There is no need for flashiness or excess; in fact, it is her restraint that makes the performance so commanding. She trusts the beauty of the line, the music, and her own commitment to the text completely, allowing simplicity to carry enormous emotional weight. Every phrase reveals her superior musicality without ever sacrificing grace, honesty, or stillness. It is singing of such class and quiet authority—much like the artist herself.

John Danaher agrees:

Words are not worthy to describe Lorraine Hunt Lieberson’s performance as Irene in Handel’s Theodora. A voice not of this world, surely. Yes, you hear it with your ears, but it’s as if you’re mainlining directly to your central nervous system. I have listened incessantly to her recordings, especially this one, these last twenty years. Gone too soon from us; I hope you are at peace somewhere, Lorraine.