Delos Diary

Just checked through the Moscow Chamber Orchestra's upcoming American tour schedule, and am awestruck by the number of concerts at far-flung venues that lie ahead for this intrepid band of musical virtuosi and their tireless conductor, Constantine Orbelian. So far I count 28 concerts between September 20, 2003 and May 11, 2004. By bus and plane (perhaps even dog-sled) they will bring their superlative music-making to cities in Alaska, New Jersey, New York, California, Alabama, Florida, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, and more. They probably see more of the USA in one season than many of us do in a lifetime. Accompanying them will be copies of their new Delos CD "Stars of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra" (DE 3327), to help keep the memories of their beautiful sound and their star soloists fresh and alive after they've departed. Before you play through the new CD they'll be traveling on to Palm Springs, Palm Beach, Los Alamos, Miami, Denver... and on... and on.

Click on the link below to see if any of their stops will be near your city.

Delos Diary

All over the U.S. excitement is growing among opera lovers anticipating the approaching Fall opera season. New York's Metropolitan Opera will open in early September with Verdi's La Traviata, made noteworth by sheer starpower. Reneé Fleming will sing Violetta Valery, Ramon Vargas, Alfred Germont, and Delos recording artist and internationally-famed baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky will appear as Giorgio Germont, Alfredo's father. (DE 3292, DE 3290). The Met production will be the traditional Zeffirelli one, lavish and richly evocative of mid-19th Century France... anything but revisionist.

Most new European productions are another story. The more outrageous the staging, the more perverse the director's input, the more likely the show will go on.

In light of this, I've dreamed up my own fantasy production. In my 2nd act the father, Giorgio Germont, enters Alfredo and Violetta's country hideaway to denounce their illicit union and to persuade Violetta to return to her former life as a Parisian courtesan, as usual. But then Violetta faces Germont (who must be sung by Dmitri Hvorostovsky) and sings to herself "Why am I wasting my remaining time on that callow, penniless boy when this incredibly handsome, tall widower has just walked into my parlor? He has property and all the money I need. As for the daughter he's trying to marry off to some respectable, priggish country bumpkin, bring her to me. Flora and I will find her a rich older Parisian vicomte in no time at all. Alfredo can assuage his sorrows at the gambling table while I take over Père Germont's establishment and spend my remaining days in comfort, listening to that glorious baritone voice while stroking his silver hair."

There is a problem with my revised libretto. Verdi's music simply won't fit! But then, a minor hurdle like that has seldom fazed members of the new breed of opera directors. They simply take the money, shrug off the boos and move on to new atrocities.

Delos Diary

We hear lots of musical transcriptions these days. Musicians whose instruments lack a rich solo literature of their own avidly look for material to add to their limited repertoire. Thus we have transcriptions. In some instances, we even have transcriptions of transcriptions.
You'll find a good example of this on the recent Delos CD release "Classical Duo - Music for Cello and Guitar" (DE 3324). Two young Russian virtuosi, cellist Boris Andrianov and guitarist Dimitri Illarionov, have fashioned an interesting album of classics, arranged to bring out the best qualities of each of their instruments. One of the highlights for me is their rendering of Manuel de Falla's Spanish Popular Suite. Originally a seven-song cycle for voice and piano entitled "Seven Popular Songs," six of the seven were transcribed for violin solo and piano by legendary violinist Paul Kochanski. Now it has been rearranged for cello and guitar by Miguel Llobet and Dimitri Illarionov. Music lovers familiar with great past recordings of the original by Victoria de los Angeles, Nan Merriman, or Marilyn Horne will be amazed at how much of the fire and drama of the piece is retained in the cello/guitar version.

Brazilian Guitar Quartet on Tour

The BGQ will be touring in North America during the early part of 2004. Click on the link below to see if any of their stops will be near your city.

Ewa Honored

We have learned that Ewa Podles' "Russian Arias" (DE 3298) is one of three finalists for Gramophone Magazine's 2003 Best Recital Album Award. The others are recordings by Roberto Alagna and Ann Sofie von Otter. Congratulations all!

Delos Diary

Classical music stations play a lot of Aaron Copland. Usually it's "Rodeo," "Billy the Kid" or "Appalachian Spring." Copland is one near-contemporary American composer who goes down easily with almost all listeners. The pieces mentioned, when well performed, never seem to lose their appeal.

