Photo by Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
Peter Lieberson, the composer of many musical works including “Ashoka’s Dream,” has died. A student of the pioneering Tibetan Buddhist teacher (and founder of the Sun) Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche — and later, of Khandro Rinpoche — Peter was well known for his work as a composer of music that sought to inspire through equal parts intellect and emotional appeal. The New York Times remembers Peter’s life and work today in an obituary titled “Peter Lieberson, Composer Inspired by Buddhism, Dies at 64.” Read the Times’ appreciation here.
In addition to being a friend of many at Lion’s Roar Foundation, he was also a contributor Lion’s Roar magazine. In “Concept Becomes Experience: A Composer’s Journey,” Peter described his creative journey from the high intellectualism of twelve-tone theory to a trust in the play between spontaneity and technique.
April 26 update: New remembrances of Peter have been published by The Boston Globe, The Santa Fe New Mexican, and by Nonesuch Records.
alas, now 2 great musicians are gone
I like his set of Rilke songs. The Neruda songs I've never warmed to, perhaps in large part because I've never thought much of Neruda's poetry.
RIP.
The clip is of "The Human Realm," a musical preview released on the day of Peter's death. Sorry; the note that said so was disappeared; thanks for bringing it to our attention.
Not two months before, I had spoken to Peter about choreographing his "Neruda Songs" in dedication to his late wife for my company Ku-an Ballet (not until 2013) It was at Kennedy Center after a rehearsal of his "Remembering JFK". It seems since Lorraine passed, he was writing memoria. We simply couldn't know that he was also writing his own. Tears.
Later, if I can get permission from his estate, I will choreograph this work in memory of all. A truly great composer. A truly great warrior. More tears. a hearty Kiki Soso and a draft of single malt to him. Just listened to Rilke songs with Peter Serkin and Lorraine. I'm sure that's the dralas I hear laughing in the laughing in the semi-tones.