The late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson was one of the finest artists of our time. A sensuous and noble singer, the intensity of her interpretations, particularly in Baroque roles, was supreme. Critics worldwide have grasped for superlatives to describe her art. This CD captured Lorraine’s unanimously acclaimed portrayal of Irene in Handel’s oratorio Theodora – “one of the most vocally beautiful and dramatically committed characterizations imaginable” according to The Independent on Sunday – which she sang at Glyndebourne, supported by the same forces as here, Harry Bicket and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. The hybrid SACD technology enhances all the vividness and beauty of Lorraine’s exceptional voice. Coupled with arias from Serse, including the evergreen Ombra mai fù, and the cantata La Lucrezia, this CD is one of the great classical releases of our time.