While immobilized in a freeway traffic jam the other day, I found the delay made more tolerable by listening to a slightly different bit of Copland on the car radio. His "Red Pony Film Suite for Orchestra" has all the appeal of the other more famous ballet scores plus a happy, jaunty oh-so-American flavor of its own. "What a lively performance," I thought, "and so well recorded." At the conclusion, the announcer identified the recording as taken from the Delos CD "A Copland Profile" (DE 3221). How soon we forget! A fresh look at or listen to this album, recorded about six years ago, reveals how vital and alive the early music of Aaron Copland remains, and how well the Dallas Symphony, conducted by Andrew Litton, play it. Now the next task will be to rent a videocassette of the film for which Copland wrote this beguiling music. Too bad I won't be able to watch it in the car.

Delos Diary

Bright Sheng, prominent Chinese composer who has spent most of his adult life in the USA, is much in the national press these days. His first full-length opera "Madame Mao" premieres at the Santa Fe Opera on July 26th, and many fingers are crossed everywhere in hopes that it proves a success. Although well regarded in musical circles, Bright Sheng's music has not yet been widely recorded. Here at Delos we do have two CD recordings of his work which give fascinating glimpses into the diversity of his output.

One is a short chamber opera, "The Song of Majnun," with the Houston Grand Opera (DE 3211); the other a Concertino for Clarinet and String Quartet composed on commission for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and David Shifrin (DE 3183).

Sheng's combinations of Eastern and Western instruments and harmonies, and his philosophical approach, make for provocative listening, especially for anyone interested in contemporary music. We're all wishing him well for the success of his venture in Santa Fe.

Delos Diary

"I wanted to prove what I say, that it is the music that matters, not the instrument." So said Rosalyn Tureck, renowned pianist, whose passing was announced in yesterday's press. Her lengthy obituary included many nuggets of information not generally known. Example: Tureck made her Carnegie Hall debut playing a Bach concerto on the Theremin. This was really news to me! Relating these facts to Delos, we also believe that the music is what matters, not the instrument, and we just happen to have one of the few CDs available featuring the art of the Theremin in all its eerie splendor
(DE 1014).

As far as music versus instrument, the Delos catalog runs the gamut from Baroque "authentic" to modern interpretations -- expecially with Bach, Rosalyn Tureck's specialty. Raid your child's nursery collection and listen to Delos's Baby Needs Bach (DE 1613) to hear a wide range of Bach selections involving many different instrumental combinations.

If you prefer something closer to Bach's own time, Jory Vinikour's recording of the Goldberg Variations (DE 3279) played majestically on a double keyboard harpsichord, with all the repeats included, might be just right for you. Just ahead there is the Bach Concerto for Oboe and Violin on our new release Stars of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra (DE 3327).

Good music transcends rigid dogma. We agree with Rosalyn Tureck.

Delos Diary

Listening to one of the local classical music stations while driving helps relieve the tedium of freeway gridlock. The other day, I especially enjoyed encountering a completely unfamiliar (to me) piano composition of Anton Arensky (1861-1906) ... his "Etude on a Chinese Theme." Typically virtuosic, it begins with fanciful pianistic filigree but soon settles on a simple statement of the "Chinese Theme."

Here I really paid attention...

Delos Diary

It's fascinating to watch old movies on TV, especially if one is over a certain age. The other night I was delighted to catch a vintage favorite of mine, the 1938 MGM historical spectacle "Marie Antoinette," starring Norma Shearer. The pristine print looked fresh in all its black and white glory. After so many years, however, the movie seems more outstanding for its sumptuous decor and costuming than for its historical accuracy.

What's this have to do with Delos?

Delos Diary

Even though conductor Zdenek Macal has left his post with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to take up new responsibilities in Prague, he remains Music Director Emeritus of the NJSO. Fans, who have become acquainted with his charismatic conducting skills and the outstanding playing of the New Jersey Symphony through his Delos CDs need not despair quite yet. His most recent recording of four featuring works by Dvorak (this one the Te Deum and three overtures) is just out on Delos (DE 3314).

