IT”S easy to recall the rude good health with which Peter Lieberson, a serene and gracious Santa Fe-based composer who was in town for a new piece with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, greeted me in 2005.
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| Peter Lieberson, 1946-2011 |
We spoke about the poetry of Neruda — the inspiration for his latest piece — his range of classical influences, the music of jazz pianist Bill Evans, his interest in Buddhism and his father Goddard’s leadership of Columbia Records. The composer’s wife, the heavenly mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, came to the door to say a brief but loving hello to him. Here, I thought at the time, is a handsome, cool guy with a searching mind and a wife of unparalleled talent — he seemed to have it made.
In just over a year, Lorraine had died from breast cancer. Peter would soon be diagnosed with cancer himself, and he passed away Saturday in Tel Aviv, where he was undergoing treatment for lymphoma. He was 64.
HERE is my piece from the LA Times, just before the 2005 world premiere of “Neruda Songs.” And here is an excerpt from my story:
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| Pablo Neruda |