Latest News: Classical
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Recording of the Week,
Handel's Semele from John Eliot Gardiner 2nd October 2020John Eliot Gardiner revisits Handel's tempestuous tale of gods and mortals, with show-stopping performances from Louise Alder, Hugo Hymas and Lucile Richardot.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 2nd October 2020 2nd October 2020Donizetti from Diana Damrau and Sir Antonio Pappano, Eric Coates from John Wilson and the BBC Philharmonic, Haydn from the Doric Quartet, and Brahms, Bartók and Liszt from Alexandre Kantorow.
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Presto Chart,
The Presto Chart - September 2020 1st October 2020Our 25 best-selling titles across all formats for September, with Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra's live recording of Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen and Sinfonietta in first place...
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Presto Editor's Choices,
Presto Editor's Choices - September 2020 30th September 2020Vivaldi with a twist from Patricia Kopatchinskaja, beautifully downsized Mahler from the late Reinbert de Leeuw, and a superbly atmospheric Peter Grimes from Bergen.
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Interview,
Parker Ramsay on Bach's Goldberg Variations 29th September 2020The harpist talks about his new album, on which he performs his own arrangement of Bach's Goldberg Variations.
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Interview,
Michael Collins on his dual career 28th September 2020In the wake of his new recording of Finzi and Vaughan Williams (launching a long-term relationship with BIS), the British clarinettist and conductor talks to Katherine about his 'gradual transition' into directing symphonic repertoire.
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Recording of the Week,
Ermonela Jaho's Anima Rara 25th September 2020The Albanian soprano's debut solo recording on Opera Rara pays tribute to Rosina Storchio, who created the role of Madama Butterfly and was also muse to Leoncavallo, Giordano and Mascagni.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 25th September 2020 25th September 2020New Beethoven recordings from Angela Hewitt and Daniel Lozakovich, Cramer from Howard Shelley and the London Mozart Players, Bach from Raphaël Pichon and Pygmalion, and a 150th anniversary celebration of Vítězslav Novák.
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Interview,
Jamie Barton and Jake Heggie on Unexpected Shadows 24th September 2020The American mezzo and composer talk to Katherine about their new album on Pentatone (featuring Heggie's song-cycles The Work at Hand, Iconic Legacies and Statuesque), their long-standing friendship, and the women who've inspired them both.
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Presto Music Classical Podcast,
Episode 5: Time & Place with Jess Gillam 23rd September 2020Saxophonist Jess Gillam talks about the music on her new album Time and how moving from rural Cumbria to London, and the various projects she was involved in during lockdown have shaped her music over the past year.
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Awards,
Gramophone Awards 2020: The Winners! 22nd September 2020This year's victors in each of the ten categories were revealed this morning.
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Interview,
Robin Ticciati on Strauss 21st September 2020The conductor talks to Katherine about his recording of Tod und Verklärung, Don Juan, and the Brentano-Lieder with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and soprano Louise Alder, out now on Linn.
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Recording of the Week,
Beethoven and Gossec from François-Xavier Roth & Les Siècles 18th September 2020François-Xavier Roth and Les Siècles put a revolutionary new spin on Beethoven's immortal Fifth, and make the case for his much-neglected contemporary Gossec.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 18th September 2020 18th September 2020Messiaen from Mannheim, Mozart from Mühlemann, and Jamie Barton in song-cycles by Jake Heggie, with the composer himself at the piano.
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Interview,
Johannes Pramsohler on Baroque music in Berlin 17th September 2020The violinist and director of Ensemble Diderot talks about the latest stage of his accidental musical tour of the capitals of Baroque Europe – next stop Berlin!
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Box Set Selections,
Boxed Set Selections - September 2020 16th September 2020The complete works of Ravel on Warner Classics, a fortieth birthday collection from Ricercar, and anthologies celebrating Zubin Mehta, Maria João Pires and Jóhann Jóhannsson.
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Gramophone Choices,
Gramophone Editor's Choices - October 2020 15th September 2020Chris introduces this month's Choices, headed by an 'exciting, committed, necessary and brilliantly recorded' Peter Grimes starring Stuart Skelton on Chandos.
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Awards,
Gramophone Awards 2020 - the top three in each category 14th September 2020The final contenders in each of the ten genres were revealed on Friday…
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Recording of the Week,
Jonas Kaufmann & Helmut Deutsch: Selige Stunde 11th September 2020Recorded 'in private quarters' during lockdown, the German tenor and pianist's recital of songs by Schubert, Strauss, Grieg, Zemlinsky, Mahler and others is a 'blessed hour' indeed.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 11th September 2020 11th September 2020Respighi from Riccardo Chailly and the Orchestra of La Scala, a lockdown-inspired recital from Igor Levit, Franz Schmidt’s complete symphonies from Paavo Järvi, and Vivaldi with a twist from Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Il Giardino Armonico.