Dmitri Hvorostovsky The Philips Recitals (11CD)

In tribute to his memory on the fifth anniversary of his passing, Eloquence has brought together all the recital albums he made for the Philips label during the glorious spring of his career in the 1990s. To accompany the set, Hvorostovsky’s Philips producer Anna Barry contributes a new, extensive and personal memoir of working with the baritone and going behind the scenes of each recording. One of the great voices of recent decades comes to life once more in this original jacket collection.

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To begin with, there is the selection of Verdi and Tchaikovsky arias which confirmed that Hvorostovsky’s BBC Cardiff Singer of the World win in 1989 had been no flash in the pan. Critics and audiences alike were taken aback by the baritone’s artistic agility as he jumped back to the 18th century with a classic album of arie antiche such as would have been standard fare for his vocal heroes, Bastianini and Lisitsian. Though further orchestrally accompanied discs followed, the core of the set lies in Hvorostovsky’s acutely sensitive response to the song repertoire of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Mussorgsky and (coming up to date) Gyorgy Sviridov. He also forged a profound connection with the St Petersburg Chamber Choir on albums of folk songs and Orthodox hymns.

TRACK LIST

CD 1
Tchaikovsky & Verdi Arias
Valéry Gergiev

CD 2
Russian Romances
Oleg Boshniakovich

CD 3
Dark Eyes – Russian Folk Songs
Nikolai Kalinin

CD 4
Bel Canto Arias
Ion Marin

CD 5
Songs and Dances of Death
Valery Gergiev

CD 6
My Restless Soul
Mikhail Arkadiev

CD 7
Credo
Nikolai Korniev

CD 8
Russia Cast Adrift
Mikhail Arkadiev

CD 9
Kalinka – Russian Folk Songs
Nikolai Korniev

CD 10
Arie Antiche
Sir Neville Marriner

CD 11
Arias & Duets
Olga Borodina
Patrick Summers