Gerald Finley joins the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and its Chief Conductor Hannu Lintu for the world premiere recording of Lieberson’s Songs of Love and Sorrow. Finley gave the world premiere performance of the work in 2010.The album, which also features the composer’s The Six Realms for cello and orchestra with soloist Anssi Kattunen, is available on Ondine on 4 September.
Ondine writes:
“Lieberson’s Songs of Love and Sorrow is a deeply personal work. Lieberson had received a commission in 2005 to write a work for his wife, mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. This project was interrupted by Lorraine’s death and soon after also the composer was diagnosed with cancer. The news of being awarded the Grawemeyer Award for his earlier song cycle Neruda Songs (2005) encouraged the composer to write another cycle on Neruda’s poetry, Songs of Love and Sorrow.
“The composer wrote in his program notes: ‘I suppose that my life story of the past three years is not dissimilar to many others. The basic truths of love and sorrow are, I think, experiences that all of us understand very well. To have one without the other is not likely, but certainly it is our capacity to love that makes this human life so poignant.’”
For more information and to purchase, please visit www.ondine.net.