Latest News: Books
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Announcement,
Give Back Friday 2024 28th November 2024
For four days we will be donating 5% of all the revenue we receive to three incredible charities that align with our passion for music and its power to transform lives: Making Music, London Youth Choirs and Orchestra of the Swan.
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Awards,
Music Book Publications of the Year - Finalists 2024 25th November 2024
In anticipation of our upcoming Presto Music Awards on 5th December, we have released our shortlist of ten music book finalists in contention for an award.
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Gift Guides,
Christmas Gift Ideas for Readers 21st November 2024
Not sure what to get the music-loving reader in your life as a Christmas present? Here are our gift suggestions from books published within the past twelve months, including composer biographies, publications on opera and music history, and books about Christmas carols.
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Presto Music Classical Podcast,
John Suchet on Beethoven 15th November 2024
The celebrated writer and broadcaster speaks to Rob Cowan about his eighth (!) book on the composer (published by Elliott & Thompson Limited last month), reflecting on why he finds the man and his music so endlessly fascinating and the solace which he has drawn from it during troubled times.
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New Publications,
New Music Book Publications - 13th November 2024 13th November 2024
The story behind the composition of one of the great operatic masterpieces of the nineteenth century, Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen; an appraisal of Elgar's choral work, The Music Makers; a compilation of letters between composer John McCabe and various eminent composers and performers around the world; a companion to the electric guitar; and the latest edition of The Rare Record Price Guide.
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New Publications,
New Music Book Publications - 16th October 2024 16th October 2024
A personal reflection on the music of Beethoven from John Suchet, a paperback edition of a book exploring the young Mozart's time in Italy, a new edition of the Köchel catalogue of Mozart's music from Breitkopf & Härtel, a discussion of the stories behind beloved Christmas carols, and an analysis of the soundtrack from the popular film, 'Saturday Night Fever'.
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New Publications,
New Music Book Publications - 16th September 2024 16th September 2024
Boosey & Hawkes's Music Diary for 2025, biographies of Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Debussy, an exploration of the organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach, a paperback reissue of a book exploring music during the Second World War, guides for young people to musical instruments and Christmas carols, and a handbook on music theory for beginners.
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New Publications,
New Music Book Publications - 12th August 2024 12th August 2024
An examination of the formative years of Pierre Boulez, a collection of essays looking at the legacy of Berlioz, a guide for singers on analysing the musical and textual context of Schubert songs, an exploration of the evolution of the guitar in the twenty-first century, essays on music by Theodor Adorno, and a humorous take on all things musical from comedian Alex Horne and The Horne Section.
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New Publications,
New Music Book Publications - 15th July 2024 15th July 2024
Analyses of the song outputs of Franz Liszt and Robert Schumann, a look at the art and craft that went into the establishment of the "Great American Songbook", an examination of the importance of the year 1924 to the world of musical theatre, a survey of the symphonies of Robert Simpson, and a study of the connections between music and the modern in eighteenth-century Spain.
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New Publications,
New Music Book Publications - 10th June 2024 10th June 2024
The memoir of conductor Antonio Pappano, biographies of composers Olivier Messiaen and Joaquín Rodrigo, companions to composition and women composers, a discussion of music documentaries and films about music, an examination of transitions in mid-Baroque music, an exploration of the rise of the shellac disc in early sound reproduction, and an analysis of the presence and role of songs in Marcel Proust’s novel, À la recherche du temps perdu.
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New Publications,
New Music Book Publications - 21st May 2024 21st May 2024
An introduction to the world of music for young minds, a paperback edition of a companion to Mahler's symphonies and song cycles, a collection of essays exploring the life and works of Debussy, a commentary on the cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, the autobiographical recollections of Charles-Marie Widor, and a guide to preparing repertoire for musical theatre auditions.
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New Publications,
New Music Book Publications - 29th April 2024 29th April 2024
A guide to the upcoming BBC Proms Festival, a paperback edition of Alice Farnham's examination of what it means to be an orchestral conductor, collections of essays exploring the life and work of Ralph Vaughan Williams and Leonard Bernstein, a revised and expanded edition of Jeremy Dibble's biography of Stanford, and a companion to tango music.
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New Publications,
New Music Book Publications - 2nd April 2024 2nd April 2024
A history of women and the piano, a discussion of Schubert's engagement with gothic discourse in his music, an analysis of the early compositions of Pierre Boulez in relation to the cultural environment of Paris in the 1940s, an exploration of avant-garde musicians in postwar New York, and an examination of the circumstances that led to the creation of Miles Davis's seminal album, Kind of Blue.
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New Publications,
New Music Book Publications - 4th March 2024 4th March 2024
Essays on opera by the late Edward Said, books on the creation and performance of Beethoven's symphonies, a guide to eight symphonic masterworks of the twentieth century by conductor Leonard Slatkin, twelve studies concerning the analysis and psychology of musical performance, and a paperback edition of Leah Broad's award-winning biography of four women composers.
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New Publications,
New Music Book Publications - 5th February 2024 5th February 2024
The history of two operas by Janáček, a limited-edition celebration of British jazz on record from 1960 to 1975, a biography of jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, paperback editions of books by Julia Hollander and Norman Lebrecht, a discussion of women and music in the age of Jane Austen, an analysis of two works by JS Bach, and a study of the voice of Paul Robeson.
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New Publications,
New Music Book Publications - 8th January 2024 8th January 2024
Handbooks on music by Berlioz and Schumann, a guide to the songs of Sibelius, a volume of essays on Messiaen, a history of the horn, a new look at the practices and theory of tonality, a method for teaching the saxophone, an exploration of musical models of democracy, and an evaluation of the relationship between jazz and wider aspects of American culture.
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Gift Guides,
Rock and Pop Music Books of 2023 28th December 2023
Browse some of the biggest pop and rock book releases of the year, including biographies, memoirs, music history books, and more.
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Awards,
Books of the Year - Winners 2023 7th December 2023
We are very pleased to announce the winning book publications for the annual Presto Music Awards! We have chosen five of the most outstanding publications from the past twelve months. Find out the winners here.
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Announcement,
Give Back Friday 2023 24th November 2023For four days we will be donating 5% of all the revenue we receive to three local charities whose aims are closely aligned with our own: Help Musicians, Leamington Music and Gabrieli Roar.
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Awards,
Books of the Year - Finalists 2023 20th November 2023
In anticipation of the upcoming Presto Music Awards, we have compiled our selection of book titles all in the running as potential winners. The finalists range from composer biographies to analytical and educational music history books. Find out more.
