Presto Team Choices | Updated Monthly
Curated by David Smith
Tracks from the recordings featured in the most recent Team Choices from the Presto Classical team. 2 hours 26 minutes
In Search of Youkali: Songs of Kurt Weill
Katie Bray (mezzo), William Vann (piano), Murray Grainger (accordion), Marianne Schofield (double bass)
'Bray has loved Weill's music since childhood, and her affection and understanding of his wide range of idioms come across loud and clear on this beautifully-crafted programme which showcases the composer's shapeshifting inventiveness (taking in songs written for Berlin, Paris and Broadway). The disparate parts are woven into a mesmerising whole, with reflections on 'Youkali' acting as the connecting thread, and evocative interludes from Grainger (playing three very different accordions!) and Vann.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Symphony of Self
Gao Hong (pipa), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, Michael Poll, Capt Darren Lin
'This unique album showcasing the compositions and performance of Gao Hong opens with the deeply autobiographical ‘Flying Dragon’ concerto for pipa (an instrument that shares a lot of characteristics with the Western lute) and orchestra, telling the tale of Gao’s own youth. Also included are the Guangxi Impression triptych, evoking the local traditions of one of Southern China’s most diverse provinces, the pandemic-era Reminiscences for pipa, bassoon and orchestra, Yue Xing (‘Musical Journey’), reflecting on the musical cultures that Gao has encountered, and finally Celebration, hinting at the imagery of the traditional festivals celebrated across the Chinese-speaking world.' (David Smith)
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Havergal Brian: Symphony No. 1 'The Gothic'
Jane Manning, Shirley Minty, John Mitchinson, David Thomas, Various Choirs, London Symphony Orchestra, Ole Schmidt
'With an orchestra of 158 and (in this live recording of a 1980 performance at the Royal Albert Hall) a chorus of 560 singers, Havergal Brian’s sprawling Gothic Symphony makes Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder seem like a chamber piece in comparison. Conducted by Ole Schmidt, this is a mighty performance, with the London Symphony Orchestra’s brass and voluminous array of timpani and percussion on especially fine form throughout. The chorus frankly all deserve medals for negotiating their way through Brian’s complex part-writing so assuredly, and after all the preceding tumult, the symphony’s (perhaps surprisingly) serene final moments are movingly performed.' (James Longstaffe)
Available formats: 2 CDs, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Vítězslav Novák: Piano Concerto - Signorina Gioventu Suite - Nikotina Suite
Oliver Triendl (piano), Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, Łukasz Borowicz
'Listening to this, I wonder why Novák’s music isn’t better known, and I’m grateful for the persuasive advocacy of Oliver Triendl, the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava and Łukasz Borowicz on this new release. The piano concerto is something of a hidden gem and needs no excuses. There’s an unstoppable sweep to the first movement, the slow movement is genuinely beautiful, and the Czech folk influences of the final movement are handled with originality. The later ballet music which follows demonstrates developments in Novák’s style, and also proves rewarding, still leaving the unanswered question of why this composer isn’t more widely celebrated. Excellent playing and sound throughout.' (Matthew Ash)
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Listen. It is here: Song Cycles by Edward Picton-Turbervill
Harriet Burns (soprano), Helen Charlston (mezzo), Alexander Chance (countertenor), Elgan Llŷr Thomas (tenor), Edward Picton-Turbervill (piano)
'The young British composer emerges as a born songsmith on this gorgeous portrait-album, setting a wide variety of texts (including poems by Cavafy, Wilde and Pinter) with imagination, integrity and a keen awareness of what works well in the voice. All four singers excel, with Harriet Burns on diamond-bright, radiant form for the Rilke song-cycle Poems of the Sky and a glittering arrangement of Hildegard von Bingen's hymn to the Holy Spirit, and Helen Charlston bringing vaudeville-ish élan to the distinctly earthier I Want To Be A Cow'.
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
The Bassoonist’s Songbook
Amy Harman (bassoon), Tom Poster (piano)
'Another album with a distinct personal flavour, this labour of love from bassoonist Amy Harman and pianist Tom Poster combines original compositions with transcriptions. The programme ranges from Lieder and Romanzen by Clara and Robert Schumann, via Saint-Saëns's sonata for bassoon and piano and Coleridge-Taylor’s Five Fairy Ballads, through to Bach’s gamba sonata BWV1028. The Saint-Saëns shows the instrument at its most delicate and lyrical, and Henri Dutilleux’s Sarabande et Cortège showcases both the top and the bottom of the bassoon’s range. The highlight for me, though, is undeniably the Bach sonata - despite the total ‘wrongness’ of the instrumentation!' (David Smith)
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Sir Adrian Boult: Complete Warner Recordings - The Stereo Recordings 1956 - 1978
Sir Adrian Boult, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish National Orchestra, London Philharmonic Choir, John Alldis Choir
'It is impossible to overestimate the value of this collection, which not only documents the insight of a great conductor, but also developments in orchestral playing, repertoire and recording technology. Highlights include Elgar recordings which remain references, including of The Apostles and The Kingdom, and an engaging survey of Vaughan Williams, through the symphonies and beyond. We hear from soloists including Janet Baker, Robert Tear, Shura Cherkassky, Yehudi Menuhin and Annie Fischer, and it’s all presented in excellent remastered sound and original covers. Of course, there’s two recordings of The Planets, one of which was my first introduction to orchestral music. This is a box set that will remain close to my CD player.' (Matthew Ash)
Available format: 79 CDs
MacDowell: Orchestral Works Volume Two
Xiayin Wang (piano), Peter Dixon (cello), BBC Philharmonic, John Wilson
'John Wilson and the BBC Philharmonic continue their survey of the orchestral works of Edward MacDowell with a stormy account of Hamlet & Ophelia (the latter movement in particular containing some lovely, warm playing from the strings). Orchestra and conductor are reunited with their piano soloist from Volume One, Xiayin Wang, for the Piano Concerto No. 2, with Wang particularly impressive in the sprightly second movement and the rip-roaringly boisterous conclusion to the whole concerto. A heartfelt reading from Peter Dixon of the brief Romance for Cello and Orchestra is followed by perhaps my favourite piece on the album, a colourful performance of the Suite in A minor that brings out every last detail of MacDowell’s evocative music.' (James Longstaffe)
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
