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SEQUENZA21/
340 W. 57th Street, 12B, New York, NY 10019

Zookeeper:   
Jerry Bowles
(212) 582-3791

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David Salvage

 Contributing Editors:
Galen H. Brown
Evan Johnson
Ian Moss
Lanier Sammons
Deborah Kravetz
(Philadelphia)
Eric C. Reda
(Chicago)
Christian Hertzog
(San Diego)
Jerry Zinser
(Los Angeles)

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Jeff Harrington

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Record companies, artists and publicists are invited to submit CDs to be considered for review. Send to: Jerry Bowles, Editor, Sequenza 21, 340 W. 57th Street, 12B, New York, NY 10019

Monday, May 23, 2005
Last Night in L.A. - Liebersons Triumphant

Last night was the L.A. Phil�s third performance of Neruda Songs (it premiered Friday), a joint comission with the Boston Symphony, based on five love sonnets by Pablo Neruda composed by Peter Lieberson for his wife Lorraine Hunt Lieberson and sung by her.

The sonnets themselves are beautiful poetry (the opening line of the opening sonnet is �If your eyes were not the color of the moon�), and Lieberson has given them lovely settings. I can�t imagine Lorraine Hunt Lieberson ever giving a careless or thoughtless performance; she could elevate average music--if her taste allowed her to try the merely average--to the level of outstanding music. For a premiere of a love song to her from her husband, all of her technique and thought and artistry were in use.

With Hunt Lieberson working her special magic, is Neruda Songs the masterpiece it seemed? With another singer, on another afternoon, without Salonen shaping the orchestra and evoking the color of the music and the words, without the crystal sounds of Disney Hall � under such circumstances maybe this wouldn�t seem like a great piece. Perhaps people will criticize the work because it lacks the lushness and luxury of Ravel�s Scheherezade. Others might denigrate Neruda Songs because it isn�t Strauss� Last Songs.

As for me, I thought this was great music, the best of Lieberson�s career so far. This is certain to be recorded, and it�s a great shame that yesterday�s concert will not be the basis for the recording.

At twenty-five minutes, the Lieberson(s) work was able to stand alone in the program, constituting the first half of the concert. But what could follow Neruda Songs? The Phil decided to change gears completely so the second half was the massive Shostakovich Symphony 10. Salonen had some things to say about the work, taking longer than average for the piece; this became thrilling Shostakovich. I look forward to next season and the completion of the Shostakovich cycle with the three last symphonies.

Lucky us: more Liebersons tonight at the Phil�s New Music concert.
posted by Jerry Zinser 5/23/2005



 
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