Lieberson: Rilke Songs, The Six Realms, Horn Concerto

1	Rilke Songs, for voice &
2	Rilke Songs, for voice &
3	Rilke Songs, for voice &
4	Rilke Songs, for voice &
5	Rilke Songs, for voice &
6	The Six Realms, for cello
7	The Six Realms, for cello
8	The Six Realms, for cello
9	The Six Realms, for cello
10	The Six Realms, for cello
11	The Six Realms, for cello
12	Horn Concerto: 1. Quarter
13	Horn Concerto: 2. Quarter
Lieberson: Rilke Songs, The Six Realms, Horn Concerto
1.	Rilke Songs, for voice & piano 18:01
	Composed by Peter Lieberson
	Performed by Peter Serkin and Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
2.	The Six Realms, for cello & orchestra 27:12
	Composed by Peter Lieberson
	Conducted by Justin Brown
	Performed by Michaela Fukacova and Odense Symphony Orchestra
3.	Horn Concerto 17:44
	Composed by Peter Lieberson
	Performed by Odense Symphony Orchestra and William Purvis
	Conducted by Donald Palma

Barnes & Noble

No doubt, more listeners will come to this album as devotees of the late mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson than as admirers of her husband, the composer Peter Lieberson. But the power of all three works recorded here should prove that their marriage was one of creative equals. The Rilke Songs (1997-2001) form the first of two cycles composed by Lieberson for his wife. The later set of Neruda Songs (available on a Nonesuch recording) seems so deeply personal that it's hard to imagine anyone other than Hunt Lieberson singing them. But these Rilke settings, while no less exquisitely tailored to her voice, ought to be taken up widely by performers as a strikingly sensitive contribution to the song repertoire. The composer has written that he learned the importance of lyricism from hearing his wife's singing, and the Rilke Songs are prime evidence of how well that lesson was learned. In this live recording from 2004, Hunt Lieberson and pianist Peter Serkin team up for a haunting performance that delves intently into Rilke's ambiguous verse and Lieberson's richly sensuous melodies, redolent of the late Romanticism of a century ago. Lieberson's Horn Concerto -- performed by William Purvis, who also premiered it in 1999 -- is more lighthearted, perfectly attuned to the solo instrument's varied qualities of tone and color; but in the more lyrical sections, it's tempting to hear the influence of Hunt Lieberson's expressive voice on the composer's style. That's even more true in The Six Realms (1999-2000), a concerto for amplified cello and orchestra. The title refers to principles of Tibetan Buddhism, which Lieberson has long practiced, and the work balances meditative passages with outbursts of exuberance, anger, and passion, all of which are navigated with compelling force and concentration by cellist Michaela Fukacova. What these pieces share is Lieberson's ability -- less than common among serious contemporary composers -- to communicate emotionally with audiences, a capacity that his relationship with Lorraine Hunt Liberson seems to have brought into progressively greater focus. Scott Paulin

All Music Guide

The three compositions by Peter Lieberson recorded here were written around the turn of the twenty first century and demonstrate the depth and breadth of his musical imagination. Lieberson's music is atonal, leavened by a strong lyrical impulse and attention to the importance of melody. The "Rilke Songs," the first of two cycles written for his wife, mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, take five of the poet's "Sonnets to Orpheus" as texts. The delicate and expressive settings of the poet's philosophical musings give the dense texts plenty of room to breathe. Lieberson's gift for creating memorably lyrical melodic lines using a complex tonal vocabulary is evident in his sensitive and idiomatic vocal writing. Hunt Lieberson's voice is warm and radiant, and she sings with passionate conviction. Pianist Peter Serkin provides nuanced accompaniment.

"The Six Realms," for amplified violoncello and orchestra, written for Yo-Yo Ma and persuasively performed here by Czech cellist Michaela Fukacova, explores the six areas of human consciousness described by Tibetan Buddhism. The movements are evocative rather than descriptive and are driven by a purely musical logic; in spite of the work's program, the music never feels programmatic, perhaps due to the broadly philosophical rather than narrative nature of the program. Lieberson's orchestral writing is dramatically charged, colorful, and kaleidoscopic, and the soloist plays a dominant role in its unfolding.

William Purvis, an ardent advocate of new music, negotiates the virtuosic "Horn Concerto" with energy and finesse. The concerto, alternately tempestuous, serene, and quirkily enigmatic, is a welcome addition to the repertoire of an instrument in need of an infusion of fresh, attractive works. The Odense Symphony Orchestra accompanies both concertos, with Justin Brown conducting "The Six Realms" and Donald Palma conducting the "Horn Concerto." The songs were recorded live, so there is some audience noise, which is more than compensated for by the urgency of the live performance. The sound in the orchestral recordings is warm and present. Stephen Eddins

New York Times

Ms. Hunt Lieberson, in sumptuous voice, makes each phrase an affecting expressive entity. Mr. Serkin plays with a deft combination of textural clarity and milky colorings. Anthony Tommasini

BBC Music Magazine

It's the songs and their memorable performances that pinpoint the area where Lieberson’s gifts find their fullest expression. George Hall