Presto CD,
Presto CD - Westminster
18 titles from the Westminster archives this week: founded in 1949, the label become a 'home' of sorts to the Vienna State Opera Orchestra whilst the opera-house was being rebuilt after sustaining serious bomb-damage towards the end of the Second World War, and many of the great recordings which they made during the 1950s under Hermann Scherchen (1891-1966) are included here. There are also instrumental recordings from the young Daniel Barenboim and Julian Bream, and the roster of conductors includes Arthur Rodzinski, Pierre Monteux and Sir Adrian Boult.
You can browse through the full range of Presto CDs here.
Westminster
Erica Morini is the soloist, with Arthur Rodzinski conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1956.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Hermann Scherchen conducts the Vienna State Opera Orchestra, with soloists Sena Jurinac, Lucretia West, Hans Loeffler and Frederick Guthrie. Recorded 1958.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Daniel Barenboim made these recordings in 1965 (Diabelli Variations) and 1958 (Moonlight Sonata).
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Hermann Scherchen conducts the Vienna State Opera Orchestra in 1957.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Pierre Monteux conducts the London Symphony Orchestra on this 1962 recording, with soloists Elisabeth Söderström, Regina Resnik, Jon Vickers and David Ward.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Daniel Barenboim is the soloist, with Vienna State Opera Orchestra under Laszlo Somogyi. Recorded 1964.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Julian Bream plays music by Falla, Sor, Torroba, Turina and Villa-Lobos.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Sir Adrian Boult conducts the Vienna State Opera Orchestra in these 1959 performances.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Hermann Scherchen conducts the Vienna State Opera Orchestra on these 1950s recordings.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Regina Resnik heads the solo line-up for Roméo & Juliette (LSO, conducted by Pierre Monteux, 1962); René Leibowitz directs the Vienna State Opera Orchestra in Symphonie fantastique (1958).
Available Formats: 2 Presto CDs, MP3, FLAC
Pierrette Alarie, Nan Merriman, Léopold Simoneau and Gustav Neidlinger are the soloists on this, directed by Hermann Scherchen in 1959.
Available Formats: 2 Presto CDs, MP3, FLAC
Hermann Scherchen conducts the Vienna State Opera Orchestra in 1953.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Clara Haskil is the soloist, with the Winterthur Symphony Orchestra under Henry Swoboda, on these 1950 recordings.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Hermann Scherchen conducts the Vienna State Opera Orchestra; the Khachaturian was recorded in 1957, and the Prokofiev in 1951.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Rudolf Firkusny is the soloist in the Piano Concerto, with Laszlo Somogyi conducting the Vienna State Opera Orchestra. Recorded 1963 and 1964.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Artur Rodzinski conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1955.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Hermann Scherchen conducts the Vienna State Opera Orchestra in 1952.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
The soprano is accompanied by the Barylli Quartet in the Respighi and Franz Holetschek in the Schumann. Recorded 1953.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Chris O'Reilly - Chief Executive
