Latest News: Classical, Recording of the Week
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Recording of the Week,
Paavo Järvi conducts orchestral works by Bartók 14th February 2020The NHK Symphony Orchestra and Paavo Järvi perform a trio of works by Bartók: Divertimento for String Orchestra, Dance Suite, and Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta.
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Recording of the Week,
Cherubini from Riccardo Chailly and Filarmonica della Scala 7th February 2020The Italian conductor and orchestra present nine world premiere recordings of occasional marches alongside energetic accounts of the Overture in G minor and Symphony.
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Recording of the Week,
Handel's Agrippina starring Joyce DiDonato 31st January 2020The American mezzo sings the title role of the scheming Roman matriarch in a starrily-cast recording of Handel's early opera with Il Pomo d'Oro, conducted by Maxim Emelyanychev.
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Recording of the Week,
Liszt’s Dante Symphony plus a world-premiere recording from Kirill Karabits 24th January 2020Kirill Karabits conducts the Staatskapelle Weimar in orchestral works by Liszt, including the world-premiere recording of the Künstlerfestzug zur Schillerfeier.
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Recording of the Week,
Charpentier from Vox Luminis, A Nocte Temporis and Reinoud Van Mechelen 17th January 2020The two Belgian early music ensembles pool their resources for two very different works depicting Orpheus's descent to the underworld, with Van Mechelen on outstanding form as the intrepid hero in each case.
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Recording of the Week,
Vaughan Williams Symphonies from Martyn Brabbins and the BBC Symphony Orchestra 10th January 2020Martyn Brabbins continues his Vaughan Williams cycle with the sharply-contrasted Third and Fourth symphonies, as well as the première of a newly-restored work for tenor, chorus and orchestra.
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Recording of the Week,
Lines Written During a Sleepless Night: The Russian Connection 3rd January 2020The young British soprano Louise Alder traces her family history through a programme of Rachmaninov, Grieg, Medtner, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and Britten, with superb support from Joseph Middleton.
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Recording of the Week,
Osmo Vänskä conducts Mahler's Fourth Symphony 27th December 2019Joined by soprano Carolyn Sampson, Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra continue their Mahler cycle with an exquisitely-detailed performance of the Fourth Symphony.
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Recording of the Week,
Presto Personal Favourites from 2019 20th December 2019Recordings from Sandrine Piau, Igor Levit and Jakub Józef Orliński feature among the editorial team's individual picks of the year.
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Recording of the Week,
Franck and Chopin from Gautier Capuçon and Yuja Wang 13th December 2019The two acclaimed soloists come together in a dazzling duo, with the rich warmth of Franck's Cello Sonata in A major sharply offset against the angst-wracked soul-searching of Chopin's in G minor.
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Recording of the Week,
Beethoven's Leonore from René Jacobs and the Freiburger Barockorchester 6th December 2019The original 1805 version of Beethoven's only opera is a high-adrenaline experience in the hands of the Belgian conductor and his period-instrument band, with Marlis Petersen in the title-role and Maximilian Schmitt as her imprisoned husband.
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Recording of the Week,
2019 Christmas Selections 29th November 2019David picks out three of this year's Christmas releases, featuring Septura (with guest appearance from Derek Jacobi), Stile Antico, and the late Stephen Cleobury in his valedictory service at the helm of Carols from King's.
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Recording of the Week,
La damnation de Faust from John Nelson 22nd November 2019Starring Michael Spyres and Joyce DiDonato, this live recording of Berlioz's légende dramatique from Strasbourg is a worthy successor to the American conductor's hugely acclaimed Les Troyens from 2017.
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Recording of the Week,
La Serenissima's The Godfather 15th November 2019La Serenissima explore the network of friendships and collaborations that helped bring together German and Italian styles during the Baroque, with concertos by Telemann, Pisendel, Brescianello and others.
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Recording of the Week,
Bliss from Sarah Connolly, Sir Andrew Davis and the BBC Symphony Orchestra 8th November 2019Davis continues his advocacy for the English composer with three relatively late works - the dramatic scena The Enchantress (written for Kathleen Ferrier), the Meditations on a Theme by John Blow, and the 1963 cantata Mary of Magdala.
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Recording of the Week,
Shostakovich from the Pavel Haas Quartet 1st November 2019The serial award-winners surpass even their own high standards with searing accounts of the Second, Seventh and Eighth String Quartets on Supraphon.
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Recording of the Week,
Purcell's King Arthur from Gabrieli and Paul McCreesh 25th October 2019Paul McCreesh and Gabrieli give a sparkling performance of Purcell's patriotic extravaganza, from a new edition prepared by Christopher Suckling.
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Recording of the Week,
Chamber music by Mieczysław Weinberg 18th October 2019Gidon Kremer and friends perform three pieces of chamber music by the Polish-born Soviet composer, including an outstanding account of the Piano Trio.
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Recording of the Week,
Jonas Kaufmann in Vienna 11th October 2019The German tenor sings the praises of the Austrian capital in a sumptuously-performed collection of operetta favourites and popular songs with a sting in its tail.
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Recording of the Week,
Handel's Brockes-Passion from Richard Egarr and the Academy of Ancient Music 4th October 2019Using a new performing edition by oboist Leo Duarte, the Academy of Ancient Music and some exceptional young soloists make a compelling case for Handel's visceral 'Passion-Oratorio' on the 300th anniversary of its premiere.