Suites

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly the most beautiful female voice of the generation, April 22, 1999

By 

[e-mail] - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lorraine Hunt - Handel Arias (Audio CD)

Lorraine Hunt's voice is incredibly beautiful, and very recognizable. It is simply impossible to mistake her for anybody else. Her best register is mezzo, and she generally sings low-tessitura parts in which she can be very effective. Yet, her voice is not low enough (plus it is too feminine) in order to sing male roles convincingly. Unfortunately also, she has quite a bit of vibrato in her upper register where her voice can spread uncomfortably when pushed. Nevertheless, the sheer beauty of her timbre compensates for the occasional technical flaw. I enjoyed this disc, but I most cherish Lorraine Hunt's performances as Medee and Phaedra in two stunning recordings with Les Arts Florissants.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Ode to Beauty and Artistry (Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson, 1954-2006), July 6, 2006

By 

The Cultural Observer - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Lorraine Hunt - Handel Arias (Audio CD)

I've been meaning to review this album for the longest time, but haven't because of my committments at work and other things. Lieberson's voice, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful instruments of our generation. It is, unlike a certain Renaaay who tries to sing anything and everything as a huge, incoherent slur, a very beautifully and artistically sung Handel recital. The tone is simply magnificent! And no other Handelian artist has connected her singing of the role with a dramatic sense that is so acute as her performances of the role.

It is really sad to know that this great artist died of breast cancer two days ago in her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was a big loss for the operatic world to lose such a beautiful instrument at such a young age. Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson will be missed.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handel at his best, December 9, 2004

By 

Stephen Hannaford "steveh" (Near Philadelphia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lorraine Hunt - Handel Arias (Audio CD)

Of all the wonderful (and not so wonderfil) Handel CDs I own, this is the one I return to over and over. The combination of musicianship, beauty of voice, and complete dramatic conviction makes this collection of (generally) very obscure arias a pleasure that intensifies with repeated hearing. Among the highlights: "Vieni o figlio" (from Ottone) which becomes, with Hunt's interpretation, one of the truly great arias of loss, a precursor of the great Romantic standards; "Angels, Ever Bright and Fair" (from Theodora), with unbelievable diction and sweetness, making Engish sound as beautiful as Itaian; and "Qual nave" (from Radamisto), again a miracle of delicate phrasing and conveyed deep feeling. But Hunt finds real meaning in all the songs -- she's never just vocalizing. Best of all is the way she manages to intensify meaning in the da capo section without excessive decoration.