Latest stories
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Handel's Messiah from John Nelson
22nd Dec 2023
Devotion and drama work hand-in-glove on the American conductor's live recording from Coventry Cathedral with The English Concert and soloists Lucy Crowe, Alex Potter, Michael Spyres & Matthew Brook.
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Operette from Diana Damrau
15th Dec 2023
The German coloratura soprano is on sparkling form on a whistle-stop tour of seven decades of operetta history - taking in Berlin, Paris and Vienna along the way, and including classy cameos from Jonas Kaufmann and Emily Sierra.
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Raider of the Lost Archives - Michael Spyres on Contra-Tenor
27th Apr 2023
The American singer discusses becoming 'the Indiana Jones of the tenor voice' on his latest album for Erato, which charts the evolution of the Baroque tenore assoluto and features rarities by composers including Latilla, Mazzoni & Piccinni...
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Jean Rondeau on Gradus ad Parnassum
16th Mar 2023
The French harpsichordist discusses his new album on Erato, which takes its title from a 1725 treatise on counterpoint by Johann Joseph Fux and includes music by Palestrina, Haydn, Beethoven and even Debussy...
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Gradus ad Parnassum
Jean Rondeau (harpsichord)
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Christmas with Diana Damrau
2nd Dec 2022
The German coloratura soprano's festive album is definitely a cracker rather than a turkey, with a first half of traditional German songs and carol medleys followed by a disc of seasonally-appropriate Baroque and Classical arias.
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Berlioz's Les nuits d'été & Harold en Italie from John Nelson in Strasbourg
18th Nov 2022
Vocal shape-shifter Michael Spyres tackles the song-cycle in the original orchestral keys, whilst viola-player Timothy Ridout is a warmly collegiate soloist in Harold on this clear-eyed, affectionate recording from Strasbourg.
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Handel's Theodora from Maxim Emelyanychev and Il Pomo d'Oro
28th Oct 2022
A starry cast headed by Lisette Oropesa and Joyce DiDonato offers a wealth of fresh insights into Handel’s oratorio about religious persecution and intolerance in ancient Rome on this new studio recording, made after a run of concert-performances across Europe.
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Bruno de Sá on Roma Travestita
6th Oct 2022
The Brazilian soprano discusses his debut album on Erato (exploring the period of operatic history when women were forbidden from performing on the Roman stage) and the process of 'finding his own path' as a high-voiced male singer...
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Laurence Equilbey on Lucio Silla
17th May 2022
The French conductor discusses her new recording of Mozart's early opera on Erato, starring Alessandro Liberatore as the eponymous dictator and Franco Fagioli in the castrato role of Cecilio.
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Joyce DiDonato on EDEN
7th Mar 2022
The American mezzo talks to Katherine about her new album on Erato, and answers some questions submitted by Presto readers along the way...
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EDEN
Joyce DiDonato (mezzo), Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev
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Joyce DiDonato's EDEN
25th Feb 2022
Featuring music by composers including Ives, Cavalli, Handel, Gluck and Wagner (plus a ravishing new commission by Rachel Portman), the American mezzo's eclectic new concept-album with Il Pomo d'Oro explores our relationship with 'the grammar of the earth'.
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EDEN
Joyce DiDonato (mezzo), Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev
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Michael Spyres on Baritenor
2nd Nov 2021
The American singer talks to Katherine about moving between tenor and baritone repertoire on his new album, and why he believes that the fach system often 'does our voices and artistry an injustice'.
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Philippe Jaroussky & Thibaut Garcia: À sa guitare
22nd Oct 2021
The French countertenor and guitarist join forces for an eclectic, beguiling programme ranging from Dowland to Barbara, whilst Jaroussky's younger label-mate Jakub Józef Orliński dazzles in sacred baroque works with Il Pomo d'Oro.
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Michael Spyres - Baritenor
24th Sep 2021
The maverick American singer mixes tenor and baritone repertoire with joyful (but historically-informed) abandon, ranging from Donizetti's stratospheric Tonio to his namesake in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci.
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Laurence Equilbey on Louise Farrenc
26th Jul 2021
Following her release in early July of a recording of two symphonies by Louise Farrenc, conductor Laurence Equilbey digs further into the life and work of a unique French composer.
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Farrenc: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3
Insula Orchestra, Laurence Equilbey
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Farrenc from the Insula Orchestra and Laurence Equilbey
9th Jul 2021
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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Farrenc: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3
Insula Orchestra, Laurence Equilbey
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Joyce DiDonato on Winterreise
27th Apr 2021
The American mezzo talks to Katherine about her new recording with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, which approaches Schubert's great song-cycle from the perspective of the woman whom the narrator leaves behind...
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Renaud Capuçon on Elgar
16th Mar 2021
The French violinist talks to Katherine about recording the Violin Concerto and Sonata with Sir Simon Rattle, the London Symphony Orchestra, and Stephen Hough.
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Saint-Saëns from Renaud Capuçon, Edgar Moreau and Bertrand Chamayou
11th Dec 2020
The French triumvirate pays early tribute to the centenary of the composer's death with lucid, affectionate accounts of the Violin Sonata No. 1, Cello Sonata No. 1, and Piano Trio No. 2.
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Bertrand Chamayou on Good Night!
9th Dec 2020
The French pianist talks to Katherine about his beguiling collection of lullabies by composers including Lyapunov, Liszt, Alkan and Mel Bonis, released in October on Erato.
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Good Night!
Bertrand Chamayou (piano)
