Latest stories
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New Music Book Publications - 27th May 2019
27th May 2019
A discussion of the relationship between faith and music; analysis of the compositions of nineteenth-century violin virtuoso, Joseph Joachim; an examination of the collaboration between Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann; and books about Elton John in celebration of Rocketman, the new film starring Taron Egerton.
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New Music Book Publications - 13th May 2019
13th May 2019
A collection of essays on the music of Brahms, a reflection by conductor Kent Nagano on the relevance of classical music today, thoughts on teaching music by pianist Susan Tomes, an analysis on George Harrison's contribution to the music of The Beatles, and the influence of jazz on the music of Leonard Bernstein.
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Les Siècles perform Mahler's symphonic poem, Titan
10th May 2019
François-Xavier Roth and his period-instrument orchestra perform Mahler's "tone poem in the form of a symphony in two parts and five movements", an early version of his First Symphony.
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Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla conducts symphonies by Mieczysław Weinberg
3rd May 2019
For her first recording with Deutsche Grammophon, the Lithuanian conductor offers haunting accounts of two symphonies by the Polish-born Soviet composer, Mieczysław Weinberg.
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New Music Book Publications - 29th April 2019
29th Apr 2019
The memoir of Zuzana Růžičková, Holocaust survivor and harpsichordist; Charles-Marie Widor's thoughts on organ performance practice and technique; a discussion of the role of background sounds in the experience of life; a history of British musical theatre; and books on Madonna, Radiohead, and The Beatles.
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New Music Book Publications - 15th April 2019
15th Apr 2019
Biographies of composers such as Michael Tippett, Paul Dukas, Debussy, and Duruflé; discussions of the relationship between music and consciousness; an account of the life of pop icon Paul Simon; an examination of musical theatre in the context of issues of race, culture, and identity; and the official, comprehensive guide to this year's BBC Proms festival with full listings of every concert.
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New Music Book Publications - 1st April 2019
1st Apr 2019
A guide to the life and works of Janáček, a study of Stravinsky's time spent living in the USA, an analysis of the Requiem by Tomás Luis de Victoria, books on Schenkerian analysis and music research, a discussion of the social history of jazz, and a collection of essays on popular American music from Tin Pan Alley to to hip hop.
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Martyn Brabbins conducts Elgar's Caractacus
29th Mar 2019
Martyn Brabbins conducts the Huddersfield Choral Society and the Orchestra of Opera North in a stirring new recording of Elgar's rarely-performed cantata, Caractacus.
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New Music Book Publications - 18th March 2019
18th Mar 2019
Biographies of composers and performers as diverse as Jonas Kaufmann, Elton John, Rudolf Nureyev, Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Arnold Schoenberg, an introduction to the world of opera, and a discussion of Liszt's piano transcriptions of orchestral music.
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New Music Book Publications - 4th March 2019
4th Mar 2019
Books on the music of Bohuslav Martinů, Howard Skempton, Alfred Schnittke, and John Cage, introductions to the worlds of jazz and opera, and discussions of the songs of David Bowie and Joni Mitchell.
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Andris Nelsons continues his Shostakovich cycle with Symphonies 6 & 7
22nd Feb 2019
Andris Nelsons continues his Shostakovich series with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, with thrillingly detailed accounts of the Sixth and Seventh symphonies.
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New Music Book Publications - 18th February 2019
18th Feb 2019
A reissue of a classic biography of Berlioz, a discussion of the dramatic works of Schubert, books on opera and its relationship to jazz in 1920s Britain, and a dissection of the final days of EMI.
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New Music Book Publications - 4th February 2019
4th Feb 2019
New textbooks from Cambridge University Press on music by Schubert, Handel, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, and Boulez, books on French Baroque Opera and Renaissance Culture, and new biographies of Buddy Holly and Marie Duplessis, the woman who inspired the plot of Verdi's La Traviata.
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Steven Isserlis and Olli Mustonen perform cello sonatas by Shostakovich and Kabalevsky
1st Feb 2019
The cello sonatas by Shostakovich and Kabalevsky are given expressive performances by Steven Isserlis and Olli Mustonen, alongside Prokofiev's Ballade and a handful of shorter works.
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Maurizio Pollini performs late piano works by Chopin
25th Jan 2019
The Italian pianist revisits works by Chopin including the Third Piano Sonata, the Berceuse, and the two Nocturnes, op. 55, alongside his first recording of the three Mazurkas, op. 56.
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New Music Book Publications - 21st January 2019
21st Jan 2019
Books on Russian and Chinese opera, the relationship between dance and politics in contemporary Buenos Aires, how technology influenced avant garde music in Cold War Germany, and changes in audience listening habits from the nineteenth century to the present day.
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New Music Book Publications - 7th January 2019
7th Jan 2019
Books on Mozart and the da Ponte operas, an introduction to the psychology of music, a companion to the harpsichord, and volumes discussing music in silent film and the history of The Wizard of Oz on stage and screen.
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Orchestral Works by George Antheil
4th Jan 2019
The BBC Philharmonic and John Storgårds present the second volume in Chandos's survey of the orchestral works of American composer, George Antheil.
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Introducing Presto Books
3rd Jan 2019
We are very pleased to be able to announce the latest development on the Presto website: a new department dedicated to books about music.
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2018 Goodbyes
31st Dec 2018
A short video tribute remembering some of the musicians who passed away during 2018.
