Latest stories
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Fergus McCreadie - Cairn
5th Feb 2021
Young Scottish pianist, composer and bandleader Fergus McCreadie beats the sophomore slump with a celebration and exploration of his Scottish heritage. Inspired by both modern jazz music and Scottish folk tradition, Cairn is a continually engaging listen.
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Jazz New Release Round-Up - 4th February 2021
4th Feb 2021
Futuristic yet nostalgic piano playing from Mack Avenue records, standards for bebop electric guitar and free jazz-meets-big band are amongst our inclusions for this week's new release round-up.
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Shelf Discovery: Yehudi Menuhin
4th Feb 2021
Taking in his shifting perspectives on works by Bach, Beethoven and Mendelssohn, Paul considers the great violinist's remarkable triple legacy as performer, educator and peacemaker.
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The Presto Chart - January 2021
3rd Feb 2021
Our 25 best-selling titles across all formats for January, with John Wilson and Sinfonia of London's superb new recording of English music for string orchestra on Chandos in first place...
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Presto Editor's Choices - January 2021
2nd Feb 2021
Spellbinding story-telling from Georgian pianist Nicolas Namoradze, an exciting Eccles world premiere from the Academy of Ancient Music, and hugely appealing chamber music by Swedish Romantic composer Helena Munktell.
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Red Garland - Groovy
2nd Feb 2021
Red Garland was amongst many fine bebop pianists to be overshadowed by titans like Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, so it's time he got a bit of attention, as we revisit his 1957 classic Groovy.
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BBC Music Magazine - February 2021 Choices
1st Feb 2021
Chris introduces this month's selection, headed by a 'beautifully conceived' programme of medieval and contemporary choral music from Ars Nova Copenhagen and Paul Hillier on Naxos.
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John Wilson conducts English music for strings
29th Jan 2021
Sinfonia of London and conductor John Wilson present their latest stunning album of music for string orchestra by Britten, Bridge, Berkeley, and Bliss.
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New Release Round-Up - 29th January 2020
29th Jan 2021
Rachmaninov from Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Winterreise from Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside, Bach from Piotr Anderszewski, and reflections on mortality from Stephen Hough.
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Joe Lovano - Garden of Expression
29th Jan 2021
Joe Lovano's second recording under the 'Trio Tapestry' project further hones the controlled, meditative sounds of the project, making for a highly evocative record.
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Garden of Expression
Joe Lovano
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Dame Gillian Weir at 80
28th Jan 2021
The internationally-renowned organist looks back on her career as she reaches her 80th birthday – discussing the organ's place as a solo instrument, her association with the music of Messiaen, Sir Malcolm Sargent and more.
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Introducing Edgware by BBICO
28th Jan 2021
Hannah Williams, Brand Manager of Edgware by BBICO, introduces us to their range of sustainable, eco-friendly maintenance products for woodwind and brass instruments.
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Jazz New Release Round-Up - 28th January 2021
28th Jan 2021
John Coltrane's A Love Supreme as imagined for an electric band, evocative classical-jazz crossover from Scotland's 'Best Instrumentalist', and intimate contemporary vocal jazz from Janne Mark are among our picks for this week's round-up.
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Episode 11: Tinkling the Ivories with Harriet Smith
27th Jan 2021
After a short break, the Presto Music Podcast is back, and for this first episode, Harriet Smith and Paul Thomas talk through some of their favourite pianists.
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Boxed Set Selections - January 2021
26th Jan 2021
The complete Percy Grainger recordings on Chandos, an anthology of piano lessons from Christoph Eschenbach, and celebrations of Dame Gillian Weir and Hephzibah Menuhin.
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Great Choral Works in Small Scorings
26th Jan 2021
Offering arrangements to make it easier and considerably more economical to perform the great choral works every choir wants to sing.
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Gramophone Editor's Choices - February 2021
25th Jan 2021
Chris introduces this month's selection, with the first instalment of Yannick Nézet-Séguin's Rachmaninov series from Philadelphia on Deutsche Grammophon in pride of place.
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New Music Book Publications - 25th January 2021
25th Jan 2021
An updated biography of Mozart; an exploration of Puccini's La bohème; an analysis of the ballet collaborations between Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins; a discussion of the issues facing pianists when performing historical repertoire on modern instruments; an examination of fugue in the sixteenth century; and books on music and liturgy in the Iberian Peninsula and fourteenth-century northern France.
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Pat Metheny - Bright Size Life
25th Jan 2021
Pat Metheny's debut studio recording featured a blending of ECM-style jazz, fusion and Americana sounds, proving the young guitarist was already a force to be reckoned with.
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Behzod Abduraimov plays Debussy, Chopin and Mussorgsky
22nd Jan 2021
The Uzbek pianist is beguiling in Children's Corner and the 24 Preludes Op. 28, and offers the virtual tour of one's dreams in Pictures at an Exhibition.
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Debussy - Chopin - Mussorgsky
Behzod Abduraimov (piano)
