Latest stories
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Farrenc from the Insula Orchestra and Laurence Equilbey
9th Jul 2021by David Smith
The French orchestra begins its planned cycle of the symphonic works of Louise Farrenc with her Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3.
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New Release Round-Up - 9th July 2021
9th Jul 2021by Katherine Cooper
Beethoven concertos from Krystian Zimerman, Haydn from Il Giardino Armonico and Giovanni Antonini, Byrd and Bull from Kit Armstrong, and highlights from Porgy & Bess from Marin Alsop, with Angel Blue and Lester Lynch in the title-roles.
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Wollny / Parisien / Lefebvre / Lillinger - XXXX
9th Jul 2021by Matt Groom
Michael Wollny and friends inject some fun into electro-acoustic improv on XXXX, an enjoyably wild, yet coherent, record assembled from live recordings made at Berlin's A-Train club in 2019.
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Isata Kanneh-Mason on Summertime
8th Jul 2021by Katherine Cooper
The pianist talks to Katherine about her new all-American album (released tomorrow on Decca Classics), which features music by Barber, Coleridge-Taylor, Beach, Gershwin and Copland.
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ABRSM New Woodwind Syllabus for 2022
8th Jul 2021by Ellena Spirrett
Get ready for the new ABRSM woodwind syllabus for 2022 with ABRSM's new exam pieces and packs for flute, clarinet, and saxophone. Find out more here.
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Jazz New Release Round-Up - 8th July 2021
8th Jul 2021by Joshua Lee
This week’s pick of recent jazz releases includes rising vocal talent Samara Joy, jazz-funk from trombonist Nils Landgren, and a collection of tunes in tribute to Charlie Parker.
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20th Century Masterworks on Vinyl
7th Jul 2021by Joshua Lee
New and upcoming vinyl releases from 20th Century Masterworks include essential classics like Sarah Vaughan & Clifford Brown, Etta James’s At Last! and Mingus Ah Um.
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Hideko Udagawa on Nostalgic Russia
6th Jul 2021by David Smith
The violinist talks about her new release of Russian rarities for violin and piano with Petr Limonov, and reflects on her relationship with music from Russia.
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Louis Andriessen (1939-2021)
5th Jul 2021by Katherine Cooper
The Dutch composer and pianist, whose major works include the Dante-inspired opera La Commedia and Theatre of the World, has died aged 82.
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New Music Book Publications - 5th July 2021
5th Jul 2021by James Longstaffe
Books on composers including Benjamin Britten and Ernest Moeran; a re-evaluation of how to write music history; an exploration of the importance of operettas in early twentieth-century Viennese life; analyses of musicals including Spamalot and The Music Man; and collections of essays on the drum kit and music in video games.
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Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo's Cubano-Bop
5th Jul 2021by Matt Groom
The combination of Dizzy Gillespie's bebop with Chano Pozo's Cuban rhythms made for some of the most exciting big band music ever recorded. Matt looks into the story behind these classic cuts.
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Episode 19: Classical Comedy with Rainer Hersch
4th Jul 2021by Paul Thomas
Comedian Rainer Hersch joins Paul for a potted history of the art of cocking a snook at the strait-laced world of classical music.
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The Presto Chart - June 2021
3rd Jul 2021by Chris O'Reilly
Our 25 best-selling titles across all formats for June, with András Schiff's Brahms Piano Concertos with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment on ECM in first place...
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Alex Western-King on bandleading and inspirations
3rd Jul 2021by Joshua Lee
The UK-based saxophonist talks to Joshua about his early influences, inspirations, and what he's learned from releasing his own music.
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Sibelius from Edward Gardner, the Bergen Philharmonic, and Lise Davidsen
2nd Jul 2021by Katherine Cooper
The Norwegian soprano combines drama and delicacy in the tone-poem Luonnotar, whilst the Bergen string sound in Tapiola, Rakastava and Pelléas & Mélisande is a thing to marvel at.
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New Release Round-Up - 2nd July 2021
2nd Jul 2021by Katherine Cooper
Love songs from Angela Hewitt, Beethoven's Hammerklavier and Eroica Variations from Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Satie from Noriko Ogawa, and Schnittke and Pärt from the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir.
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Daniel Herskedal - Harbour
2nd Jul 2021by Joshua Lee
The Norwegian tubist's latest record is his most varied, evocative and creative to date; a concept album inspired by the Norwegian coastline, Harbour beautifully marries his jazz trio work with his more composed, cinematic style.
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Randall Goosby on Roots
1st Jul 2021by Katherine Cooper
The violinist talks to Katherine about his debut album on Decca, celebrating the influence which Black composers and performers have had on American music from the late nineteenth century to the present day.
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Jazz New Release Round-Up - 1st July 2021
1st Jul 2021by Joshua Lee
This week’s pick of new jazz releases includes soul-jazz from Matti Klein, new music from multi-instrumentalist Alex Ward, and historical live tapes from Etta James and Nina Simone.
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Presto Editor's Choices - June 2021
30th Jun 2021by Katherine Cooper
A hugely enjoyable and thought-provoking debut from US violinist Randall Goosby, an illuminating musical tour of Vienna with pianist Alasdair Beatson, and a superb introduction to the orchestral music of Vítězslava Kaprálová.