Latest News: Classical
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Obituary,
Renata Scotto (1934-2023) 16th August 2023One of the greatest singing actresses of the twentieth century, the Italian soprano and director has died aged 89.
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Interview,
Julian Perkins explores Handel's Attick 15th August 2023The man BBC Radio 3 dubbed the "Indiana Jones of Early Music" talks about his new album of music for the clavichord - an instrument that most definitely doesn't belong in a museum.
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Presto Music Classical Podcast,
Episode 41: Standing out from the Crowd - Arthur Bliss with Paul Spicer 13th August 2023Author Paul Spicer recently joined us at our store in Leamington Spa to discuss his new biography of Arthur Bliss, in conversation with Andrew Burn, chairman of The Bliss Trust.
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Recording of the Week,
Rumon Gamba conducts overtures from Finland 11th August 2023The Oulu Symphony Orchestra and their chief conductor offer a treasure trove of rarely-recorded orchestral gems by Finnish composers contemporary with Sibelius.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 11th August 2023 11th August 2023Shostakovich and Maneein concertos from Rachel Barton Pine, Mozart from Federico Colli, Francesca Dego, Timothy Ridout and Laura van der Heijden, late Haydn from Ádám Fischer and the Danish Chamber Orchestra, and orchestral songs by Peter Warlock.
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Presto Presents…,
Presto Presents...Bojan Čičić's Bach 10th August 2023The Croatian violinist launched his acclaimed new album of the Partitas & Sonatas on Delphian with a short recital and Q&A session at our store in Leamington last month, now available to view on our YouTube channel.
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Box Set Deep-Dive,
Rob Cowan on Robert Craft 9th August 2023Our new guest-contributor explores the American conductor's complete recordings for Columbia, including music by Gesualdo, Monteverdi, Schoenberg and Webern...
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Gramophone Choices,
Gramophone Editor's Choices - August 2023 8th August 2023Chris introduces this month's selection, headed by a recording of the Ysaÿe Sonatas that 'will be difficult to equal, let alone surpass' from Hilary Hahn on Deutsche Grammophon...
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Interview,
Joseph Middleton on Mahler 7th August 2023The pianist discusses his mission to record all of Mahler's songs in the versions for voice and piano (which launched at the end of last month on Signum Classics) and recounts how 'there was never a grand plan for this to be my job'...
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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.