It's a cause for rejoicing that more and more mezzo-sopranos are taking up Peter Lieberson's gorgeous 2005 cycle, Neruda Songs, but any singer approaching them is in the unenviable position of inevitably being measured against Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, for whom and to whom they were written, and whose radiant, deeply personal recording would be hard to surpass. Taken on its own terms, Kelley O'Connor's singing is for the most part satisfying and able to stand on its own. The first two songs don't feel quite fully inhabited, ...
Read More
It's a cause for rejoicing that more and more mezzo-sopranos are taking up Peter Lieberson's gorgeous 2005 cycle, Neruda Songs, but any singer approaching them is in the unenviable position of inevitably being measured against Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, for whom and to whom they were written, and whose radiant, deeply personal recording would be hard to surpass. Taken on its own terms, Kelley O'Connor's singing is for the most part satisfying and able to stand on its own. The first two songs don't feel quite fully inhabited, but she hits her stride in the third, and by the last, "Amor mío, si muero y tú no mueres," she summons the all the devastating poignancy the music and text require. Robert Spano's reading and the playing of the Atlanta Symphony come off as surprisingly dry and spare, especially compared to the sumptuous passion of James Levine and the Boston Symphony in the premiere recording. Even more surprisingly, the sound of the live premiere recording has more vibrancy, depth, and presence...
Read Less