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Presto News - 19th May 2008Fiesta! - Dudamel and the Venezuelans |
 For the past year Gustavo Dudamel and his Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela have been stunning audiences with their explosive Latin-American showpieces. We had dozens of requests after their televised Proms performance last year, and now (finally) they’re releasing a disc of this repertoire.  Venezuelan Youth Orchestra Founded about 30 years ago, the Venezuelan music education programme (called El Sistema) is the envy of the world. In addition to transforming the musical scene in the country - there are now over 200 youth orchestras and thirty professional ones – it has also transformed the lives of many underprivileged and at-risk youths in the process. The repertoire on the disc is nearly all South American, and it is full of excitement and variety with showpieces such as the Stravinsky-like rhythmic drive of Revueltas’s Sensemaya contrasting with the expansive lusciousness of Danzón No. 2 by Marquez and the vibrant ballet suite Estancia by Ginastera. What makes this disc particularly special is the passion and love for the music that the players bring to it. As Dudamel says “This music is our identity.” You can hear that throughout and the results are quite simply spectacular. Below, there's a link to a short video and a musical excerpt to listen to. The video shows the encore from their concert in Bonn last summer, where (as they did in their 2007 Proms concert) they have taken off their black concert jackets to reveal the bright vivid colours of the Venezuelan flag. The sound sample is the opening to the enchanting Marquez Danzón No. 2. I expect this to become one of our best selling discs of the year. Enjoy!
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 Fiesta - Latin American MagicSimon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel |
Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
watch a 5 minute video
listen Márquez: Danzón No. 2 (excerpt)New Releases19th May 2008 |
This is just the pick of the recent releases. The New Releases and Future Releases pages are always available for browsing all the new and forthcoming releases. |
 Haydn - Symphonies & DivertimentiSinfonia ClassicaA real surprise for me this one as, although the two symphonies are well known, the orchestra - Sinfonia Classica - certainly aren’t. However, the performances are excellent. A good light and focussed sound, but never boring. The players are clearly top drawer. I gather it is also being considered for a Gramophone Editor's Choice. |
 Olivier Messiaen - Chamber WorksHebrides Ensemble, William ConwayAn important disc of chamber music in this Messiaen anniversary year. Includes the first recording of Fantaisie, a work for violin and piano, thought to be lost until it was re-discovered by Yvonne Loriod-Messiaen and then published in 2007. |
 Karel Ancerl Gold Edition Vol 43The Final ChapterA bargain priced 4 CD set containing lots of interesting rare Czech music. A fitting way to end the excellent series which has promoted Karel Ancerl's status as one of the great conductors of all time. |
 The Ligeti Project - Box setPierre Laurent Aimard, Berlin Philharmonic, The Schönberg and Asko Ensembles, Reinbert de LeeuwAll five volumes of the Ligeti Project brought together for the first time, at an excellent price. Undoubtedly one of the most important composers of the late 20th Century, and these benchmark recordings are indispensable. |
 Landi: Il Sant'Alessio - DVDPhilippe Jaroussky, Max Emanuel Cencic, Orchestra and Chorus of Les Arts Florissants, William ChristieThey toured this production in 2007 and I know it created a lot of interest. We've had it on the schedule for months, but its release date has been going back and back due to a production problem. However, it is finally here and well worth the wait. |
 Everest is back - and at budget price!!15 new re-issues!An important label in the history of classical recording, Everest’s recording philosophy was to make minimally-miked three-channel recordings using the same 35 mm film recorders everywhere. They engaged the services of several major conductors including Adrian Boult, Josef Krips, Eugène Aynsley Goossens, Malcolm Sargent and Leopold Stokowski. The world premiere recording of Ralph Vaughan Williams's Symphony No. 9 in E minor was made by Everest at Walthamstow on the morning of the composer's death, August 26, 1958. Although unfortunately that one is not one of this batch of 15, I'm told there is a second batch due later in the summer. There are some very important things here though, and at such a low price you can't go wrong! |
 BBC Radio 3 CD ReviewSaturday 17th May 2008 |
Building a Library - Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35 'Marche funèbre' |
 First ChoiceNelson Freire (piano) |
Disc of the Week |
 Frederic Chopin: Piano WorksIngrid Fliter (piano) |
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