The editorial team's personal favourites from the June crop of new releases include a birthday celebration of Sally Beamish on Delphian, two contrasting American symphonies from Antonio Pappano and the London Symphony Orchestra on their in-house label, Bach with a twist from award-winning trio Ayres Extemporae on Linn, and a second characterful volume of Haydn from Peter Donohoe on Signum.
Presto Team Choices | Updated Monthly
Curated by David Smith
Tracks from the recordings featured in the most recent Team Choices from the Presto Classical team. 2 hours 33 minutes
House of Wonder: Sally Beamish celebrates 70 years
Sally Beamish (viola), Ryan Corbett (accordion), Imogen Whitehead (trumpet), Joseph Havlat (piano), Stephanie Irvine (harp), Peter Thomson (speaker), Rosalind Ventris (viola)
'This wonderfully varied birthday anthology from the British composer and violist plus friends and family showcases the many things which make her special, including her marvellous writing for her own instrument (she recently returned to playing after a long hiatus), her knack for unusual combinations (who knew that the viola could work so beautifully against accordion, trumpet or harp?), and her ability to pull in folk, jazz and blues. I loved the unapologetically unsentimental Cradle Song (depicting a stressed-out grandparent at the end of their tether!) and the responses to Duffy, Yeats and Auden in Night Songs, but everything here is worth your time.' (Katherine Cooper)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Copland: Symphony No. 3 – Walker: Sinfonia No. 5, 'Visions'
London Symphony Orchestra, Antonio Pappano
'Copland’s Symphony No. 3 suits the temperament of the LSO and Pappano perfectly in this recording full of exuberant brass, exquisite strings, powerful percussion, and eloquent woodwind. The opening phrase is beautifully expansive, whilst the fourth movement (incorporating the famous Fanfare for the Common Man) is every bit as thrilling as one would hope. This is coupled with a turbulent performance of George Walker’s moving Sinfonia No. 5, written when the composer was 94 years old in response to the 2015 Charleston church massacre.' (James Longstaffe)
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Erbarme Dich!
Ayres Extemporae
'Is it a string trio? Is it a viol consort? Is it a trio sonata? The unique texture created by Ayres Extemporae combines elements of all three. The trio (winners of the 2024 York Early Music International Young Artists Competition) consists of violin, cello and the smaller five-stringed cello in the middle. This gives them a rich choice of repertoire to select and adapt, from small-scale consort works to movements from Bach cantatas and sonatas, where the five-string cello takes on the role of realising semi-improvised harmonies over the bass-line. A group to watch, and a fascinating and beautiful concept album with which to make their debut.' (David Smith)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Haydn: Keyboard Works, Vol. 2
Peter Donohoe (piano)
'In this second volume Donohoe, proliferous but consistently superb across a vast range of repertoire, brings clarity of architecture and unshakable technical command with unforced elegance and the mischievous wit that is essential to Haydn. The D major sonata, Hob. XVI, encapsulates this perfectly; the often-rushed opening is beautifully judged with a playful character, the largo has gravity without indulgence, and the finale balances drama and humour in the most natural way. Another treat from one of the finest of pianists, beautifully presented and recorded by Signum.' (Matthew Ash)
Available Formats: 2 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Arthur Sullivan: Songs For Tenor
David Webb (tenor), Jennifer France (soprano), Charles Rice (baritone), Academy of Ancient Music, John Andrews
'Despite their enduring popularity, the Savoy Operas remain woefully underrepresented on record, so their legion of fans will surely greet this stylishly-sung and played anthology with open arms - Webb's bright, muscular tenor is just perfect for this repertoire, doing the wit (check out Dick Dauntless's sassy impersonation of his upper-crust captain!) and sentiment of the music full justice. Andrews's characterful reorchestrations brim with character - and it's a rare treat to hear excerpts from The Prodigal Son and The Golden Legend, showcasing a side of Sullivan which still gets short shrift.' (Katherine Cooper)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Salterio obbligato: Arias and instrumental music with salterio from 18th-century Italy
Elisabeth Seitz (salterio), Valer Barna-Sabadus (soprano), Franz Vitzthum (alto), Christian Dietz (tenor), Manfred Bittner (bass), nuovo aspetto
'Although it might be primarily associated today with the folk music of Central and Eastern Europe, the psaltery or salterio enjoyed a heyday in the southern regions of Baroque Europe - particularly Italy - as both a commonly-heard component of the continuo section and an obbligato instrument in its own right, and occasionally even a concertante soloist. This album from Elisabeth Seitz and nuovo aspetto provides a gorgeous calling-card for this fascinating instrument - with its unique sound that combines an enchanting delicacy with a bright edge that ensures it's easily heard through even relatively thick textures. It's an ideal recipe for decorating solo vocal arias in particular - complementing the singer without ever competing with them.' (David Smith)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Korngold & Barber
Paul Huang (violin), London Philharmonic Orchestra, Jun Märkl
'I had chosen something else, and then I played this. These two mid-century American concertos are unashamedly luscious, and panoramic in scale, such that in the wrong hands their considerable qualities can be lost in a haze of schmaltz. Paul Huang’s rich tone and expressive vibrato embrace the neo-Romanticism of the writing, but in both concertos he finds beauty in nuance and control, met with exquisite balance and clarity by the London Philharmonic under Jun Märkl to explore well beneath the surface without losing any of the instant appeal of this beautiful music.' (Matthew Ash)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Schubert/Liszt: Wanderer Fantasy - Tchaikovsky: Concert Fantasy
Lukas Geniušas (piano), Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen, Modestas Pitrėnas
'Normally Liszt’s transcriptions of Schubert’s music involve condensing the original work down to a solo piano, and so it is fascinating to hear the process in reverse with his reimagining of the Wanderer Fantasy as a mini-concerto for piano and orchestra. Lukas Geniušas and the Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen under conductor Modestas Pitrėnas offer a splendid, sparkling performance, with the slow movement being particularly effective in this version. They work similar magic in Tchaikovsky’s Concert Fantasy, Op. 56, with the orchestra magnificently deft and agile, whilst Geniušas is supremely impressive in the mighty, nine-minute cadenza in the first movement.' (James Longstaffe)
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
