Jansug Kakhidze

During the height of the Cold War, U.S. screenwriters and novelists freely indulged in fantasies of Russian military invasions. Scenarios included hordes of Soviet militarytypes parachuting into Iowa and taking over the U.S. countryside town by town. Ironically, now that the Cold War is over, the old cry "the Russians are coming!" has come true. But the invasion is artistic--not military. The most recent invading musical armada is the Moscow Philharmonic, which opened a 30-day, 18-city U.S.

During the height of the Cold War, U.S. screenwriters and novelists freely indulged in fantasies of Russian military invasions. Scenarios included hordes of Soviet militarytypes parachuting into Iowa and taking over the U.S. countryside town by town. Ironically, now that the Cold War is over, the old cry "the Russians are coming!" has come true. But the invasion is artistic--not military. The most recent invading musical armada is the Moscow Philharmonic, which opened a 30-day, 18-city U.S.

San Diego Opera general director Ian Campbell announced several artists for his company's production of "Boris Godunov," the opening event of San Diego's Soviet Arts Festival, scheduled to begin Oct. 21. Noted mezzo-soprano Elena Obrazova of Moscow's Bolshoi Opera will sing the role of Marina, and Jansug Kakhidze will conduct Mussorgsky's epic opera. Kakhidze, the artistic director and chief conductor of the Tbilisi State Theatre, participated in Boston's American Soviet Festival in March, 1988.

Not all of the organizers are ready to divulge all, but the Soviet Arts Festival in San Diego scheduled for Oct. 21-Nov. 11 is definitely in the works. Last week, two of the participating groups revealed a few details of their presentations. Wesley Brustad, executive director of San Diego Symphony, outlined the orchestra's contributions for these three weeks: "In the first week, we would like, as a starter, to lay out the roots of contemporary Soviet musical culture.

In the 1980s and into the 1990s, a distinctly mystical music emanating from Eastern Europe began pervading the West. Geography didn't seem to matter. Whether it was Russians Alfred Schnittke and Sophia Gubaidulina, Estonian Arvo Part, Pole Henryk Gorecki or Georgian Giya Kancheli, they all seemed to share the same spirit of spiritual minimalism.

JUST OUT Wagner: Love Duets. Deborah Voigt, soprano; Placido Domingo, tenor; Orchestra of Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Antonio Pappano, conductor, EMI. Complementing Domingo's Wagner concerts at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion this month, this CD pairs two of Wagner's most voluptuous love duets, Act III, Scene 3 from "Siegfried," and Act II, Scene 2 from "Tristan und Isolde," the latter containing, incredibly, the first recording of the composer's long-lost concert ending. J.S.