Latest stories
-
Presto Editor's Choices - October 2018
31st Oct 2018by Katherine Cooper
An all-Strauss programme from Arabella Steinbacher, world premiere recordings of three Parry orchestral works, and an assured and mesmerising debut on Warner Classics from Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński.
-
Requiem: The Pity of War from Ian Bostridge and Antonio Pappano
26th Oct 2018by Katherine Cooper
The tenor and pianist join forces for a programme of Butterworth, Rudi Stephan, Kurt Weill and Mahler to commemorate the centenary of Armistice Day next month.
-
Norma from the Metropolitan Opera and other forthcoming highlights
24th Oct 2018by Katherine Cooper
Sondra Radvanovsky and Joyce DiDonato star as Bellini's 'Druid duo', plus Mozart from Seong Jin-Cho, Debussy from François-Xavier Roth, and a rare outing for the original version of Verdi's Macbeth - directed from the violin by Fabio Biondi.
-
Jiří Bělohlávek conducts Martinů's What Men Live By
19th Oct 2018by Katherine Cooper
The world premiere recording of a 1952 'pastoral opera' based on Tolstoy, captured three years before the Czech conductor's death in 2017.
-
Bryn Terfel on Dreams and Songs
18th Oct 2018by Katherine Cooper
Katherine speaks to the great Welsh bass-baritone about his new album, which includes duets with Dame Emma Thompson, Joseph Calleja and Rob Brydon as well as the world premiere recording of Karl Jenkins's The Shepherd Poet of Passchendaele.
-
A moving recital from Igor Levit with music by Bach, Liszt and Wagner
5th Oct 2018by Katherine Cooper
Igor Levit explores music of transfiguration and transcendence in his Life Album, an eclectic recital of Bach-via-Busoni and Wagner-via-Liszt.
-
Stuart Skelton on Wagner
4th Oct 2018by Katherine Cooper
The Australian tenor (currently singing Siegmund in the Royal Opera House's Ring Cycle) talks to Katherine about his career as a Wagnerian and his debut solo recording Shining Knight, recently released on ABC Classics.
-
Sean Shibe on softLOUD
1st Oct 2018by Katherine Cooper
Katherine talks to the award-winning young guitarist about his confrontational new album, which mixes seventeenth-century Scottish lute music with works by Steve Reich, Julia Wolfe and David Lang.
-
Presto Editor's Choices - September 2018
30th Sep 2018by Katherine Cooper
A Winterreise with a twist, a voluptuous tour of fin de siècle Vienna with Barbara Hannigan, and a fascinating collection of orchestral music by the British twentieth-century composer Ruth Gipps.
-
Albina Shagimuratova and Daniela Barcellona on Semiramide
26th Sep 2018by Katherine Cooper
Katherine talks to the Russian soprano and Italian mezzo who star as mother and estranged son on Sir Mark Elder's new, uncut recording of Rossini's great opera seria.
Featured product
Rossini: Semiramide
Albina Shagimuratova (Semiramide), Daniela Barcellona (Arsace), Mirco Palazzi (Assur), Barry Banks (Idreno), Gianluca Buratto (Oroe), Susana Gaspar (Azema), David Butt Philip (Mitrane), James Platt (L’ombra di Nino) Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment & Opera Rara Chorus, Sir Mark Elder
-
Sir Thomas Allen on September Songs
24th Sep 2018by Katherine Cooper
The veteran baritone talks to Katherine about his autumnal album of classics from The Great American Songbook, out now on Champs Hill Records and featuring soprano Lucy Crowe.
-
Scriabin's First and Fifth Symphonies from Vasily Petrenko
21st Sep 2018by Katherine Cooper
The Russian conductor and the Oslo Philharmonic are joined by pianist Kirill Gerstein for the final instalment of Scriabin's complete symphonies on LAWO.
-
Magdalena Kožená on French song
20th Sep 2018by Katherine Cooper
The Czech mezzo talks to Katherine about recording Duparc with Robin Ticciati and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin for their new album Aimer et mourir, out tomorrow on Linn Records.
-
Sir Simon Rattle on Wonderful Town
12th Sep 2018by Katherine Cooper
Watch our exclusive video-interview with the London Symphony Orchestra's Music Director about their live recording of Bernstein's raucous paean to The City That Never Sleeps, out now on the orchestra's own label.
Featured product
Bernstein: Wonderful Town
Danielle de Niese (Eileen), Alysha Umphress (Ruth), Nathan Gunn (Bob Baker), Duncan Rock (Wreck), David Butt Philip (Lonigan), Ashley Riches (Guide/First Editor/Frank) London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus, Sir Simon Rattle
More products from this article -
Bertrand Chamayou on Saint-Saëns
10th Sep 2018by Katherine Cooper
The French pianist talks to Katherine about his new recording of the Second and Fifth Piano Concertos and a selection of the composer's lesser-known solo piano works, released on Friday on Erato.
-
Rossini's Semiramide from Mark Elder
7th Sep 2018by Katherine Cooper
Rossini's final Italian opera seria receives a taut, compelling reading on period instruments in an interpretation which plays up its baroque pedigree to great effect.
Featured product
Rossini: Semiramide
Albina Shagimuratova (Semiramide), Daniela Barcellona (Arsace), Mirco Palazzi (Assur), Barry Banks (Idreno), Gianluca Buratto (Oroe), Susana Gaspar (Azema), David Butt Philip (Mitrane), James Platt (L’ombra di Nino) Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment & Opera Rara Chorus, Sir Mark Elder
-
Presto Editor's Choices - August 2018
2nd Sep 2018by Katherine Cooper
An irresistible collection of evergreens from a veteran baritone, Mendelssohn from the cutting-room floor, and two rare sets of incidental music by Fauré feature among this month’s favourites.
-
Jiří Bělohlávek conducts Janáček
31st Aug 2018by Katherine Cooper
Late recordings of the Glagolitic Mass, Taras Bulba, the Sinfonietta and The Fiddler's Child bear witness to the Czech conductor's affinity for his countryman's music.
-
Richard Bonynge on Edward J. Loder
28th Aug 2018by Katherine Cooper
The veteran operatic conductor talks to Katherine about the world premiere recording of the Bath-born composer's Gothic melodrama Raymond and Agnes, out now on Retrospect Opera.
Featured product
Loder: Raymond & Agnes
Majella Cullagh (Agnes), Mark Milhofer (Raymond), Andrew Greenan (Baron), Carolyn Dobbin (Madelina), Quentin Hayes (Antoni), Alessandro Fisher (Theodore), Alexander Robin Baker (Francesco) Retrospect Opera Chorus, Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Richard Bonynge
More products from this article -
Bernstein Symphonies from Simon Rattle and Antonio Pappano
24th Aug 2018by Katherine Cooper
Pianist Krystian Zimerman brings understated affection and Classical clarity to The Age of Anxiety with Rattle, whilst Pappano and his Roman orchestra emphasise the dramatic qualities of all three symphonies.