Russians on Delos

BY T. HASHIMOTO
San Francisco Examiner

27 August 2002

    Dmitri Hvorostovsky: I met you, my love

    Delos has got the Russian connection working (see below). This is the second solo album with the silver-maned Siberian baritone, clearly aimed at the crossover crowd. And why not? Hvorostovsky has a beautiful, fine-grained voice, complete with a luscious throb that adds itself to these popular Russian "romances." Not to be confused with the classical romances of composers such as Glinka and Tchaikovsky.

    He claims that he heard his father sing and play these songs of love (mostly unrequited), sadness (lost love), nature (without the one I love), etc. etc. Too many in a row tend to be lugubrious despite the richly rolling vocal style. The ubiquitous Constantine Orbelian leads the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. Text and casual photos are enclosed in the package.

Tchaikovsky: Queen of Spades. Philharmonia of Russia; Constantine Orbelian, cond. (Delos)

    The idea of "Great Scenes" from Russian operas is obviously an economic one, although some money has been expended for the cast is as starry as could be imagined today. Sergej Larin (Herman), Elena Prokina (Lisa), Elena Obratztsova (Countess), with Hvorostovsky as Yeletsky, make my mouth water.

    They sing well, yet something is lacking, perhaps the full sweep of Tchaikovsky's score, but more likely it is Orbelian, a decent enough conductor but not someone hardened in an opera pit, the place where you learn how to conduct music like this, even in excerpts. Still, if you don't wish to buy a three-disc set (Gergiev's on Philips is preferred), then this selection of the opera's great scenes will do nicely.