Such is the reputation of this orchestra/conductor pairing that the album achieved the rare feat of topping our monthly bestseller chart before it had even been released; reviewer Andrew Farach-Colton confirms that Honeck 'has worked his magic yet again', going on to note that 'his interpretative wizardry is largely achieved through a careful and imaginative consideration of a score's details'.
Editor's Choices include Ad Nos, the debut album from young British pianist Thomas Kelly, who visited Presto back in March to discuss his programme and to perform Busoni's mighty transcription of the Liszt organ work which gives the album its title.
Recording of the Month
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 & Simon: Four Black American Dances
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Manfred Honeck
'Manfred Honeck has that rare ability to make even the most well-worn works sound engagingly fresh...Simon's riotously colourful Four Black American Dances (2023) makes an apt coupling.'
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Editor's Choices
CPE Bach: Berlin Symphonies
Arte Dei Suonatori, Marcin Świątkiewicz
'The Polish period-instrument group Arte dei Suonatori are on top of all Bach's sleights of hand...as fine a survey of CPE Bach's symphonic art as you're likely to come across.'
Available Format: SACD
Sibelius & Saraste: The 7 Symphonies
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Jukka-Pekka Saraste
'Saraste does not need to play to the gallery; Sibelius does that more than adequately...I will be returning to this set often, and I encourage all to do so, too.'
Available Formats: 3 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Berliner Barock Solisten, Daishin Kashimoto
'Joyous, considered and on fire in every regard, this is the recording to make anyone tired of The Four Seasons fall back in love. Promise.'
Available Format: SACD
Echoes of My Childhood
Daniel Müller-Schott (cello), Irina Zahharenkova (harpsichord), Anderson Fiorelli (continuo cello)
'What might have stayed private becomes an animating virtue: a shared joy in which Irina Zahharenkova and continuo cellist Anderson Fiorelli partake of Müller-Schott's memories made music.'
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Johann Sebastian Bach: French Suites BWV812 - 817
Andrew Arthur (harpsichord)
'Arthur seems to be an almost ideal advocate for these works. His playing is patient, poetic and genial, and deeply natural...[He] brings a spontaneity that allows each work to feel as if the ink is still wet on the page.'
Available Formats: 2 CDs, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Ad Nos - Organ Works Arranged For Piano
Thomas Kelly (piano)
'Kelly exhibits a highly developed and polished technical command of his instrument. He has sound musical instincts and a secure intellectual grasp of a refreshingly wide repertory.'
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Stephen Hough's Piano Postcards
Stephen Hough (piano)
'Musicians are big on postcards...But none are as beautifully written as those by Stephen Hough, a reliable scribe wherever he is in the world.'
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
De Profundis: Choral Works By Parry and Elgar
Sophie Bevan (soprano), Dominic Sedgwick (baritone), Rufus Frowde (piano), Hertfordshire Chorus, London Mozart Players, David Temple
'[The Elgar pieces are] charming fare, to be sure, and affectionately delivered here, but it's Parry's nourishing music that truly makes this Signum release an irresistible proposition.'
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
La Nobiltà di Milano - Music From the City of the Spanish Viceroys
The Breathtaking Collective, Cappella Mariana, Bruce Dickey
'This album from The Breathtaking Collective is breathtaking. Figuratively, but also quite literally as the fabulous cornett-playing from Bruce Dickey and Lambert Colson streaks through the choral texture.'
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
DVD of the Month
Lighten Our Darkness – Illuminating Choral Evensong
Andrew Nethsingha, John Rutter, Bob Chilcott, Katherine Dienes-Williams, Elizabeth Stratford, David Hill et al
'Zeb Soanes's mellifluous tone provides just the perfect balance of authority and warmth as we are drawn into this exploration of the jewel in the crown of Anglican worship.'
Available Format: 2 DVD Videos
Reissue/Archive Issue of the Month
Jorge Bolet: The Ambassador Auditorium Recitals
Jorge Bolet (piano)
'It's the combination of poignancy and ardour that sets his playing apart...a valuable addition to this great artist's discography.'
Available Formats: 3 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
