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Boxed Set Selections - July 2021
23rd Jun 2021by Katherine Cooper
Eightieth-birthday celebrations of Martha Argerich and Jaime Laredo, an orchestral anthology marking the 150th anniversary of Zemlinsky's birth, and the Juilliard Quartet's collected early recordings on Columbia.
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Kodály and Dvořák from Barnabás Kelemen, Nicolas Altstaedt, and Alexander Lonquich
18th Jun 2021by Katherine Cooper
The violinist and cellist display a truly remarkable synergy in Kodály's Duo from 1914, whilst all three musicians capture the 'Dumky' Trio's rapid shifts between melancholy and boisterousness to perfection.
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New Release Round-Up - 18th June 2021
18th Jun 2021by Katherine Cooper
Beethoven from the Ehnes Quartet, a theatrical debut from violinist Bomsori Kim, André Messager's Passionnément (starring Véronique Gens), and intimations of immortality from Icelandic composer Viktor Orri Árnason.
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James Ehnes on working from home
17th Jun 2021by Katherine Cooper
The Canadian violinist tells Katherine about turning his living-room into a temporary studio for his recent recording of the Ysaÿe sonatas, and 'bubbling' with his string quartet for a new Beethoven project.
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New Release Round-Up - 11th June 2021
11th Jun 2021by Katherine Cooper
Brahms from Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Kodály and Dvořák from Alexander Lonquich and friends, Tchaikovsky from Vadym Kholodenko, and Bach and Beethoven from Andrew Von Oeyen.
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New Release Round-Up - 4th June 2021
4th Jun 2021by Katherine Cooper
Debussy from Martha Argerich, Daniel Barenboim and friends/family, Nico Muhly's new violin concerto from Pekka Kuusisto, an invitation to the dance from Lise de la Salle, and Lennox Berkeley's opera Nelson from the BBC archives.
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Elizabeth Llewellyn on Heart and Hereafter
3rd Jun 2021by Katherine Cooper
The soprano talks to Katherine about her album of songs by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor with pianist Simon Lepper, released last week on Orchid Classics.
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Presto Editor's Choices - May 2021
1st Jun 2021by Katherine Cooper
John Wilson and Sinfonia of London spin a sensuous shaggy-dog story with élan, Kate Lindsey and Arcangelo bring Nero to life in all his monstrous glory, and Elizabeth Llewellyn and Simon Lepper shine light on forgotten songs by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
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American Quintets from the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective
28th May 2021by Katherine Cooper
An arresting debut album from the shape-shifting ensemble features piano quintets by Amy Beach and Florence Price, plus Samuel Barber's Dover Beach with bass Matthew Rose in superb voice.
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John Brancy and Peter Dugan on The Journey Home
28th May 2021by Katherine Cooper
The American baritone and pianist talk to Katherine about their recital and film-project exploring the aftermath of war, released digitally today to mark Memorial Weekend.
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New Release Round-Up - 28th May 2021
28th May 2021by Katherine Cooper
Dutilleux from John Wilson and Sinfonia of London, Bach Partitas from Mahan Esfahani, Coleridge-Taylor from Elizabeth Llewellyn and Simon Lepper, and a portrait of Nero from Kate Lindsey and Arcangelo.
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Ian Page on Arne's Artaxerxes
26th May 2021by Katherine Cooper
The British conductor talks to Katherine about his 2010 recording of Thomas Arne's English-language opera seria about forbidden love and political skulduggery in Ancient Persia, re-released earlier this month on Signum.
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New Release Round-Up - 21st May 2021
21st May 2021by Katherine Cooper
Mozart from Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov, Beethoven, Bartók and Dvořák from the Juilliard String Quartet, Bruckner from Christian Thielemann, and vintage Stravinsky from Leonard Bernstein.
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Mark Bebbington on Poulenc
20th May 2021by Katherine Cooper
The pianist talks to Katherine about his recent recordings of the Concert champêtre, Aubade, and Le Bal masqué with members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on Resonus Classics.
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Handel's Rodelinda from Harry Bicket and The English Concert
14th May 2021by Katherine Cooper
Social distancing is no barrier to superb ensemble-playing on this terrific new recording of Handel's 1725 opera, with Lucy Crowe in the title-role and Iestyn Davies as her estranged husband Bertarido.
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New Release Round-Up - 14th May 2021
14th May 2021by Katherine Cooper
Riccardo Chailly's collected Stravinsky recordings, Strauss from Antonio Pappano and the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Handel arias from French mezzo Héloïse Mas, and Erich Kleiber in Berlin.
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Alfred the Great - Brendel at 90
13th May 2021by Katherine Cooper
The Austrian pianist and author, who celebrated his ninetieth birthday in January, reflects on how the classical music world has altered since he began his career seven decades ago...
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Mozart: Così fan tutte
Miah Persson (Fiordiligi), Anke Vondung (Dorabella), Ainhoa Garmendia (Despina), Topi Lehtipuu (Ferrando), Luca Pisaroni (Guglielmo), Nicolas Rivenq (Don Alfonso) Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment & The Glyndebourne Chorus, Ivan Fischer
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International Opera Awards 2021 - The Winners!
11th May 2021by Katherine Cooper
The results of last night's online ceremony, including the winning recordings in the complete opera and recital categories.
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Ambroise Thomas: Hamlet (DVD)
Stéphane Degout (Hamlet), Sabine Devieilhe (Ophélie), Laurent Alvaro (Claudius), Sylvie Brunet-Grupposo (Gertrude), Nicolas Legoux (Polonius), Julien Behr (Laërte), Jérôme Varnier (Ghost of Old Hamlet), Yoann Dubruque (Horatio), Kevin Amiel (Marcellus) Orchestre des Champs-Elysées, Choeur Les Eléments, Louis Langrée, Cyril Teste
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Ombra Compagna from Lisette Oropesa
7th May 2021by Katherine Cooper
The Cuban-American soprano delivers drama and delicacy in equal measure on this collection of Mozart concert arias, with Il Pomo d'Oro on scintillating form under Antonello Manacorda.
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New Release Round-Up - 7th May 2021
7th May 2021by Katherine Cooper
An 'anatomy of melancholy' from Jean Rondeau, Beethoven from Chinese pianist Niu Niu, Mozart wind serenades from the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, and Brahms from Julian Bliss and James Baillieu.