Collaborations in music, and perhaps in life in general, can be among our most rewarding experiences. At Yarlung, these collaborations and camaraderie are what keep us going. Nostos offers an example of just how fruitful this sort of relationship can be.
Music director Robert Istad is one of the most exciting choral conductors in the next generation of American music. He recently inherited the venerable post of Music Director of the Pacific Chorale, led by the eminent John Alexander since 1972.1 Dr. Istad also serves as president of the California Choral Director’s Association, and is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Fullerton. Rob has conducted the Cal State Fullerton University Singers for eleven years.
The School of Music at Cal State University Fullerton justifiably prides itself in excellence, and has done so for many decades. In the vocal arts alone, singers such as Deborah Voigt and Charles Castronovo studied at Fullerton. Cal State University Fullerton President Mildred Garcia takes special interest in music and she counts herself among the many fans of the University Singers. She has described the members of the ensemble as worldwide ambassadors for the university.
President Garcia should be proud. One week before our recording sessions, Rob Istad and the University Singers returned from a triumphant tour in Scandinavia, the Baltics and Russia. Happily for me, the ensemble sang the same repertoire as in our recording, so the singers arrived perfectly rehearsed and in an ideal psychological frame of mind for our project.
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.Total time: 01:09:30
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | YAR80173DSD |
| Qualities | |
| Channels | 2ch Stereo, 5 Channel Surround Sound, 2ch Sonorus, 2ch Stereo & 5ch Surround |
| Artists | |
| Composers | Brahms, Chesnokov, Esenvalds, Howells, Mantyjarvi, Martynov, McGlynn, Nystedt, O'Regan, Part, Traditional |
| Genres | |
| Analog Recording Equipment | Sonorus ATR12 |
| Digital Converters | Hapi |
| Editing Software | Pyramix |
| Mastering Engineer | Steve Hoffman, Bob Attiyeh & Tom Caulfield |
| Microphones | AKG C-24, Schoeps M222 |
| Conductors | |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Recording Engineer | Bob Attiyeh & Arian Jansen |
| Recording location | Valley Performing Arts Center at Cal State Northridge |
| Recording Software | Merging |
| Recording Type & Bit Rate | DSD256 |
| Release Date | December 19, 2017 |
Press reviews
Positive Feedback (Writer’s Choice Award 2018)
2018 Writer’s Choice Award from Positive Feedback
Undertaking a choral recording is no easy task. For instance, the hall’s acoustics can make or break the recording not to mention having to carefully balance the direct vs. reflected sound. With that in mind Bob Attiyeh (of Yarlung Records) set out to find just the right venue to record Nostos, and in the end chose the recently finished Valley Performing Arts Center at Cal. State Northridge. (Nostos was also the premiere recording at this new hall.)
Fans of the old Decca/Argo choral recording will love this new Yarlung recording. Nostos features the likes of Howell’s Requiem, Brahms’ Schaffe in mir, Gott, ein rein Herz (Psalm 51), Martynov’s Zapovedi blazhenstv (The Beautitudes), Part’s Nunc dimittis and Eriks Esenvalds’ arrangement of Amazing Grace. No one will be disappointed with the solos on Howell’s Requiem nor the Martynov’s piece.
Nostos is also sonic blockbuster with a sense of space even exceeding those old Argo recordings. Those into digital can download Nostos in Stereo and Multichannel DSD 256 from Native DSD Music.
Positive Feedback
“Stunning! Remarkable! Never heard such a thing! Eleven vocal works sung and recorded FLAWLESSLY in one take, without sheet music, no editing, recorded in stereo with a legendary AKG C-24 tube microphone, all tube preamplification, and direct to SonoruS ATR12 analog tape recorder!”
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