Latest News: Classical
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Coming Soon,
Bach's Goldberg Variations from Víkingur Ólafsson and other forthcoming highlights 10th July 2023A second Bach recording from the Icelandic pianist is among the stand-out releases for the autumn, alongside Rachmaninoff concertos from Yuja Wang in Los Angeles, Fauré from Marc-André Hamelin, and a cinematic album from Jonas Kaufmann...
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Presto Music Classical Podcast,
Episode 38: Belle de nuit – Chatting to Emmanuel Despax about 'Après un rêve' 8th July 2023The pianist discusses his new album, weaving together a nocturnal theme, a deeply personal poetic connection, and the French piano repertoire of the 'belle époque'.
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Recording of the Week,
Choral works by the late Kaija Saariaho 7th July 2023The Helsinki Chamber Choir under Nils Schweckendiek perform choral music by Saariaho that explores a wide range of subjects – from atmospheric invocations of night and Roman mythology to the seasons of the year and spacefaring science fiction.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 7th July 2023 7th July 2023Dvořák and Coleridge-Taylor from the Takács Quartet, Shostakovich from John Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic, Joachim Mendelson & Grażyna Bacewicz from the Silesian Quartet, and Mendelssohn & more from young Australian violinist Christian Li.
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Awards,
Opus Klassik Awards 2023 6th July 2023Revealed in advance of October's ceremony at the Konzerthaus Berlin, the winners of this year's 'Deutscher Musikpreis' awards include Asmik Grigorian, Víkingur Ólafsson, Sean Shibe and Abel Selaocoe.
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Interview,
Karim Sulayman on Broken Branches 5th July 2023Tenor Karim Sulayman talks about his recently-released eclectic album of works for guitar and voice with Sean Shibe.
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Favourites,
William Byrd, 400 years on 4th July 2023A selection of some of the best recent recordings of music by the giant of English early music, for the 400th anniversary of his death.
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Presto Chart,
The Presto Chart - June 2023 3rd July 2023Our 25 best-selling titles across all formats for June, with British conductor Alpesh Chauhan's debut recording of Tchaikovsky's symphonic fantasias on Chandos in first place...
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Recording of the Week,
Selections from Bernard Herrmann's only opera, Wuthering Heights 30th June 2023Soprano Keri Fuge and baritone Roderick Williams join the Singapore Symphony Orchestra under Mario Venzago to perform highlights from a neglected work by a composer known mostly for his film scores, based on the novel by Emily Brontë.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 30th June 2023 30th June 2023CPE Bach from Keith Jarrett, choral works by the late Kaija Saariaho, Vaughan Williams from Andrew Manze and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and Rachmaninoff from Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
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Presto Editor's Choices,
Presto Editor's Choices - June 2023 29th June 2023An eclectic album exploring temptation and taboo from Benjamin Appl and James Baillieu, high-octane Khachaturian from the Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie and Frank Beermann, and a beguiling recital of Lieder from fin-de-siècle Vienna from Robyn Allegra Parton and Simon Lepper.
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Video Interview,
Elgan Llŷr Thomas on Unveiled 28th June 2023In the wake of the release of his debut album featuring a bold new translation of Britten's Michelangelo Sonnets (plus music by Tippett, Gipps and Thomas himself), the Welsh tenor discusses queer representation in opera and song - and why he feels that 'it's about time we started adding other stories into the mix'...
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Box Set Selections,
Boxed Set Selections - June 2023 27th June 2023This month's heavyweights include two boxes celebrating Antal Doráti's legacy on Mercury, Otto Klemperer's symphonic recordings on EMI Columbia, HMV, Electrola and Parlophone, and Matthias Goerne's survey of Schubert Lieder on Harmonia Mundi.
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Interview,
Madeleine Mitchell on Violin Conversations 26th June 2023The violinist discusses her new album featuring works by composers including Thea Musgrave, Errollyn Wallen, Howard Blake and the late Joseph Horovitz.
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Presto Music Classical Podcast,
Episode 37: Brahms In The Time Machine – Ein Deutsches Barockrequiem with Lionel Meunier 24th June 2023Founder and director of early music ensemble Vox Luminis talks about his hunt for Baroque-era precursors to Brahms's Ein Deutsches Requiem.
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Recording of the Week,
A new album of orchestral works by Florence Price from Jeneba Kanneh-Mason and Chineke! 23rd June 2023Jeneba Kanneh-Mason and Chineke! present benchmark new recordings of two major works by Florence Price – capturing both the sweep and grandeur of her large-scale movements and the lively fun of her dance-like conclusions.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 23rd June 2023 23rd June 2023Welsh tenor Elgan Llŷr Thomas's debut recording on Delphian, Mozart violin sonatas from Renaud Capuçon & Kit Armstrong, Verdi's Un ballo in maschera from Marek Janowski, and Forbidden Fruits from Benjamin Appl & James Baillieu.
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Interview,
Anna Bonitatibus on Monologues 22nd June 2023The Italian mezzo discusses her new album of works which 'occupy a middle-ground between opera and art-song', including music by Zingarelli, Rossini, Donizetti, Viardot-García and Wagner - and her plans to shine a new light on the latter composer's Wesendonck Lieder...
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BBC Music Magazine Choices,
BBC Music Magazine - June 2023 Choices 21st June 2023Chris introduces this month's selection, headed by an 'immensely assured' first album on Chandos from trumpeter Matilda Lloyd, featuring virtuosic paraphrases on themes from operas by composers including Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini.
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Interview,
Gregorian chant-inspired contemporary choral music by Henrik Ødegaard 20th June 2023The Norwegian composer talks about his new album of choral works, performed by Vox Clamantis with Jaan-Eik Tulve.