Description
NOSTOS
Leslie Bigos, executive producer
Nostos celebrates Dr. Robert Istad conducting the Cal State Fullerton University Singers in repertoire fresh from the ensemble’s concert tour in Russia, Scandinavia and the Baltics during the summer of 2017. Even though Rob and the University Singers have performed around the world and collaborate regularly with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Pacific Symphony, this is the choir’s debut album. I promise this won’t be their last.
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! Forget Telarc. Remember Yarlung!
Robert H. Levi
Senior Editor at Large, Positive Feedback
The joy and enthusiasm these singers felt on their tour and expressed during our recording sessions bubbles through the recording and you can hear it in every piece. Working in the glorious acoustics of the Valley Performing Arts Center (soon to be renamed The Soraya) enabled us to capture every nuance. Many thanks to Leslie Bigos, Kimo Furumoto, Cal State University Fullerton and Cal State University Northridge for making this recording possible.
–Bob Attiyeh, producer
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Gary Hollander –
Thanks so much for making your Nostos CD. The chorus sings as one and, amazingly, the recording seems to single out whoever the particular soloist is at any time, a tribute to Yarlung’s microphone placement. The liner notes specify that these are all single takes. This is amazing. I believe I only noticed very slight extraneous noises (perhaps a shoe) and I’m not even sure about that! I was really trying to pay attention to what Rob Istad and these singers accomplished.
My only problem was that I listened to the entire CD in one sitting and that wasn’t easy considering how concentrated the music selections are. When I listen again, I’ll do it in small increments and download the libretto so I can follow along. Thanks for making the texts available so conveniently. I’ve never heard a chorus so well recorded.
Bob Attiyeh –
Gary, thank you for your kind and much appreciated thoughts on this album. Working with Rob Istad and his valiant singers from Fullerton was a treat.
You certainly have good ears! There was indeed something dropped in one take that sounded like a shoe thumping. We decided to use that take because of its musical merits. We hoped the noise wouldn’t be too distracting. You are the first person to mention it so I am hoping you’ll start an audiophile trend… people listening intently for the noise and seeing how their systems resolve it. This is the best sort of compliment an audiophile recording can receive, so we’ll see if you start something.
I’m glad you like the texts. We make them available online and as a pdf which you can download and/or print as you prefer.
Our executive producer Leslie Bigos joins me in saying thanks for your comments, Gary. Best wishes and happy listening,
Bob.
Mark Sime –
Beautiful,…Absolutely beautiful upon my first listen. Now I will play the CD again!
Mark Sime
Bob Attiyeh –
Mark, I am delighted you are enjoying this CD so much. I will go listen to it again right now for the 60th time. Can’t get enough of it. Thank you for your comment and enjoy the music. We will be working with Maestro Rob Istad again in 2019. Looking very much forward to it! Bob Attiyeh