Do you want even more and in person? Travel to Newark, NJ next January 2004 and revel in a live three-concert festival -- all Dvorak and all conducted by Macal. You'll hear the Symphonies 7, 8 & 9, the violin, cello and piano concertos, and the infrequently performed Fest March, Watersprite and Wood Dove. Sounds to me like this series of Concerts would be worth a trip across the river or even across the country.

Delos Diary

Veteran theatregoers are familiar with the legend that Shakespeare's "Macbeth" is a "jinx" role. Something always seems to go wrong. This summer the famed Kirov Opera has brought its new production of Verdi's opera "MacBeth" to New York's Metropolitan Opera, the only Italian entry in a short season of Russian masterpieces. Judging from Martin Bernheimer's review in the Financial Times, the "jinx" still remains. But amid stage mishaps galore, Bernheimer, a true connoisseur of the vocal arts, lavishes compliments on the singing of Vassily Gerello: "Gerello dominates the proceedings with a beutifully focused bel-canto baritone in the title role."

Delos CD aficionados are familiar with Vassily's beautiful voice, featured in the title role of Rachmaninoff's "Aleko" (DE 3269), the important part of "Tomsky" in Delos's unique single-CD version of Tchaikovsky's "Queen of Spades, great scenes" (DE 3289), as well as soloist in Tchaikovsky's Coronation Cantata (DE 3196). Coming soon will be a new Delos recording of Vassily Gerello, singing favorite Ukrainian songs accompanied by Constantine Orbelian and the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. It adds another facet to Gerello's bright shining career.

Delos Diary

My favorite time to listen to new Delos CDs is while driving. As well as providing beautiful music, they have therapeutic values. The new Stars of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, for example (DE 3327). If caught in a traffic jam, vent your road rage by punching track 3, the last movement of Boccherini's Symphony No. 6 "La Casa del Diavolo." Called "a chaconne representing hell," it will drain off your anger in minutes.

For calmer driving, try track 10, the 2nd movement of Bach’s Concerto for Violin, Oboe & Orchestra; it’s smooth sailing all the way.

Recent patrons of L.A. Opera were privileged to hear Russian bass Fyodor Kuznetsov sing the role of Leporello in a new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni. His idiomatic Mozart would hardly prepare you for his intensely dramatic interpretations of six romances in Delos’s new release of Shostakovich Complete Songs, Vol. 3 (DE 3309).

Tom Stacy’s polkadotted shirt and tie ensemble used on the cover of his Delos English horn debut CD (DE 3318) definitely reveals a rebel spirit far different from the white tie and tail image he projects from his regular chair in the New York Philharmonic. Listen to his unorthodox coupling of English horn and harpsichord and you'll see that this rakishly attired artist does not hesitate to try new ways to present himself and his instrument.

Eva Podles' Russian Arias Review

Music & Vision has an in-depth review of the great contralto's latest CD -- Russian Arias. Here's an excerpt:

'The Young Maiden's Song' describes the musings of a girl walking among the corpses lying on a battle field. Podles handles this emotional situation with great vocal intensity and gives a spirited interpretation to the words of this young woman who announces her decision to marry a man of courage and valor rather than one who is merely handsome.

Complete review
More about this release

The Delos '30 for 30' Series

Amelia Haygood recently wrote the following about the Delos 30th Anniversary Celebration "30 for 30" Series:

This year we will be issuing a special "30 for 30" series, revisiting some of the pivotal recordings of our 30-year adventure. The series reflects a number of high points and turning points in our Delos history. (Follow the link below, or scroll down, for the complete text.)

A Letter from the President

Dr. Amelia S. Haygood, president and founder of Delos International, has a few words about this year's 30th anniversary for the label and upcoming releases. Follow the link below or scroll down for the entire text.

Mahler 4th Now Available

The Dallas Symphony, under the baton of Andrew Litton, adds to its highly acclaimed Mahler recordings with this newest release in the series.

Organ Classics Now Available

This is the debut recording from the Dallas International Organ Competition winner James Diaz.

Paul Shoemaker Reviews ChinaSong

If you're not aware of this wonderful recording, check out Paul Shoemaker's review on MusicWeb and please listen to some musical excerpts! You'll be glad you did.

Read the complete review...
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