Latest News: Classical
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Interview,
Alec Frank-Gemmill on Mozart's horn concertos 23rd November 2024
The horn player discusses his new album, featuring Mozart's famous four horn concertos plus some other tantalising fragments and additions.
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Recording of the Week,
Hasse's Serpentes Ignei in Deserto from Thibault Noally and Les Accents 22nd November 2024
Philippe Jaroussky (as Moses) leads a cast which includes Julia Lezhneva, Jakub Józef Orliński and Bruno de Sá in Hasse's Old Testament oratorio, written for the girls of the Ospedale degli Incurabili in Venice when he was enjoying his first flush of fame as an opera-composer.
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New Release Round-up,
New Release Round-Up - 22nd November 2024 22nd November 2024
An eightieth-birthday album from William Christie and friends, Massenet's Hérodiade from Berlin with Clémentine Margaine in the title-role, orchestral works by Edward MacDowell from the BBC Philharmonic and John Wilson, and Brahms & Schumann from James Ehnes (on viola) & Andrew Armstrong.
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Awards,
Classical Recordings of the Year - Finalists 2024 21st November 2024
The first meeting of the Presto Awards committee is over, and it's time to reveal the 100 recordings which have most impressed our editorial team this year...
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Interview,
Zoltán Daragó on Bach 20th November 2024
The young Hungarian countertenor introduces himself and his debut album of Bach cantata arias with Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques (released at the end of September on Aparté).
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Gift Guides,
Gifts for...Pianists and piano-lovers 19th November 2024From 2024's best new recordings and box sets to recent books on the instrument and its repertoire, we select our top gifts for pianists and pianophiles alike.
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Gift Guides,
Gifts for... Baroque and Early Music fans 19th November 2024From new recordings by The Tallis Scholars, Lucie Horsch and Lionel Meunier to impressive box-sets to fit under every tree, browse our selection of recordings for lovers of Renaissance and Baroque music.
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Gift Guides,
Gifts for... Opera-Lovers 19th November 2024In the first of our festive gift guides, we've selected some perfect presents for the opera-lover in your life, from the latest complete recordings and recital-albums to the best recent books about opera.
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Interview,
Marina Rebeka on Norma 18th November 2024
The Latvian soprano discusses recording the title-role in Bellini's masterpiece for her own label Prima Classic - using a new critical edition of the score by Roger Parker, which requires her to sing 'Casta diva' a tone higher than usual!
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Recording of the Week,
Florian Sempey sings of medieval knights and legends 15th November 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,
New Release Round-Up - 15th November 2024 15th November 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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Presto Music Classical Podcast,
Episode 55: John Suchet on Beethoven 14th November 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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Obituary,
Timothy West (1934-2024) 14th November 2024
The actor and presenter, who appeared on numerous classical recordings as a speaker or narrator, has died aged 90.
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Interview,
Roxanna Panufnik reflects on her career as a composer 13th November 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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Awards,
Grammy Nominations 2025 12th November 2024The 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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Interview,
Charles Owen on Schumann and the piano 11th November 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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Recording of the Week,
Subtle Tchaikovsky from Bruce Liu 8th November 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,
New Release Round-Up - 8th November 2024 8th November 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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Interview,
Errollyn Wallen reflects on her career 7th November 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,
Early Music Round-Up - Summer & Autumn 2024 6th November 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.
