Latest News: Classical
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Recording of the Week,
Aigul Akhmetshina's debut album on Decca 26th July 2024
The Bashkortostan-born mezzo turns in finely-characterised snapshots of Carmen, Rosina, Cenerentola, Charlotte and Romeo, with a multi-hued voice that glows from top to bottom and atmospheric support from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on top form under Daniele Rustioni.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 26th July 2024 26th July 2024
A collection of chamber works by the Australian-born composer Jane Stanley, Paganini and The Butterfly Lovers Concerto from Chloe Chua, Smetana's complete operas on Supraphon, and (on DVD/Blu-ray) Wagner's Götterdämmerung from Christian Thielemann and Dmitri Tcherniakov in Berlin.
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Interview,
Andrew Nethsingha on his Magnificat series 24th July 2024
The conductor discusses his acclaimed series of canticle recordings with the Choir of St John's College Cambridge on Signum Classics, and reflects on his recent move to Westminster Abbey (where he has served as Organist and Master of the Choristers since the beginning of last year).
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Interview,
Mishka Rushdie Momen 23rd July 2024
Choosing to play Renaissance keyboard repertoire on the piano is a brave choice - especially for an emerging talent making their debut on Hyperion, a label famed for having a roster of fine pianists. Mishka Rushdie Momen discusses why she did exactly this, and some of the things that shape her as a musician.
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Obituary,
April Cantelo (1928-2024) 22nd July 2024
The English soprano, who created the role of Helena in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, has died aged 96.
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Presto CD,
New Presto CD titles from Sony 22nd July 2024
We are pleased to add 55 titles to our Presto CD catalogue of Sony recordings, many of which have been unavailable on CD (and in some cases any format) for some time.
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Recording of the Week,
The Past & I: 100 Years of Thomas Hardy 19th July 2024
Two substantial elegies for Hardy and his first wife Emma by up-and-coming composer Arthur Keegan bookend this mesmerising recital from mezzo Lotte Betts-Dean, guitarist James Girling and the Ligeti Quartet, which also includes Keegan's arrangements of Hardy settings by Imogen Holst, Benjamin Britten and others.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 19th July 2024 19th July 2024
Bruckner and Bates from Manfred Honeck in Pittsburgh, a fourth volume of Weinberg from the Arcadia Quartet, a second helping of African Pianism from Rebeca Omordia, and a recital of Schumann, Ravel & Prokofiev from Tchaikovsky Competition silver medallist George Li.
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Announcement,
BBC Proms 2024 - Our Top Related Recordings 18th July 2024In advance of tomorrow's First Night concert, the Presto team makes some suggestions for further listening around the season - including a recital from Last Night star Angel Blue, recent albums from soloists Yunchan Lim, Laura van der Heijden & Isata Kanneh-Mason, and anthologies of orchestral works by Anna Clyne, Carlos Simon & Dani Howard.
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Gramophone Choices,
Gramophone Editor's Choices - August 2024 17th July 2024
Chris introduces this month's selection, headed by an 'enchanting, engrossing and impeccably recorded' recital of Lieder by Schubert and Loewe from Konstantin Krimmel & Ammiel Bushakevitz.
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Interview,
Aziz Shokhakimov on Prokofiev (and Strasbourg) 16th July 2024
Now firmly settled in his role as Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, the young Uzbek conductor reflects on the challenges and rewards involved in building a relationship with a new orchestra - and their recent recording of Prokofiev (released last month on Warner Classics last month).
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Artist Guides,
Carlo Bergonzi - A Tenor Centenary 13th July 2024
As Carlo Bergonzi would have celebrated his 100th birthday today, Matthew remembers the great tenor and highlights a selection of his recordings.
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Recording of the Week,
Eric Coates from John Wilson and the BBC Philharmonic 12th July 2024
Replete with memorable melodies and piquant orchestral detail, this delightful series of Coates's orchestral works continues today with a fourth instalment including a zany symphonic fantasy on Goldilocks and the Three Bears and the dance-inspired Four Centuries Suite.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 12th July 2024 12th July 2024
Schumann and Loewe from Konstantin Krimmel & Ammiel Bushakevitz, Schoenberg and Fauré from the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra & Paavo Järvi, Brahms's complete symphonies from the Chamber Orchestra of Europe & Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and the Wiener Philharmoniker's recent Sommernachtskonzert from Schönbrunn Palace.
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Interview,
Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy on Piano Duos by Schubert and Desyatnikov 11th July 2024
The piano duo explore the 'hall of mirrors' created by Schubert's Divertissement à la hongroise and Fantasie, and Desyatnikov's Trompe-l'œil inspired by both works.
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Interview,
Guy James on Queen of Hearts 10th July 2024
Countertenor and musicologist Guy James of the Gesualdo Six talks about the vocal group's new album of early-Renaissance works dedicated to the Virgin Mary as 'Queen of Heaven', as well as to earthly queens compared to her during their lifetimes and beyond.
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BBC Music Magazine Choices,
BBC Music Magazine - August 2024 Choices 9th July 2024
Chris introduces this month's selection, headed by 'passionate, committed' accounts of Brahms's String Quintets from the Gringolts Quartet and violist Lilli Maijala on BIS.
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Interview,
Kirill Gerstein on Music in Time of War 8th July 2024
The Russian-American pianist discusses his new album of music which Debussy and Komitas composed in the wake of the outbreak of World War One and the Armenian genocide respectively - exploring why music written in dark times so often contains 'an incredible amount of exuberance, kaleidoscopic colour and life-affirmation'.
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Recording of the Week,
Mishka Rushdie Momen - Reformation 5th July 2024
Mishka Rushdie Momen makes a highly enjoyable Hyperion debut, playing Renaissance keyboard music on a modern Steinway grand piano, with subtlety of tone and phrasing that brings new perspective to the music of Byrd, Sweelinck, Gibbons and Bull.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 5th July 2024 5th July 2024
An Irish album from Daniel Hope & friends, Janáček's The Excursions of Mr. Brouček from Prague, Stanford's Te Deum & Elegiac Ode from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and folk-inspired works by Suk, Smetana, Coleridge-Taylor & Frank Martin from the Neave Trio.
