Latest stories
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Tom Herring on The Waiting Sky
2nd Dec 2019by David Smith
Sansara's Artistic Director Tom Herring talks to David about the choir's new recording of music for the Advent and Christmas seasons, featuring newly-commissioned works alongside Renaissance and Medieval motets.
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2019 Christmas Selections
29th Nov 2019by David Smith
David picks out three of this year's Christmas releases, featuring Septura (with guest appearance from Derek Jacobi), Stile Antico, and the late Stephen Cleobury in his valedictory service at the helm of Carols from King's.
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Jonathan Sells on Christmas in Leipzig
25th Nov 2019by David Smith
Jonathan Sells, artistic director of the British early music ensemble Solomon's Knot, talks to David about their début recording, featuring three consecutive musical directors at the Leipzig Thomaskirche - Johann Schelle, Johann Kuhnau and, of course, Johann Sebastian Bach.
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Mishka Rushdie Momen on Variations
20th Nov 2019by David Smith
Pianist Mishka Rushdie Momen talks to David about her debut recording, which draws together a variety of musical responses to a theme by Schumann and includes world premieres by Vijay Iyer and Nico Muhly.
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Margaret Bonds's The Ballad of the Brown King
18th Nov 2019by David Smith
David talks to Malcolm J Merriweather and Ashley Jackson about their world premiere recording of a miniature oratorio by Margaret Bonds, exploring the legend of an African king journeying to visit the new-born Jesus.
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La Serenissima's The Godfather
15th Nov 2019by David Smith
La Serenissima explore the network of friendships and collaborations that helped bring together German and Italian styles during the Baroque, with concertos by Telemann, Pisendel, Brescianello and others.
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Kati Debretzeni on Bach's Violin Concertos
11th Nov 2019by David Smith
Violinist Kati Debretzeni talks to David about her new recording of Bach violin concertos - originals and adaptations - with John Eliot Gardiner and the English Baroque Soloists.
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Laurie Stras on Brumel's Lamentations
5th Nov 2019by David Smith
Musicologist and conductor Laurie Stras talks to David about her new album From Darkness into Light, which includes the first recording of Brumel's Lamentations - rediscovered by Stras after having been thought largely lost.
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Judith Weir on Airs from Another Planet
30th Oct 2019by David Smith
David talks to the composer about the new album of her vocal and instrumental works, just released on Delphian and encompassing a wide range of styles and influences.
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Peter Phillips on Josquin and Bauldeweyn
26th Oct 2019by David Smith
Peter Phillips discusses the penultimate volume in the Tallis Scholars's unprecedented complete set of Josquin Masses, which pairs Josquin's late Missa Mater Patris with the disputed Missa Da pacem.
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Purcell's King Arthur from Gabrieli and Paul McCreesh
25th Oct 2019by David Smith
Paul McCreesh and Gabrieli give a sparkling performance of Purcell's patriotic extravaganza, from a new edition prepared by Christopher Suckling.
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Vaughan Williams's The Song of Love
12th Oct 2019by David Smith
David talks to mezzo-soprano Kitty Whately, pianist William Vann and Albion Records' John Francis about their recently-released album of songs and duets by Vaughan Williams, including a number of works never recorded before.
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Alan George on Shostakovich's String Quartets
10th Oct 2019by David Smith
Violist Alan George looks back on fifty years of the Fitzwilliam String Quartet, and remembers their unique relationship with Dmitri Shostakovich.
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Giya Alexandrovich Kancheli (1935-2019)
2nd Oct 2019by David Smith
The Georgian composer, known for his film music, sweeping orchestral laments and finely-wrought instrumental miniatures, has died at the age of 84.
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Ivana Gavrić on Origins
30th Sep 2019by David Smith
The Bosnian-born pianist talks Haydn, Frances-Hoad and Sarajevan folklore – just some of the ingredients going into the melting-pot of her latest album.
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Ethel Smyth's Mass in D from Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra
27th Sep 2019by David Smith
Sakari Oramo conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a magnificent performance of Dame Ethel Smyth's Mass in D and overture to The Wreckers.
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The Queen's Six on The Last Rose of Summer
17th Sep 2019by David Smith
Bass Simon Whiteley of The Queen's Six talks to David about their new album of British and Irish folksong arrangements.
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Wu Wei on Silk Baroque
15th Sep 2019by David Smith
The sheng virtuoso discusses his fusion project with Holland Baroque (released earlier this summer on Pentatone), which features Chinese traditional tunes alongside music by Rameau, Telemann and Vivaldi.
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Andrew Manze on Vaughan Williams
5th Sep 2019by David Smith
The conductor talks to David about his recently-concluded series of Vaughan Williams symphonies with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra on Onyx, and the postscript to the cycle which will be released in October...
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Hyperion downloads now available!
4th Sep 2019by David Smith
Hyperion and Helios recordings are now available to download (including over 400 in Hi-Res); to celebrate this new addition to the Presto catalogue, David picks out some highlights from Hyperion's forty-year history.