Today's new releases include Schubert Impromptus from International Chopin Competition-winner Eric Lu on Warner Classics, Verdi's Simon Boccanegra starring Ludovic Tézier and Marina Rebeka on the soprano's own label Prima Classic, songs by Kurt Weill from Katie Bray and friends on Chandos, and the final instalment of the Cuarteto Casals's Shostakovich cycle on Harmonia Mundi.
Verdi: Simon Boccanegra
Ludovic Tézier (Simon Boccanegra), Marina Rebeka (Amelia), Francesco Meli (Gabriele Adorno), Michele Pertusi (Fiesco), Mattia Olivieri (Paolo), Andrea Pellegrini (Pietro); Orchestra e Coro del Teatro di San Carlo di Napoli, Michele Spotti
This recording of Boccanegra (given here in its standard 1881 version) was made live at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples last October, with Rebeka acting as one of the producers. The embattled Doge has become one of Tézier's signature roles in recent years, with BachTrack praising his 'extraordinary legato and musical intelligence' in 2021 and Opera Wire describing his performance in Paris last spring as 'beyond great'.
Available Formats: 2 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
In Search of Youkali: Songs of Kurt Weill
Katie Bray (mezzo), William Vann (piano), Murray Grainger (accordion), Marianne Schofield (double bass)
The British mezzo (who represented England at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World in 2019) has adored Weill's music since her childhood, and is joined by some of her closest musical friends for a programme which celebrates 'the chameleon, in all his glory': the recital includes new arrangements of 'Barbarasong', 'Berlin im Licht', 'Surabaya Johnny', 'My Ship', 'Complainte de la Seine' and 'Apple Jack' from the unfinished musical Huckleberry Finn.
The artists visited Presto on Wednesday evening to celebrate the launch of the album - look out for highlights on our YouTube channel next week...
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Schubert: The Impromptus, Opp. 90 & 142
Eric Lu (piano)
The 28-year-old American pianist was crowned as winner of the 2025 XIX International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw last year, following his victory at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2018. For his fifth album on Warner Classics, he presents what he describes as 'some of the greatest jewels in the piano literature...and the very essence of Schubert'; Lu performed the Impromptu No. 4 in A flat Op. 90 in the second round of the Leeds Competition.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Friedrich Witt: Symphonies Nos. 1-3
Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens
Born in the same year as Beethoven, the German cellist and composer Friedrich Witt is now believed to be the author of the 'Jena Symphony' (discovered in 1909) which was originally ascribed to his more famous contemporary. The three works here are thought to predate the 'Jena' by several years; a contemporary review of No. 1 opines that 'If Mr. Witt writes so much with such a lively spirit, with such artistry and such originality, it is very surprising that his compositions are not better known than they are, for they truly give great pleasure to both connoisseurs and amateurs alike'.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Shostakovich: Complete String Quartets Vol. 3
Cuarteto Casals
Launched in 2024, the Spanish quartet's Shostakovich project has been applauded by The Times for its combination of 'warmth and passion' and 'razor-sharp unity', and by Gramophone for the 'textural transparency, agility, sensitivity and drama' on display. This final instalment comprises String Quartets Nos. 13, 14 and 15, all premiered in the 1970s.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
As You Like It
Nino Gvetadze (piano)
In the first half of this recital of music by her compatriots, the Georgian pianist pays tribute to 'a composer, mentor, and teacher who shaped my early musical voice': Nodar Gabunia (1933-2000), whose From a Pupil's Diary opens the programme. The latter part of the album is given over to 33 Miniatures by Gabunia's friend Giya Kancheli, drawn from his huge body of music for film and theatre (including scores for Mother Courage, Waiting For Godot, King Lear, and The Eccentrics).
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Shades Of Mourning
Tamar Sagiv, featuring Leerone Hakami and Ella Bukszpan
The New York-based cellist and composer makes her debut with a programme of her own works exploring the themes of 'personal loss, collective grief, and enduring hope', inspired in part by memories of her Syrian-born grandfather: the pieces include 'My Clouds of Grief', 'The End of Times', 'Imaginary World', and 'In My Blue'. The album was BBC Music Magazine's Instrumental Choice in December, with Misha Donat observing that 'stylistically, her solo music is melodic and oddly timeless, and indeed placeless, somehow evoking both Bach and Dave Holland.'
Available Formats: CD, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Arise My Love - Music For the Break of Day
The Choir of Magdalen College Oxford, Mark Williams
Following their 2024 album of 'Music for the Evening Hour' (which was welcomed by BBC Music Magazine for its 'serene, reverential simplicity'), the Magdalen choir turn their attention from dusk to dawn with a programme which includes Tallis's O nata lux, Britten's Festival Te Deum, Leighton's God's Grandeur, Cheryl Frances-Hoad's O come, let us sing unto the Lord, and music by Charlotte Bray, Judith Weir, George Dyson and the late James Whitbourn.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Carissimi: Jonas
Il Giardino Armonico, Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Giovanni Antonini
Giacomo Carissimi's vivid oratorio on the story of Jonah and the Whale receives top billing on this album, but more than half of the playing-time is given over to substantial excerpts from two works by Orlando di Lasso: the Lagrime di San Pietro and Prophetiae Sibyllarum. At the heart of the programme is Monteverdi's five-voice madrigal 'Lamento d'Arianna', reworked from the heroine's solo plaint in his second (otherwise lost) opera on Ariadne.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
