Latest stories
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Antonio Pappano on Donizetti's Queens
21st Oct 2020
The conductor talks to Katherine about recording the final scenes of Maria Stuarda, Anna Bolena and Roberto Devereux with Diana Damrau and the Orchestra e Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia for Warner Classics.
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Bertrand Chamayou and Alexandre Kantorow
16th Oct 2020
Two contrasting recitals from award-winning French pianists - one fuelled by melatonin, the other by adrenaline.
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Didier Martin on Alpha Classics
12th Oct 2020
In the wake of their recent victory, the Artistic Director of Gramophone's Label of the Year talks to Katherine about Alpha's philosophy, the importance of building long-term relationships with artists, and some of the new signings around the corner for early 2021.
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New Release Round-Up - 9th October 2020
9th Oct 2020
Bach in lockdown from Anna Prohaska and friends, Mozart, Schubert and Liszt from Sophie Pacini, a French song recital with guitar from Laurent Naouri, and Passiontide music by Andreas Hammerschmidt from Vox Luminis.
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Joseph Calleja and Dominic Fyfe on The Magic of Mantovani
5th Oct 2020
The Maltese tenor and record-producer discuss bringing Mantovani's music back to life on a new album which sees Calleja 'duetting' with vintage recordings from the Universal Music archives.
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Presto Editor's Choices - September 2020
30th Sep 2020
Vivaldi with a twist from Patricia Kopatchinskaja, beautifully downsized Mahler from the late Reinbert de Leeuw, and a superbly atmospheric Peter Grimes from Bergen.
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Michael Collins on his dual career
28th Sep 2020
In the wake of his new recording of Finzi and Vaughan Williams (launching a long-term relationship with BIS), the British clarinettist and conductor talks to Katherine about his 'gradual transition' into directing symphonic repertoire.
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Ermonela Jaho's Anima Rara
25th Sep 2020
The Albanian soprano's debut solo recording on Opera Rara pays tribute to Rosina Storchio, who created the role of Madama Butterfly and was also muse to Leoncavallo, Giordano and Mascagni.
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Jamie Barton and Jake Heggie on Unexpected Shadows
24th Sep 2020
The American mezzo and composer talk to Katherine about their new album on Pentatone (featuring Heggie's song-cycles The Work at Hand, Iconic Legacies and Statuesque), their long-standing friendship, and the women who've inspired them both.
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Robin Ticciati on Strauss
21st Sep 2020
The conductor talks to Katherine about his recording of Tod und Verklärung, Don Juan, and the Brentano-Lieder with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and soprano Louise Alder, out now on Linn.
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New Release Round-Up - 18th September 2020
18th Sep 2020
Messiaen from Mannheim, Mozart from Mühlemann, and Jamie Barton in song-cycles by Jake Heggie, with the composer himself at the piano.
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Gramophone Awards 2020 - the top three in each category
14th Sep 2020
The final contenders in each of the ten genres were revealed on Friday…
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Jonas Kaufmann & Helmut Deutsch: Selige Stunde
11th Sep 2020
Recorded 'in private quarters' during lockdown, the German tenor and pianist's recital of songs by Schubert, Strauss, Grieg, Zemlinsky, Mahler and others is a 'blessed hour' indeed.
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Selige Stunde
Jonas Kaufmann (tenor), Helmut Deutsch (piano)
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Ermonela Jaho on Anima Rara
10th Sep 2020
The Albanian soprano talks to Katherine about her debut solo recording on Opera Rara, focusing on the short but remarkable career of Rosina Storchio, who created the role of Madama Butterfly.
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Presto Editor's Choices - August 2020
31st Aug 2020
Gothic operas from Missy Mazzoli and Saint-Saëns, Fazil Say's complete works for violin, and a startlingly atmospheric song-cycle for mezzo and orchestra by Finnish composer Outi Tarkiainen.
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Marc-André Hamelin plays Liszt and Thalberg
28th Aug 2020
The Canadian pianist is on jaw-dropping form in a programme inspired by the 1837 'duel' between the two composer-virtuosos, which also includes the mighty collaborative Hexaméron - a set of variations on Bellini by composers including Chopin, Czerny and Pixis.
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Nicholas Collon on Music of the Spheres
27th Aug 2020
Aurora Orchestra's Principal Conductor talks to Katherine about their debut recording on Deutsche Grammophon, featuring music by Mozart, Thomas Adès, Max Richter, Dowland/Nico Muhly and David Bowie.
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Anna Patalong and Benedict Nelson on Miss Julie
20th Aug 2020
The British soprano and baritone (and real-life couple) discuss bringing William Alwyn's unjustly neglected opera to life last year for a concert-performance at the Barbican followed by a studio recording, released on Chandos last month.
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Nicola Benedetti plays Elgar
7th Aug 2020
The Scottish-Italian violinist embraces the heart-on-sleeve qualities of a work which the composer ruefully described as 'awfully emotional', her passion and responsiveness matched by Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
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Robert Trevino on Beethoven
4th Aug 2020
The American conductor talks to Katherine about his recording of the complete symphonies with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, released in June on Ondine.
