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Florian Sempey sings of medieval knights and legends
15th Nov 2024
The French baritone explores his family's lineage of blacksmithery to present an eclectic album centred around the theme of knights from the Middle Ages, with pieces by Wagner, Donizetti, and Carl Orff sitting alongside more unfamiliar works by Meyerbeer, Grétry, Vincent d'Indy, and Ambroise Thomas.
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New Release Round-Up - 15th November 2024
15th Nov 2024
Violin concertos by Rózsa and Bartók from LSO leader Roman Simovic, Brahms cello sonatas from Alisa Weilerstein and Inon Barnatan, a new work by Nokuthula Ngwenyama from the Takács Quartet, and early Schumann from Charles Owen.
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Episode 55: John Suchet on Beethoven
14th Nov 2024
The celebrated writer and broadcaster speaks to Rob Cowan about his eighth (!) book on the composer (published by Elliott & Thompson Limited last month), reflecting on why he finds the man and his music so endlessly fascinating and the solace which he has drawn from it during troubled times.
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Timothy West (1934-2024)
14th Nov 2024
The actor and presenter, who appeared on numerous classical recordings as a speaker or narrator, has died aged 90.
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Ralph Vaughan Williams: Pan's Anniversary and Other Works
Samuel West (narrator), Thomas Gould (violin), Thomas Hancox (piccolo), Mary Bevan, Joy Farrall (clarinet), Timothy West (narrator), Sophie Bevan, William Lockhart (percussion), Jess Dandy, Johnny Herford, Choir of Clare College Cambridge, Britten Sinfonia, William Vann
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Roxanna Panufnik reflects on her career as a composer
13th Nov 2024
The composer talks about her compositions and work, in the light of being recognised with the Ivors' special award for Outstanding Works Collection.
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Grammy Nominations 2025
12th Nov 2024
The shortlist for next year's Awards was revealed last week - read on for full details of the contenders in the nine classical categories.
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Charles Owen on Schumann and the piano
11th Nov 2024
Charles Owen, described by Gramophone magazine as 'one of the finest pianists of his generation', has recorded a new album dedicated to the music of The Young Schumann, on Avie Records. Matthew Ash enjoyed a chat with Charles ahead of the album release on 15th November, about the new recordings, his development as a musician, the two-way nature of teaching, and pianos.
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Subtle Tchaikovsky from Bruce Liu
8th Nov 2024
Three years after winning the 18th Chopin International Piano Competition, Bruce Liu has made a leftfield choice for his second album on Deutsche Grammophon, bringing his precise and subtle playing to Tchaikovsky’s main work for the piano, The Seasons.
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New Release Round-Up - 8th November 2024
8th Nov 2024
A new Chopin rediscovery from Lang Lang, two sparkling concertos from Matilda Lloyd, revelatory Mozart from Alec Frank-Gemmill, and infectiously tuneful Rieti from Alessandro Marangoni.
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Errollyn Wallen reflects on her career
7th Nov 2024
In the wake of receiving the Ivors Academy Fellowship, the Belize-born British composer discusses growing up in a musical family in Tottenham, how relocating to a lighthouse off the coast of Scotland transformed her creative life, and her new role as Master of the King's Music.
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Early Music Round-Up - Summer & Autumn 2024
6th Nov 2024
An intimate programme of Strozzi from Berit Norbakken and Solmund Nystabakk, a historical reconstruction from Rachel Redmond and the Irish Baroque Orchestra, a plentiful crop of rediscoveries by female Baroque composers from Sophie de Bardonnèche and friends, delicate works featuring one, two and even three early harps from La Smisuranza, and more.
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Fair play - How much do different streaming services pay?
5th Nov 2024
We've been analysing the various payment rates of different streaming services. Read about our discoveries and find out who pays the most (spoiler alert - it's not even close)
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Colin Matthews on NMC
5th Nov 2024
As the contemporary music label celebrates its 35th birthday with an album of works by Imogen Holst, its founder Colin Matthews reflects on their friendship, NMC's legacy and ongoing work, and the challenges and rewards involved in promoting new voices today.
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The Presto Chart - October 2024
4th Nov 2024
Our 25 best-selling titles across all formats for October, headed by Raphaël Pichon's augmented Mozart Requiem with Pygmalion on Harmonia Mundi...
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Presto Team Choices - October 2024
2nd Nov 2024
The editorial team selects some personal favourites from October's crop of new releases, including Bruckner's piano music from Mari Kodama, a white-hot new Norma from Marina Rebeka, Maurizio Pollini's final recording of Schubert, and a spellbinding album of music by Freya Waley-Cohen.
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Boccherini from Steven Isserlis and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
1st Nov 2024
A much-needed exploration of the elegant, sunny music of Luigi Boccherini - from ethereally-scored concertos and charming sonatas to a richly-textured double-cello quintet.
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New Release Round-Up - 1st November 2024
1st Nov 2024
Tchaikovsky's The Seasons from Bruce Liu, Brahms and Schubert from Alexandre Kantorow, Haydn's 'Surprise' Symphony from Giovanni Antonini, and Franck & Fauré from Daniel Barenboim and the Berliner Philharmoniker.
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Sir Mark Elder and Roderick Williams on Delius's A Mass of Life
31st Oct 2024
The conductor and baritone reflect on their recording of Delius's Nietzsche-inspired Mass (made in Bergen following two live performances and released on LAWO last year), which was a finalist at this year's Gramophone Awards.
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BBC Music Magazine - December 2024 Choices
29th Oct 2024
Chris introduces this month's choices, headed by 'A Celebration of Women's Voices' from harpist Louise Thomson, the Corvus Consort and Freddie Crowley on Chandos.
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Gregory Kunde on Then and Now
28th Oct 2024
As he makes his role-debut as Britten's Captain Vere in Vienna, the indomitable American tenor discusses returning to the music which formed the soundtrack to his childhood on his new album Then And Now - a collection of jazz standards, released on Delos earlier this month.
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Then And Now
Gregory Kunde (tenor)
