Russia Recording Set
A meeting on the doorstep of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in June 1991 was perhaps the seed of things to come. Our colleague Erdo Groot was there to record Russian Folksongs with the famous baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky (for Philips Classics). A big cardboard box full of exotic plant bulbs, intended for Erdo’s brother in law, was brought to Erdo by the biologist Michael Serebryanyi. The next time they would meet in Russia would be at the exact same location 12 years later...
A Polyhymnia recording set in Moscow
In 2003 Polyhymnia recorded the Russian National Orchestra and the Bolshoi Opera Company, and Erdo was back in Moscow, this time working for the Pentatone label. Since the previous meeting, Michael Serebryanyi had started a new Russian Classical Label, Caro Mitis, and asked Polyhymnia to collaborate on some recordings with him, which was discussed while standing once again on the doorstep of the Conservatory. Polyhymnia shipped one of its recording sets to Moscow, where it still resides. In the summer of 2003 we started our first recording for Caro Mitis, with the oboist Alexei Utkin and the Hermitage Orchestra, followed by many projects with Pratum Integrum, harpsichordist Olga Martinova, pianist Igor Tchetuev and many other artists. All of these recordings have been released as surround SACD’s. Many of the great aspects of the Philips Classics era are still alive in Russia: great talent and musicianship, original ideas, and the striving for the best musical results imaginable.
