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Presto News - 4th August 2008Chloë Hanslip and the unfamiliar |
 It used to be the case that for a young musician to become a world star they needed the support of one of the major labels. The high profile that they would then attract, combined with the marketing expertise and money, could (if the player was really good enough) establish them on a worldwide career, during which time the major label would make up all the money they had put in upfront. That is how it used to be anyway. But now the major labels are generally not willing to make such a long-term investment and want a quicker return for their cash. The result is that the majors now concentrate mainly on already proven artists and increasing on so-called crossover artists who are easily marketable but whose actual talent is frequently somewhat limited.  Chloë Hanslip Interestingly, budget label Naxos, which started out recording major repertoire with virtually unknown artists, now does almost the complete opposite and focuses more on the unfamiliar and uses more and more famous names to do it. Violinist Chloë Hanslip is one such beneficiary of Naxos’ new philosophy and I had the chance to hear part of her next release (of virtuoso works by Italian composer Antonio Bazzini) last week. This follows her widely acclaimed recording of the John Adams Violin Concerto (which entered the UK Classical Charts at number 2) and her recent disc of Benjamin Godard’s Violin Concertos. None of this is mainstream repertoire and she will follow this next year with a disc of three violin works by Jeno Hubay. It is great that such an exceptional musician is so keen to pursue the unfamiliar. Let’s be honest, we have plenty of outstanding versions of the Beethoven and Brahms Concertos in the catalogue already and, although I’m sure Chloë would make another excellent recording, it is so much more exciting to hear her record the unusual repertoire.
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 Bazzini - Virtuoso Works for Violin and PianoReleased September 1st, but you can pre-order a copy now.Chloë Hanslip (violin) & Caspar Frantz (piano) |
 John Adams - Violin ConcertoChloë Hanslip (violin) & Charles Owen (piano), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin |
 Benjamin Godard - Violin ConcertosChloë Hanslip (violin), Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestera, Košice, Kirk Trevor |
Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
New Releases4th August 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. |
 David Oistrakh - The Complete EMI RecordingsDavid Oistrakh (violin)Continuing this week's Violinist theme, a new 17CD set of some of the finest recordings by David Oistrakh, one of the truly great violin virtuosi of recent times, born 100 years ago this September. Oistrakh was a prolific recording artist and left behind him a large legacy of incomparable recorded performances. Naturally, many of these recordings were made for Melodiya, the Soviet State recording company, but EMI worked with Oistrakh in the studio more than any other record company in the West and these recordings are not only technically superior but are of immeasurable musical worth. This unique set brings together for the first time all of Oistrakh's EMI recordings on 17 CDs. The collection includes most of the great works of the violin repertoire, both solo and concerto, and there are some fine examples of Oistrakh as a player of chamber music. |
 Bériot - Violin Concertos Nos. 2, 3 and 5Philippe Quint (violin), Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Kirk TrevorOne of the most distinguished violinists of his time, Bériot was the father of the Franco-Belgian school of violin playing. His ten violin concertos display the youthful élan and high spirits of early romanticism. Bériot combined elements of the French School charm and taste with the new pyrotechnics pioneered by Paganini. Bériot’s Concertos Nos. 2 and 3 show the immediate influence of Paganini with their brilliant displays of virtuosity and operatic melodies, while the Concerto No. 5 displays a more playful side. |
 Lully: PsychéCarolyn Sampson, Karina Gauvin, Aaron Sheehan, Colin Balzer, Boston Early Music festival Orchestra & Chorus, Paul O’Dette & Stephen StubbsThe Boston Early Music festival Orchestra, Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs join forces once again to bring to life Jean-Baptiste Lully’s captivating opera, Psyché. British soprano Carolyn Sampson takes the leading role. |
 Alfred Deller - The Complete Vanguard Recordings Volume 1 (Folk Songs & Ballads)The Alfred Deller Consort, Alfred DellerThis new reissue series “Alfred Deller: The Complete Vanguard Recordings” will make available, for the first time in over twenty years, all of Alfred Deller's Vanguard recordings. The counter-tenor’s own solo vocal work, as well as anthems, operas, songs,odes and all his roles as performer and leader of The Deller Consort will be released in six multiple CD boxed sets,comprising in total 35 discs, and restoring to the worldwide marketplace these ground-breaking and invaluable early music recordings. This first set, Folk Songs and Ballads, combines many of Deller’s most popular solo albums as well as excellent Deller Consort recordings. |
 Myaskovsky - Complete Symphonic Works Vol. 14Russian Federation Academic Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny SvetlanovI know a lot of people have bought the complete Miaskovsky Symphonies on Warner Classics but for those who have been collecting the original series and those who maybe aren’t yet ready for such an extensive collection, this is a good way to go. |
 Sibelius Complete Edition - Volume 5 - Theatre MusicGothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Osmo VänskäThis latest volume of the Sibelius Edition focuses on the orchestral music that he wrote for plays and includes both the complete theatrical scores and the suites that the composer in several cases put together from these. Incidental music for the theatre is a genre in which Sibelius’s outstanding abilities as a composer of large canvases for orchestra were combined with his equally well-honed talent for writing concise, sharply characterized portraits of characters or scenes. |
 Royer: Premier Livre de pièces pour clavecin 1746Christophe Rousset (harpsichord)A renowned harpsichordist and composer of opera, Pancrace Royer’s only book of keyboard pieces was published in 1746. The music is here performed by the internationally acclaimed soloist Christophe Rousset, an artist who is also known for being the director of the award-winning ensemble Les Talens Lyriques. |
 Reminiscences - Yuri BashmetYuri Bashmet (viola) & Mikhail Muntian (piano)This exciting release marks the first solo recital disc in some years by the world’s most celebrated violist Yuri Bashmet, and features high quality arrangements mostly not recorded before. Reminiscences is a highly personal disc of Bashmet favourites and encores played over 30 years with his long-time piano partner Mikhail Muntian (who premiered Shostakovich’s Viola Sonata). |
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