Delos Diary

In an attempt to have at least one more diary entry before the end of year 2003, I have been scanning every possible source of news, hoping to find an item or two of interest to our website browsers. Post-Christmas news is sparse, although announcement that Canada's Calgary Philharmonic has commissioned big-screen images from multimedia artist Kenneth Doren to accompany its Russian music evenings on January 16-17 stopped me for a moment or two. The program, which includes Liadov's Baba Yaga and The Enchanted Lake and the Mussorgsky-Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition, would seem a natural for visual embellishment. Today's audiences are so addicted to TV images that some, at least, must feel deprived if they can only focus in on a static group of live musicians sawing away. The pictures by Victor Hartmann which originally inspired Mussorgsky are, in my opinion, singularly mediocre. If not for Mussorgsky's music, Hartmann's pictures would be long forgotten. It should be interesting to see what artist Kenneth Doren comes up with in Calgary.

Delos Diary

Seattle Opera is reviving its renowned Wagner Ring Cycle during the 2005 season. Many singers in the casts announced are repeaters, including Jane Eaglen as Brunnhilde. In a recent interview she called it her "favorite role."
Among the newcomers who are undertaking important parts for the first time in Seattle we noticed our own Ewa Podles', who will sing Erda and the First Norn. The Podles' voice, incomparably rich and dark, should make quite an impression as Erda. She appears in Das Rheingold and Siegfried as the mysterious earth goddess of wisdom, and in Götterdämmerung as First Norn. Although the parts are not exceptionally long, at least by Wagnerian standards, they are important and integral to the progress of the dramas. Particularly so is the character of Erda, who after all gave birth to all nine of the Valkyries in a past liaison with Wotan. With such an experience behind her no wonder the elusive earth goddess prefers the solitude of her subterranean lair to the glories of Valhalla.

Delos Diary

San Francisco Opera, betting on a sure thing, is presenting a number of performances of Puccini's La Bohème during the month of January 2004. As a sign of the times, the evening of January 6th is being billed as "Singles Night at the Opera," and special prices are offered to young, unmarried folk who will be able to catch an opera, have a drink, eat a snack and make a date all for one low-price ticket. La Bohème, being the quintessential romantic opera, is the obvious choice.
Two of our Delos vocal stars are featured in the San Francisco production. Olga Guryakova will be the Mimì, and Vinson Cole the Rodolfo. Both have voices which fit these roles admirably and they both look good.

If you'd like to sample the singing of these stellar vocalists, you'll find three Delos CDs featuring Olga Guryakova: DE 3273, Olga Guryakova sings Russian Arias and Romances; DE 3282, My Soul Enraptured; and DE 3269, Rachmaninoff's "Aleko." Vinson Cole has one beautiful solo in the Voices of Ascension choral CD Mysteries Beyond, Songs and Chants in Praise of Mary (DE 3138), and an entire album to himself, called In Love with Love (DE 3131).

Delos Diary

While watching a near-blinding and deafening series of Previews of Coming Attractions preceding an almost anti-climactic movie the other day, I was suddenly aroused from my stupor by the announcement of a new movie version of James M. Barrie's classic story Peter Pan due this Christmas. What I saw in the preview looked good … in fact, very good! The story seems to be intact, the production values look elegant and the cast list is impressive (a real boy plays Peter).
Then I remembered that we at Delos have two Peter Pan recordings, dating back a few years, but both currently available and both outstanding efforts. As the saying goes, "no expense was spared," to make them very special.
The first, a single CD, is entitled "An Awfully Big Adventure, the Best of Peter Pan 1904–1996." It includes 18 tracks, a first-ever collection of some of the most beloved melodies associated with various productions — dramatic and musical — of the Peter Pan story, from 1904 to the present time, all especially arranged by Donald Fraser for an all-star cast of acclaimed Delos artists (DE 3201).
The second, a 2 CD set (DE 6007) is a definitive reading of the story of Peter Pan adapted form the J. M. Barrie original book "Peter and Wendy" by Jane McCulloch, distinguished British writer, playwright, lyricist and theatre director. The narrator, or reader if you will, is none other than Sir Derek Jacobi, a familiar name to anyone who loves live theatre or PBS television drama series. Sir Derek's own words, "I am Peter Pan," tell you all you need to know about his interpretation. With discreet additions of incidental music between chapters, this set remains a unique addition to the Delos catalog. Great listening for adults and kids!