Latest News: Classical, Pentatone (label)
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Interview,
Edmund Finnis & Clare Hammond on Youth 19th February 2024
The composer and pianist discuss Finnis's collection of short piano pieces Youth - released as an EP on Pentatone earlier this month, alongside a touching lullaby for Hammond's young daughter.
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Recording of the Week,
Handel's Alcina from Marc Minkowski 9th February 2024
Magdalena Kožená is at the height of her powers as a vocal actress in the title-role, with peerless performances from Anna Bonitatibus, Erin Morley and Elizabeth DeShong as Ruggiero, Morgana and Bradamante respectively.
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Recording of the Week,
Folk Songs from Magdalena Kožená 13th October 2023
The Czech mezzo teams up with her husband Simon Rattle and the Czech Philharmonic for superbly characterful performances of folk-inspired song-cycles by Bartók, Berio, Ravel and Montsalvatge.
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Interview,
John Corigliano and Mark Adamo on The Lord of Cries 21st September 2023
The composer and librettist discuss their spine-tingling new opera fusing elements of Bram Stoker's Dracula and Euripides's The Bacchae, released on Pentatone earlier this month and starring countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo as Dionysus.
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Recording of the Week,
Russian Romances from Piotr Beczała and Helmut Deutsch 25th August 2023
The Polish tenor and German pianist are both at the top of their considerable games in an eloquent and imaginative recital of songs by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, released today on Pentatone.
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Interview,
Karim Sulayman on Broken Branches 5th July 2023
Tenor Karim Sulayman talks about his recently-released eclectic album of works for guitar and voice with Sean Shibe.
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Recording of the Week,
Broken Branches from Karim Sulayman and Sean Shibe 12th May 2023
The Lebanese-American tenor and Scottish guitarist join forces for a multifaceted yet deeply personal recital, that ranges across cultural and geographical boundaries and explores the idea of diaspora in music.
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Recording of the Week,
Anime Immortali from Franco Fagioli 14th April 2023
The Argentinian countertenor is at the top of his game in a programme exploring Mozart's writing for castrati, including the motet Exsultate, jubilate and arias from La finta giardiniera, Lucio Silla and La clemenza di Tito.
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Interview,
Franco Fagioli on Anime Immortali 14th April 2023
The Argentinian countertenor discusses his new album of sacred and secular Mozart (out today on Pentatone) - and recounts how his love-affair with singing the composer's music was ignited when he was cast as First Boy in Die Zauberflöte aged 11...
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Interview,
Javier Camarena on Signor Gaetano 28th December 2022
The Mexican tenor discusses his recent Pentatone album exploring Donizetti's Italian operas (including rarities such as Betly, Maria de Rudenz and Giovedì Grasso), and explains why singing these works leaves him 'feeling satisfied and happy, rather than mentally exhausted!'.
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Recording of the Week,
Signor Gaetano from Javier Camarena and Gli Originali 11th November 2022
On the first of two albums devoted to the many and varied operas of Donizetti, the Mexican tenor brings fresh-faced charm to the comic heroes of L'elisir d'amore and Betly - but also excels in the darker and stormier waters of Roberto Devereux, Caterina Cornaro and Maria de Rudenz.
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Interview,
Lisette Oropesa on French bel canto 7th November 2022
As she prepares for the opening night of Handel's Alcina at Covent Garden tomorrow, the Cuban-American soprano discusses her new album of French opera arias by Donizetti and Rossini on Pentatone.
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Interview,
Sean Shibe on Lost and Found 21st September 2022
The guitarist talks about his wide-ranging new album on the electric guitar, taking in Hildegard, Moondog, Chick Corea and more.
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Interview,
Francesco Corti on Bach 10th August 2022
The harpsichordist and conductor talks about the pleasures and challenges of reconstructing a harpsichord concerto from a single page of music - and how Bach's resourcefulness resonates with his own 'very Italian common-sense practical side!'.
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Recording of the Week,
Adapted and reconstructed Bach concertos from Francesco Corti and Il Pomo d'Oro 22nd July 2022
Francesco Corti continues his series of Bach harpsichord concerto recordings with an album of double concertos - including his own collaborative reconstruction with Francesco Zimei of a tantalising fragment.
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Recording of the Week,
Francesco Piemontesi performs works for piano and orchestra by Ravel, Messiaen, and Schoenberg 8th July 2022
The Swiss pianist is joined by the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and conductor Jonathan Nott for a dazzlingly characterful trio of performances.
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Interview,
Semyon Bychkov on Mahler 6th April 2022
In advance of the first instalment of his Mahler cycle with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra on Pentatone, the conductor reflects on 'a lifetime of exploring and loving this music' - and why he believes that 'all Czech people are born musicians'...
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Interview,
David Bates on Handel's 'Unsung Heroes' 6th December 2021
The Artistic Director of La Nuova Musica talks about his new album of Handel arias, shining the spotlight not just on the vocalists but on the instrumentalists whose obbligato lines enhance the music.
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Recording of the Week,
Sean Shibe's Camino 20th August 2021
The guitarist brings hypnotic, introspective beauty to a programme which explores connections between France and Spain via works by de Falla, Mompou, Ravel, Poulenc and Satie.
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Interview,
Sean Shibe on Camino 20th August 2021
The Scottish guitarist talks to Katherine about today's Recording of the Week, which he describes as 'a profound spiritual journey'.
