Music from the worlds of film, TV and gaming from Ray Chen, Bach albums from Alexandre Tharaud & Víkingur Ólafsson, orchestral works by Grace Williams, and a tribute to Cornélie Falcon from Aleksandra Kurzak.
The French-Sicilian tenor discusses his sixtieth-birthday album on Aparté, learning his craft in Paris cabaret clubs, being Michael Jackson's warm-up act, and why he regrets not getting started on Wagner earlier in his career...
A personal reflection on the music of Beethoven from John Suchet, a paperback edition of a book exploring the young Mozart's time in Italy, a new edition of the Köchel catalogue of Mozart's music from Breitkopf & Härtel, a discussion of the stories behind beloved Christmas carols, and an analysis of the soundtrack from the popular film, *Saturday Night Fever*.
Our guest contributor Rob Cowan speaks to the Austrian conductor about his recent recording of Symphony No. 7 with the Pittsburgh Symphony, his long-standing relationship with Bruckner’s music, and the influence of the countryside & religion on the composer's musical imagination.
Katherine introduces this month's choices, headed by 'a recording you'll want to sit down and savour' from Nicholas Daniel and Julius Drake on Chandos, featuring arrangements of works by Robert and Clara Schumann.
We are pleased to announce that Presto Music now offers digital downloads from Faber Music, Alfred Music, Edition Peters, and Manners McDade. Find out more.
With her most intimate collection of songs to date, the three-time Grammy Award-winning American chanteuse unveils a captivating new album that, for the first time, combines timeless standards with original songwriting.
This week’s jazz releases include Immanuel Wilkins exploring themes of heritage, whilst Ashley Henry blends introspective lyrics and lush jazz melodies. Ilario Ferrari's offers a fusion of styles, Joe Sanders gives us genre-blending compositions, and there's a refreshing reunion between Oscar Peterson and Herb Ellis.
The Russian pianist presents a dazzling kaleidoscope of North American music, with a variety of genres and styles covering minimalism, jazz, film music, and concertos by Gershwin and Mason Bates.
Schoenberg from Rafael Payare in Montreal, Elgar and Walton from Gautier Capuçon, the LSO and Antonio Pappano, zarzuela from Juan Diego Flórez, & Chopin, Ravel and Ligeti from Jaeden Izik-Dzurko (winner of this year's Leeds Piano Competition).
Billed as ‘The Greatest Jazz Concert Ever’ Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus and Max Roach came together for one night only. Recorded live in Toronto at Massey Hall, on May 15th 1953, the quintet were captured into jazz folklore. A historic performance that featured titans of the jazz world, it would be the first and last time this quintet shared the stage.
Inspire the beginner violinist! This title features thirty progressive pieces using just open strings, with incredible backing tracks in popular styles to motivate students to sound their best.
The American tenor introduces the inaugural volume of Opera Rara's mammoth Donizetti Song Project, which sees him joining forces with Carlo Rizzi to revive unpublished and previously-unrecorded songs - several of them written for the composer's friends to sing at parties...
Chris introduces the latest selection, headed by a 'magnificent addition' to the Elgar Violin Concerto discography courtesy of Vilde Frang, Robin Ticciati and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin on Warner Classics.
Edition Peters' *Graded Piano Anthologies*, a collection of jazz piano duets, a variety of new Henle Verlag publications, Nigel Kennedy's *Songs My Mother Never Taught Me*, and *Open String Tunes* for beginner violinists.
The Czech soprano discusses her new recording of the *Vier letzte Lieder* with her friend Jakub Hrůša, and reflects on her recent transition into more dramatic repertoire - beginning with Káťa Kabanová at Glyndebourne in 2021.
Tord Gustavsen's *Seeing* blends jazz, folk, and classical traditions into a deeply satisfying experience. Joined by Steinar Raknes and Jarle Vespestad, Gustavsen crafts serene, structured compositions that emphasize subtle interplay, minimalist beauty, and emotionally resonant performances.
The French conductor and his dynamic ensemble shed new light on the score (given here in Süssmayr's familiar completion) by weaving in material from Mozart's youth which foreshadows ideas later developed in the Mass - including an early *Miserere* and music from *Thamos, König in Ägypten*.
This week's highlights include Michael Mayo's versatile *Fly*, Dario Miranda's chamber jazz in *La Dormiente*, Ben Wendel's vibrant live album *Understory*, and David Preston's *Purple/Black Volume 2*.