June 09, 2004
Delos Diary
Delos InsiderAlways fascinated by things Russian, especially people, places and events in its long, colorful and often tragic history, I have been reading the reissue of Prince Felix Yusupov's memoir entitled Lost Splendor. Yusupov, to refresh your memory, was the fabulously wealthy young Russian nobleman chiefly responsible for the murder — or assassination if you will — of Rasputin, the evil genius-starets-monk, who exerted hypnotic and disastrous influence over the last tsar and tsarina of Russia.
In the course of retelling his riveting story, Prince Yusupov reveals that he would often entertain his noble friends by singing old Russian romances, folksongs and gypsy tunes, accompanying himself on the guitar. He must have had a pleasant voice, since his guests kept requesting more. Even the doomed Rasputin, on the actual night of his murder, asked for and listened happily to Prince Felix singing some of his favorite songs, as he munched on an assortment of poisoned cookies.
What a coup it would have been if this fatal serenade had been recorded! I hesitate to suggest my listening choice as the next best thing but its very possible that some of the very same old Russian romances Yusupov sang on that fatal night in 1916 are included among those offered by baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky on Delos' I Met You, My Love (DE 3293).
Rather than guitar, Hvorostovsky is accompanied by the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and the Style of Five folk ensemble conducted by Constantine Orbelian. This entire group would have been a tight fit in Yusupov's basement apartment, but they definitely add a rich veneer to Hvorostovsky's traversal of these traditional Russian gems.
Cookies and wine would go quite well while listening to this recording. Just be sure you test them on the dog or cat first.
June 07, 2004
Delos Diary
Delos InsiderA report in the New York Times of Saturday, May 29, seems to promise more gadgetry invading the symphonic world.
Recently, a New York Philharmonic audience got to "test-drive" a device called the Concert Companion. Described as a hand-held object that delivers on screen a play-by-play analysis of the music as it unfolds, it has been nicknamed CoCo by its creators. It also features program notes and video images, all delivered in real time from a computer backstage.
We can only conjecture how long it will be until commercial messages are added to this visual mix. It would seem to be a natural for the big drug companies which even now run lengthy commercials on any TV program (i.e.: the Tony Awards) which appeals to an older audience. Viagra, Vioxx, arthritis, and migraine remedies all may find their place between analyses of selections by Mozart, Beethoven, Richard Strauss and Igor Stravinsky.
As we've grown accustomed to seeing art museum-goers moving en masse from painting to painting as instructed by their acoustiguides, so concertgoers may soon react simultaneously to the important moments in the classic masterpieces they are hearing.
Meanwhile the poor souls without a CoCo in hand will simply have to remain in blissful ignorance and listen to the music unadorned, unabashed and unashamed.
June 04, 2004
Delos Diary
Delos InsiderChamber Music Northwest, the five week music festival which is a summer highlight every June and July in Portland, Oregon, has published a very attractive brochure outlining its programs and artists for the 2004 season. Rabid chamber music lovers will surely salivate over all the wonderful programs Oregon audiences will soon enjoy.
Which brings us back to our amazing Delos catalog. We have six CDs available, all of which feature Chamber Music Northwest. Many of the artists we recorded will play in the upcoming festival. The repertoire on these CDs is overall as exciting as the 2004 offerings, and the quality of the recordings is up to the best Delos standards.
If it is impossible to get to Portland, these Delos recordings should help fill the gap. Eleven of the artists listed in the new brochure also play on our recordings. They include outstanding instrumentalists such as David Shifrin, clarinet; Theodore Arm, Ida and Ani Kavafian, violins; Paul Neubauer and Steven Tenenbom, violas; Fred Sherry, cello; Edgar Meyer, bass; Allan Vogel, oboe; Julie Feves, bassoon; and Ransom Wilson, flute (in the 2004 brochure he is listed only as a conductor). The repertoire on these six CDs ranges from compositions by Mozart and Brahms to Bartok and Messaien and also includes seldom-heard scores by Bernard Hermann, David Diamond, Quincy Porter, Charles Ives, Carl Nielsen, Charles Loeffler, David Schiff and Sergei Prokofiev.
Surely a true festival of chamber music to rival any live offering this summer. Here are the numbers: DE 3020, DE 3043, DE 3058, DE 3066, DE 3088, and DE 3136.
June 02, 2004
Delos Diary
Delos Insider
In a Diary entry dated April 30, 2004, I mentioned the imminent release of a Delos CD featuring James DePreist and the Oregon Symphony playing Sibelius Symphonies No. 2 and No. 7. It is now available in stores and is well worth the wait. Maestro DePreist's mission with his latest series of recordings has been to take a fresh look at favorite classics from his repertoire and to try once more to document his thoughts and feelings about these pieces in state-of-the-art recorded sound.
Supported financially by the Gretchen Brooks Recording Fund for the Oregon Symphony, the series has gone from strength to strength and, in my opinion, has reached new heights in this Sibelius pairing. As with other DePreist recordings, everything sounds solid, authoritative, logical, yet exciting. The Oregon musicians play for DePreist with love and respect. The results are exceptional.
Once upon a time, the Sibelius symphonies were played by American orchestras almost to excess. Symphony No. 2 is still heard quite frequently and seldom fails to please. Lavish orchestration, big tunes and grand climaxes all give the ordinary music lover what he or she craves… emotional satisfaction and release.
The Symphony No. 7, on the other hand, is not performed nearly as often. Listening to it with fresh ears, however, is a revelation. Within its one movement 20-minute span you hear the very best of Sibelius. The vigor of invention in the piece makes it hard to believe that this symphony was to be his last.
This recording makes it easy to see and hear why James DePreist insisted that these two works be included in his personal parade of all-time favorites.