# Round 2: Deep River: Hunt Lieberson, Norman, Anderson



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)




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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Jessye and Marion are neck and neck with me but I find Jessye's moves me more.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

They are all so wonderful, I feel guilty choosing just one, but in the final analysis the one that sounded the most simple and authentic yet had a delicious chest voice to go with it was Marian Anderson.
PS: John, I never mind piano with fok songs and spirituals -- it's only with operatic arias that it bothers me -- I need that orchestra accompaniment.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

nina foresti said:


> They are all so wonderful, I feel guilty choosing just one, but in the final analysis the one that sounded the most simple and authentic yet had a delicious chest voice to go with it was Marian Anderson.
> PS: John, I never mind piano with fok songs and spirituals -- it's only with operatic arias that it bothers me -- I need that orchestra accompaniment.


Yes, I thought that was what you meant and you aren't the only one. You like the accompaniment that the composer calIed for. I will only make exceptions for very early 20th century recordings of great artists we are lucky to have... like say Caruso .
I think this simple song brings out the best in a really good artist!!!


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I can't quite believe that Lieberson would have the depth and chest voice to really make this effective, she seemed very much a mezzo to me rather than a contralto. Indeed she doesn't have the chest voice to sing this in the classic spiritual style. However, she gives us an effective performance by making it her own and expressing the piece's sentiment with simple phrasing and shapely interpretation. Impressive.

Norman is another soprano who seemed to be more comfortable as a mezzo and who I seldom like in anything other than mezzo rep. As expected this fits her like a glove and I found her version very moving. However, it's too slow and it's really interesting to compare it with the Lieberson side by side. Norman's is stylistically more authentic, but she slows it down without offering a good reason to do so. Lieberson's voice isn't suited to it, but she does something with it that works for her and uses the slow tempo to shape it intelligently.

Anderson really goes DEEP right at the start and I really like her version. This is the simplest of these three and she doesn't play with the music anywhere as much as the previous two and maybe that makes it the most sincerely touching out of these for me.

N.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Jessye sings with her usual generosity of emotion, but I felt it was just too slow. Very beautiful nonetheless.
By and large I preferred Anderson's simplicity and her performance is heartfelt and sincere. 
But, and I know I'm going to be alone, there is just something about Hunt Lieberson that I connect with immediately. Not only is the voice surpassingly beautiful, but she brings something so personal to the music and makes it her own. I found her version the most affecting and moving of the three, so she gets my vote.
I might add that I prefer all of these to the three in the first round.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

I like the deep tones that Marion Anderson and Jessye Norman bring to this music. As good as Lorraine Hunt is, she is outclassed here (in a good way). The song is so wide ranging that it’s hard to get a sense of its architecture especially at slow speeds, which both Anderson and Norman thrive on in their versions. As we know from her *Vier Letzte Lieder*, Norman does very well at slow speed, and so it is here - she is mesmerizing.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I am so pleased that you enjoyed this. I get the feeling that we might just give Marion the prize for both contests with this type of response. I have two more great spirituals coming up later.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

There is nothing not to love about Hunt Lieberson here, unless we require a deep contralto sound. She is warm of timbre and deceptively simple but subtle in her phrasing, and her accompanist is totally with her in presenting a unified conception. 

Norman takes full advantage of the conralto-like timbre of her low voice, and she had me transfixed until about 2/3 of the way through, when the mood suddenly evaporated, partly bccause of a tempo that approached stasis and partly bccause of some very flat pitches, a problem that frequently afflicted her.

Anderson and her wonderful deep tones predictably sound absolutely authentic and right in this music. For her the song is clearly an expression of faith. Nonetheless I am most moved by Hunt Lieberson, perhaps just because she sounds less sure of crossing over into campground. I'll give her my vote.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> There is nothing not to love about Hunt Lieberson here, unless we require a deep contralto sound. She is warm of timbre and deceptively simple but subtle in her phrasing, and her accompanist is totally with her in presenting a unified conception.
> 
> Norman takes full advantage of the conralto-like timbre of her low voice, and she had me transfixed until about 2/3 of the way through, when the mood suddenly evaporated, partly bccause of a tempo that approached stasis and partly bccause of some very flat pitches, a problem that frequently afflicted her.
> 
> Anderson and her wonderful deep tones predictably sound absolutely authentic and right in this music. For her the song is clearly an expression of faith. Nonetheless I am most moved by Hunt Lieberson, perhaps just because she sounds less sure of crossing over into campground. I'll give her my vote.


Hunt Lieberson, perhaps just because she sounds less sure of crossing over into campground. I'll give her my vote.      
I used to love the Jessye version more than I do now. I LOVE that low part of her voice. Her sound down there is simply amazing to me! I think she and Traubel have the most beautiful chest register I've heard. In time I have found it a bit too draggy though even though visually she is able to get a lot of expressiveness out of the spiritual that way. 
Marian Anderson is the master of presenting these spirituals in a simple authentic manner with a Rolls Royce voice.
I am so glad Tsaraslondon suggested Hunt Lieberson as y'all really enjoyed her rendition . She wasn't on my radar.
Wait till you hear the other spirituals I have picked out!!!!


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