Delos Diary

Something to really celebrate is the addition this month of American Bach Soloists releases to the Delos label.
One of the finest early music groups in America, the ABS, led by Jeffrey Thomas, debuts with discs of Corelli Concerti Grossi and Bach Harpsichord Concertos.
Later this fall comes a real blockbuster: the Handel oratorio Messiah, performed in much the way it was originally conceived by the composer, using a modestly-sized group of superbly skilled artists-soloists, chorus and orchestra, all well versed in 18th century performance style.
Soloists include soprano Arianna Zukerman (Eugenia Zukerman, one of our favorite flutists', daughter, no less), countertenor Daniel Taylor, tenor Steven Tharp and baritone William Sharp, these last three all ABS regulars. The indispensable chorus sings with the deft flexibility and emotional range you expect in a great Messiah.
And let's not forget conductor Jeffrey Thomas, a supreme stylist and master of Baroque musicmaking.
With this release we'll all get a chance to savor what audiences in the San Francisco Bay Area have been raving about for years.

Delos Diary - The War Songs Tour VI

Constantine Orbelian's tight schedcule of concerts and travel has delayed the final two chapters of his "Tale of Eight Cities… the Hvorostovsky-Orbelian Hero Cities Tour."
Here, at last, is his account of the concert in city No. 7, Ekaterinburg, scheduled for Thursday, June 9.
Constantine describes the colorful and tragic history of thisfascinating locale just beyond the Ural Mountains. His narrative, which combines history, personal anecdotes, and a review of the concert itself, is vivid and perceptive. The reader gets a unique picture of great artists, welcomed, feted and fed, and deeply appreciated by an adoring public fully aware of the fact that they are participating in a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Ekaterinburg

We arrived at the VIP section of the Novosibirsk airport and checked in for our early afternoon departure for Ekaterinburg. We landed in Ekaterinburg at the same time we departed because of the two-hour time change and we were whisked away to the Governor’s guest house, where we were to spend the next two days.