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Handel's Alcina from Marc Minkowski
9th Feb 2024by Katherine Cooper
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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New Release Round-Up - 9th February 2024
9th Feb 2024by Katherine Cooper
Strauss's Vier letzte Lieder from Asmik Grigorian, Puccini from Carlo Rizzi and Welsh National Opera Orchestra, sacred music by George Jeffreys from Solomon's Knot, and Ravel, Berkeley & Pounds from John Wilson & Sinfonia of London.
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Veronika Jarůšková, Peter Jarůšek and Boris Giltburg on Dvořák
8th Feb 2024by Katherine Cooper
The violinist, cellist and pianist discuss their recording of the complete piano trios on Supraphon, which featured as one of our Top 10 Recordings of 2023.
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Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius from Paul McCreesh and other forthcoming highlights
7th Feb 2024by Katherine Cooper
Nicky Spence, Anna Stéphany and Andrew Foster-Williams join Gabrieli for a period-instrument recording of Elgar's 1900 oratorio, with other stand-outs for the spring including new projects from Beatrice Rana, Klaus Mäkelä, and Véronique Gens.
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New Release Round-Up - 2nd February 2024
2nd Feb 2024by Katherine Cooper
Handel's Alcina from Marc Minkowski, sea shanties from Bryn Terfel & friends, and Grieg's Symphonic Dances & Berlioz's La damnation de Faust from Edward Gardner.
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Presto Editor's Choices - January 2024
31st Jan 2024by Katherine Cooper
A white-hot world premiere recording of Louise Bertin's 1831 opera Fausto from Christophe Rousset & Les Talens Lyriques, a dizzying spin around the dance-floor with Martin James Bartlett, and an open-hearted celebration of Tosti from Javier Camarena.
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A Lionel Tertis Celebration from Timothy Ridout
26th Jan 2024by Katherine Cooper
This beautifully-performed and curated recital paints a vivid picture of the great violist in his capacities as commissioner, composer and arranger - featuring works by composers including York Bowen, Rebecca Clarke, Eric Coates, Frank Bridge and William Henry Reed.
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New Release Round-Up - 26th January 2024
26th Jan 2024by Katherine Cooper
Bartók, Janáček & Szymanowski from Piotr Anderszewski, an invitation to the dance from Martin James Bartlett, Puccini songs from Angela Gheorghiu, and the world premiere recording of Louise Bertin's opera Fausto.
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Michael Spyres In The Shadows and other forthcoming releases
23rd Jan 2024by Katherine Cooper
The American tenor teams up with Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques for a programme which explores the composers who influenced Wagner, with other spring highlights including Saint-Saëns from Lang Lang, Britten from Isabelle Faust & friends, and world premiere recordings of four orchestral works by Dorothy Howell.
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Ewa Podleś (1952-2024)
21st Jan 2024by Katherine Cooper
The Polish coloratura contralto, whose powerful yet supremely agile voice was a force of nature, has died in Warsaw aged 71.
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New Release Round-Up - 19th January 2024
19th Jan 2024by Katherine Cooper
Mendelssohn and more from Sol Gabetta & Bertrand Chamayou, Schubert from Adam Laloum, Tosti songs from Javier Camarena & Ángel Rodríguez, and Paavo Berglund's complete recordings on EMI Classics & Finlandia.
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Can Çakmur on Schubert
18th Jan 2024by Katherine Cooper
Ahead of his gala concert launching the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition at Kings Place tomorrow, the Turkish pianist discusses his Schubert + project on BIS, his friendship with Fazıl Say, and why he's 'super-unpicky' about the instruments he plays in concert...
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Christophe Rousset on Lully's Atys
16th Jan 2024by Katherine Cooper
As his masterly survey of Lully's complete operas with Les Talens Lyriques nears the finishing-line, the French harpsichordist and conductor reflects on the legacy of the 'incredible arriviste' who rose from humble beginnings in Florence to captivate Louis XIV and his court...
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New Release Round-Up - 12th January 2024
12th Jan 2024by Katherine Cooper
A second volume of variations from Cédric Tiberghien, Charpentier's Médée from Le Concert Spirituel & Hervé Niquet, French song from Sandrine Piau, and Schumann and Grieg piano concertos from Elisabeth Leonskaja.
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Katya Kabanova from Simon Rattle and other forthcoming highlights
11th Jan 2024by Katherine Cooper
Amanda Majeski and Katarina Dalayman go head-to-head in Janáček's opera from the Barbican, Elīna Garanča makes her Wagner debut on a live Parsifal from Vienna, and Domingo Hindoyan and the Liverpool Philharmonic mark this year's Bruckner bicentenary.
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Janáček: Katya Kabanova
Amanda Majeski (Katya), Katarina Dalayman (Kabanicha), Simon O'Neill (Boris), Andrew Staples (Tichon), Magdalena Kozená (Varvara), Ladislav Elgr (Kudrjas), Pavlo Hunka (Dikój) London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Sir Simon Rattle
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Puccini Songs from Charles Castronovo
5th Jan 2024by Katherine Cooper
Johannes X. Schachtner's idiomatic new orchestrations of the composer's sixteen published songs inspire some ardent, full-throated singing from the American tenor - with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester on incendiary form under Ivan Repušić.
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New Release Round-Up - 5th January 2024
5th Jan 2024by Katherine Cooper
Stravinsky from James Ehnes & Sir Andrew Davis, Bruckner from Markus Poschner and the late Bernard Haitink, and a starry revival of Laurent Pelly's classic production of Rameau's Platée (with Lawrence Brownlee in the title-role).
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Presto Personal Favourites from 2023
29th Dec 2023by Katherine Cooper
Recordings of works by Franz Schreker, Shawn E. Okpebholo, Andrew Poppy and the late Einojuhani Rautavaara feature among the editorial team's individual picks of the year.
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Carlo Rizzi on Mercadante, Leoncavallo and Donizetti
28th Dec 2023by Katherine Cooper
The Italian conductor looks back on his first few years as Artistic Director of Opera Rara, including recordings of Leoncavallo's Zingari and Mercadante's Il Proscritto - plus a new mission to record the complete Donizetti songs with singers including Lawrence Brownlee and William Thomas.
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Mercadante: Il Proscritto
Ramón Vargas (Giorgio Argyll), Irene Roberts (Malvina Douglas), Elizabeth DeShong (Odoardo Douglas), Sally Matthews (Anna Ruthven), Iván Ayón-Rivas (Arturo Murray), Goderdzi Janelidze (Guglielmo Ruthven) Britten Sinfonia, Opera Rara Chorus, Carlo Rizzi
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Charles Owen & Katya Apekisheva on the art of the piano duo
27th Dec 2023by Katherine Cooper
The curators of the London Piano Festival reflect on what makes the perfect partner on the piano-bench, and discuss their new album of music by Poulenc, Milhaud and Debussy (released on Orchid Classics last month).