description Peter Lieberson Overview
Peter Lieberson was an American composer whose music includes orchestral works, chamber pieces, concertos, and vocal compositions. His best-known work is the song cycle Neruda Songs, written for mezzo-soprano and orchestra using poems by Pablo Neruda. Lieberson also studied Buddhism and incorporated aspects of Buddhist thought into parts of his artistic life, while his musical language remained rooted in expressive melody and modern classical composition.
help Peter Lieberson FAQ
What is Peter Lieberson's Neruda Songs?
Neruda Songs is a five-song cycle for mezzo-soprano and orchestra that sets poems by Pablo Neruda. Lieberson wrote it for his wife, mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, and it became his best-known work. [Los Angeles Philharmonic](https://www.laphil.com/people/peter-lieberson)
How did Buddhism influence Peter Lieberson's music?
Lieberson became deeply involved in Buddhist philosophy by the mid-1970s. Buddhist themes appear in works such as King Gesar from 1991 and the opera Ashoka's Dream from 1997.
Did Peter Lieberson write only orchestral music?
No. His catalog includes chamber music, concertos, opera, orchestral works, and vocal cycles such as Rilke Songs and Songs of Love and Sorrow.
What texts does Neruda Songs use?
The cycle uses poems by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda rather than a continuous staged plot. It is organized as five songs for one mezzo-soprano soloist and orchestra.
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