Latest News: Classical
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Presto Music Classical Podcast,
Episode 40: A Russian Soul in Exile - Sergei Rachmaninoff with Fiona Maddocks 6th August 2023Sergei Rachmaninoff's period of exile from Russia is discussed with the author of a highly enjoyable new book 'Goodbye Russia', Fiona Maddocks.
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Recording of the Week,
Coleridge-Taylor and Dvořák from the Takács Quartet 4th August 2023The Takács Quartet present a double-bill of works from the year 1895: a youthful Coleridge-Taylor, barely into his twenties but already carving out a distinctive style, and a mature Dvořák, recently returned to his beloved Bohemia from the New World.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 4th August 2023 4th August 2023A celebration of the Bach dynasty from oboist Albrecht Mayer, Tan Dun's Buddha Passion, Tchaikovsky & Schulhoff from Manfred Honeck in Pittsburgh, and music for the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary from ORA & Suzi Digby.
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Obituary,
Carl Davis (1936-2023) 3rd August 2023The American-born, British-resident composer and conductor, known for his wide range of music for film and television, has died at the age of 86.
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Coming Soon,
Oklahoma! from John Wilson and other forthcoming highlights 2nd August 2023Sierra Boggess and Nathaniel Hackmann head the cast on Wilson's complete recording of Rodgers & Hammerstein's 1943 musical, with other early autumn highlights including albums from Isabelle Faust, Anna Lapwood and Jakub Józef Orliński.
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Presto Editor's Choices,
Presto Editor's Choices - July 2023 1st August 2023Matchless Mahler from Sarah Connolly and Joseph Middleton, a starkly beautiful album of new works by Stuart MacRae from mezzo Lotte Betts-Dean & Sequoia, and a stylish Spanish recital from violinist Francesco Fullana.
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Presto Chart,
The Presto Chart - July 2023 1st August 2023Our 25 best-selling titles across all formats for July, with Hilary Hahn's set of the Ysaÿe sonatas for solo violin on Deutsche Grammophon in first place...
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BBC Music Magazine Choices,
BBC Music Magazine - August 2023 Choices 1st August 2023Chris introduces this month's selection, headed by Chineke!'s 'high-octane' recording of Florence Price's Symphony No. 1 and Piano Concerto (with Jeneba Kanneh-Mason as soloist).
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Recording of the Week,
Puccini's Il Trittico from Salzburg 28th July 2023Asmik Grigorian stakes her claim as one of the finest singing actresses of today in Christof Loy’s coherent, uncluttered staging of Puccini’s trilogy of one-act operas - culminating in a devastating interpretation of Suor Angelica.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 28th July 2023 28th July 2023Romantic horn concertos from Martin Owen (conducted by John Wilson), Mahler song-cycles from Dame Sarah Connolly & Joseph Middleton, Book Two of The Well-Tempered Clavier from Ewa Pobłocka, and lute-songs old and new from Carolyn Sampson & Matthew Wadsworth.
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Box Set Selections,
Boxed Set Selections - July 2023 26th July 2023This month's heavyweights include Ferenc Fricsay's complete recordings on Deutsche Grammophon, a Karel Ančerl Edition on Eloquence, a 75th birthday retrospective on Kathleen Battle, and a celebration of Mexican composer and conductor Carlos Chávez.
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Interview,
Benjamin Nicholas on Orchestrated Anthems 25th July 2023Merton College Choir, the Britten Sinfonia and Benjamin Nicholas present a selection of magnificent orchestrations of favourite church music.
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Early Music Round-up,
Early Music Round-Up - Summer 2023 24th July 2023Monumental Obrecht from Cappella Pratensis, Philips and Dering from the Choir of Gonville & Caius (gilded by the addition of In Echo's period instruments), a travelling composer's biography-in-music from La Serenissima, a thrilling Venetian 'battle of the bows' from Chouchane Siranossian and the Venice Baroque Orchestra, and more.
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Presto Music Classical Podcast,
Episode 39: A Mercury Legend - Antal Doráti with Rob Cowan and Thomas Fine 23rd July 2023The Mono and Stereo recordings made by Antal Doráti with the Minnesota Orchestra are discussed with Rob Cowan and the executive producer of the new box sets, and son of the original producers, Thomas Fine.
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Recording of the Week,
Ysaÿe's six sonatas for solo violin from Hilary Hahn 21st July 2023Hilary Hahn finds magic, morbidity, merrymaking and much more in a brilliant new account of Ysaÿe's six affectionate character-sketches for his violinist friends.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 21st July 2023 21st July 2023Mendelssohn from Les Ambassadeurs ~ La Grande Écurie, Bach from Bojan Čičić, a Spanish recital from violinist Francisco Fullana, and fourteen-year-old treble Malakai Bayoh's debut on Decca.
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Interview,
Reginald Mobley on Because 20th July 2023Ahead of his Proms performance of the programme at The Sage this weekend, the American countertenor discusses his album of spirituals and songs by Black composers with jazz pianist Baptiste Trotignon, released on Alpha Classics in May.
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Interview,
Robyn Allegra Parton on Burnished Gold 19th July 2023The British soprano discusses her Klimt-inspired debut solo album on Orchid Classics, exploring music by composers associated with the Viennese Secession movement and featuring songs by Joseph Marx, Alma Mahler, the teenage Erich Korngold and Johanna Müller-Hermann.
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BBC Music Magazine Choices,
BBC Music Magazine - July 2023 Choices 18th July 2023Chris introduces this month's selection, headed by a 'truly exceptional' account of Mahler's Symphony No. 9 from Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra on BIS.
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Interview,
Owain Park on performing and dramatising Byrd's sacred music 17th July 2023The Artistic Director of The Gesualdo Six talks about the group's new anniversary-year album of Byrd, and their exciting new staged performance based around the music of Catholicism-in-hiding during England's Tudor era.