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Presto News - 23rd June 2008The French Baroque - 200 Years of Versailles |
 Back in the mid-1980s, when the so-called “Baroque revival” was in full swing, the French had the foresight to realise that if their rich offering was going to be fully explored they needed some organised way of doing so. Thus, in 1987 the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles (CMBV) was founded with the role of researching, documenting, publishing, educating and also performing this wonderful treasure chest of music.  Palace of Versailles Twenty years later, the tireless activities of the CMBV has resulted in many of the otherwise neglected masterpieces written in and around Versailles between 1600 and 1800 being performed and recorded throughout the world. To celebrate this the CMBV has just released a bargain priced 20 CD box set containing recordings made during their twentieth anniversary celebrations last year. It is a fabulous set and over the last couple of weeks I have listened to almost all of it. It is very cleverly put together working chronologically through from Louis XIII to Louis XVI, but also contains recordings made by all the different generations of musicians who have been so important in bringing this revival in the French Baroque about. There are recordings by the early pioneers (like William Christie), their disciples (including Christophe Rousset, Philippe Pierlot and Christophe Coin) as well as the new generation (represented by the likes of Patrick Cohën-Akenine and Jérémie Rhorer). I’ve found it a real voyage of discovery going from the lute songs and early mass settings, through the early French operas and music written for the Chappelle Royale, to the grand motets, symphonies, chamber music and early piano works of the late eighteenth century. It comes with an excellent booklet giving full texts and short but informative summaries of the importance of each disc. I have to be honest, I didn’t enjoy all the performaces, but I did enjoy the vast majority and also found several new works which I hadn't even heard of. And with singers like Veronique Gens and Bernarda Fink combined with some of the names mentioned above, and at a price of under 3 pounds a disc it is hard to go wrong.
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 Versailles - 200 Years of MusicThe music spans the period of the reigns of Louis XIII to Louis XVI including symphonies, opera arias, masses, motets, sonatas, concertos and ballet music, from the pens of Boesset, Lully, Charpentier, Marais, Couperin, Lalande, Rameau, Mondonville, Campra, Gretry, Philidor and more. |
Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
New Releases23rd June 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. |
 Deutsche Harmonia Mundi - 50th Anniversary EditionFrom one bargain priced Baroque boxed set to another… A beautifully-packaged 50-disc box set, released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, one of the most important and adventurous early music labels. 50 classic recordings of baroque and ancient music, chosen to represent the breadth of this huge and varied catalogue. Each disc is slip-cased with artwork replicating the original CD or LP artwork. Includes a booklet with a detailed history of the label and its artists. |
 My Heart Alone - |
 Otto Klemperer - The Last Concert (Beethoven and Brahms)New Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto KlempererThe concert of 26 September 1971 was never intended to be Klemperer’s farewell to ‘live’ musicmaking. In his 87th year this conductor was keen to remain an active music maker. He had just overridden EMI’s choice of Fiordiligi in his new Così fan tutte recording (he wanted, and got, Margaret Price), approved Lorin Maazel as guest conductor of the New Philharmonia, and was keen to be present at player auditions. |
 Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro, K492Mirella Freni, Heinz Blankenburg, Gabriel Bacquier, Leyla Gencer, Edith Mathis & Carlo Cava, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & The Glyndebourne Chorus, Silvio VarvisoLe nozze di Figaro has been Glyndebourne’s ‘signature’ opera since the company was founded in 1934. To the social satire of Beaumarchais’s original play da Ponte added the sparkling bustle of Italian intrigue, and Mozart a miraculous, fizzing score whose music rings variations on the pains, pleasure and follies of the human heart. This recording dates from the 1962 Festival with a vintage cast. |
 Prokofiev: Betrothal in a MonasteryViascheslav Voynarovskiy, Andrey Breus, Lyubov Petrova, Alexandra Durseneva, Vsevolod Grivnov, Nino Surguladze, Sergei Alexashkin & Alan Opie, London Philharmonic Orchestra & The Glyndebourne Chorus, Vladimir JurowskiProkofiev composed his last complete opera, Betrothal in a Monastery, as the Nazis were invading Russia and the country descended into a period of political repression and terror. However, the opera, a romantic comedy loosely based on Richard Sheridan’s 1775 play, The Duenna, was according to Shostakovich ‘one of Prokofiev’s most radiant and buoyant works’. Recorded live at Glyndebourne on 12, 15 & 22 August 2006. A recording of a rarely performed work with consummate Russian conductor and cast. |
 Musique Pour Mazarin!Elizabeth Dobbin (soprano), Le Jardin SecretThe debut recording by Le Jardin Secret, winners of both the first prize and audience prize at the Early Music Network Young Artists Competition 2007. This talented young ensemble consisting of soprano, harpsichord, theorbo, viola da gamba and baroque cello, present a delightfully varied programme featuring a diverse mixture of French and Italian music that would have been heard at the court of the flamboyant Cardinal Jules Mazarin. |
 New EMI 'Icons' Series celebrating some of great artists to have recorded on the illustruious labelThis new series pays homage to some the greatest recording artists of the recent past. The first seven titles showcase the arts of Dennis Brain, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Solomon, Giuseppe di Stefano, Mirella Freni and Janet Baker, with a further release featuring Andres Segovia to follow in early July. A subsequent batch to be released in September will feature the EMI recordings of Sviatoslav Richter, Victoria de los Angeles, Jascha Heifetz, Alfred Cortot and Jussi Bjorling. |
 BBC Radio 3 CD ReviewSaturday 21st June 2008 |
Building a Library - Borodin: Symphony No. 2 in B minor |
 First Choice (studio recording)(coupled with Symphony No. 1 in E flat major and In the Steppes of Central Asia)Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy |
 First Choice (live recording)(coupled with Rimsky Korsakov: Sheherazade, Op. 35)Concertgebouw Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin |
 Budget Choice(coupled with Symphonies 1 and 3)National Philharmonic Orchestra, Loris Tjeknavorian |
 Budget Choice(coupled with Symphony No. 1)The USSR Symphony Orchestra, Evgeni Svetlanov |
Disc of the Week |
 Sibelius: Kullervo, Op. 7Soile Isokoski (soprano) &Tommi Hakala (baritone), YL Male Voice Choir & Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Leif SegerstamThe work is based on the legend of Kullervo in the epic Kalevala, which tells the mythic history of the ancient Finns.The huge success of the 1892 première in Helsinki, with Sibelius conducting the Helsinki Philharmonic, turned out to be the big breakthrough of the great Finnish composer's career - a true national hero. |
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