Latest News: Classical, Recording of the Week
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Recording of the Week,
John Williams conducts Anne-Sophie Mutter in his new Violin Concerto 3rd June 2022John Williams continues his collaboration with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, joining forces with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere recording of his Violin Concerto No. 2.
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Recording of the Week,
Sopranista from Samuel Mariño 27th May 2022The young Venezuelan's silvery timbre and stratospheric high notes provide thrills aplenty in arias by Mozart, Saint-Georges, Cimarosa and Gluck - most of them composed for soprano castratos.
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Recording of the Week,
Ravel Piano Concertos from François-Xavier Roth and Les Siècles 20th May 2022Les Siècles continue their successful series of Ravel recordings on period instruments under François-Xavier Roth, with Cédric Tiberghien at the piano and baritone Stéphane Degout.
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Recording of the Week,
Brahms Quintets from the Pavel Haas Quartet and friends 13th May 2022Three years on from their previous album, the Pavel Haas Quartet make a triumphant recorded return with two quintets by Brahms, for which they are joined by pianist Boris Giltburg and violist Pavel Nikl.
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Recording of the Week,
Farewells from Jakub Józef Orliński & Michał Biel 6th May 2022The Polish countertenor and pianist fly the flag for their native country in a beguiling recital of songs by Karel Szymanowski, Henryk Czyż, Stanisław Moniuszko, Mieczysław Karłowicz, and Tadeusz Baird.
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Recording of the Week,
Weber's Der Freischütz from René Jacobs 29th April 2022The Belgian conductor's restoration of the original libretto's prologue lends a wonderful symmetry and coherence to Weber's supernatural Singspiel, whilst German actor Max Urlacher is properly spine-chilling in the expanded role of the demon Samiel.
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Recording of the Week,
Olga Neuwirth's Orlando 22nd April 2022The Austrian composer's Virginia Woolf-inspired opera delights in blurring boundaries of all kinds, with an astonishing central performance from mezzo Kate Lindsey in the shape-shifting title-role.
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Recording of the Week,
Bach's St Matthew Passion from Raphaël Pichon 15th April 2022Raphaël Pichon and his Pygmalion ensemble present a vision of Bach's masterwork that aims for clarity and immediacy over exhaustingly intense theatrics.
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Recording of the Week,
Franco-Italian recitals from Benjamin Bernheim and Pene Pati 8th April 2022Bernheim traces the history of Italian composers in Paris with his customary elegance and eloquence, whilst Pati's equally impressive debut on Warner reveals a voice of immense character and versatility.
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Recording of the Week,
Johan Dalene performs violin concertos by Nielsen & Sibelius 1st April 2022The Swedish violinist offers a characterful performance of Sibelius's concerto alongside a virtuosic account of the piece that swept him to victory at the 2019 Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition.
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Recording of the Week,
Beethoven violin sonatas from Rachel Podger and Christopher Glynn 25th March 2022Three snapshots from the beginning, middle and end of Beethoven's career trace his development of the violin sonata form from its Classical roots into new directions.
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Recording of the Week,
Ruth Slenczynska and a Life in Music 18th March 2022The pianist's return to the recording studio at the age of 97 offers us a bridge to the bygone era of composers and virtuosos who shaped her career.
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Recording of the Week,
Pélleas et Mélisande from François-Xavier Roth and Les Siėcles 11th March 2022Period instruments provide revelations aplenty in Debussy's opera - and the central love-triangle is cast in an intriguing new light...
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Recording of the Week,
Dance With Me from LUDWIG Orchestra and Barbara Hannigan 4th March 2022An ensemble drawn from the Netherlands-based chamber orchestra have a ball with a selection of twentieth-century dances, taking in music by Elgar, Kurt Weill, Glenn Miller and Barry Manilow along the way...
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Recording of the Week,
Joyce DiDonato's EDEN 25th February 2022Featuring music by composers including Ives, Cavalli, Handel, Gluck and Wagner (plus a ravishing new commission by Rachel Portman), the American mezzo's eclectic new concept-album with Il Pomo d'Oro explores our relationship with 'the grammar of the earth'.
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Recording of the Week,
Weinberg solo violin sonatas from Gidon Kremer 18th February 2022The Latvian violinist celebrates his 75th birthday with impassioned recordings of Weinberg's three sonatas for solo violin.
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Recording of the Week,
Andris Nelsons completes his Bruckner cycle with the Gewandhausorchester 11th February 2022The Latvian conductor and his Leipzig ensemble complete their cycle of Bruckner symphonies with radiant, dramatic performances of Symphonies 1 and 5.
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Recording of the Week,
New choral music from Iceland and England 4th February 2022A double-bill of contemporary works for choir - Icelandic splendour from Graham Ross and the choir of Clare College, and Westminster commissions from Dove, Weir and Martin.
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Recording of the Week,
John Wilson conducts orchestral works by Ravel 28th January 2022The latest album from Sinfonia of London and John Wilson presents a dazzling collection of orchestral works by Ravel, including La valse and Pavane pour une infante défunte alongside premiere recordings of the original versions of Ma Mère l'Oye and Boléro.
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Recording of the Week,
Paul Lewis plays Brahms 21st January 2022The British pianist's interpretations of the final four sets of solo piano works are a revelation, capturing all of the poetry and drama of the music and often emphasising its kinship with Debussy and Rachmaninov.