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Presto News - 8th September 2008Zig Zag and the Atrium Quartet |
 Any label that chooses a zebra for its logo is likely to be adventurous, bold and potentially do things that other labels don’t. And that is certainly true of French label Zig-Zag Territoires, which recently celebrated their tenth anniversary and continues to go from strength to strength. Like many successful independent classical record labels, it is the artistic vision of its creator that plots the course that the label takes, and in this case Franck Jaffrès seems to have a wonderfully adventurous mind with an astute ability to pick out both young artists and unjustly neglected repertoire.  On one level then it is a label rich of curiosities, generally superbly performed by young and fairly unknown artists (although thanks to Zig-Zag a fair number of these are now starting to become better known). However there is also a growing amount of more mainstream repertoire too, and also a growing number of artists with truly international reputations (a recent example being the widely acclaimed and Gramophone Editor’s Choice winning Beethoven Symphony cycle under Jos van Immerseel). Add into this people like Ensemble 415 and Chiara Banchini and it is certainly a label worth keeping more than a passing eye on.  Atrium Quartet Out today is a new disc of Beethoven and Shostakovich Quartets by the Atrium Quartet. They first rose to international prominence in April 2003 when they won the First Prize and the Audience Prize in the London International String Quartet Competition (held at the prestigious Wigmore Hall). Since then they have pursued a busy international touring schedule, which has also included more competition success. Indeed this disc is a result of First prize at the International String Quartet Competition in Bordeaux last year as Zig-Zag makes a disc with all the winners of that competition (Previous winners include the Belcea Quartet). I’ve listened to this disc a fair amount over the last couple of weeks and can recommend it without reservation. They play with a beautiful burnished tone, and display an acute awareness of both balance and blend. The music is played with a real understanding and particularly in the Shostakovich they get deep inside its emotional core. It is a good time to explore this disc and indeed all the treasures on Zig-Zag as we’re currently offering 25% off the whole label.
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 Beethoven & Shostakovich - String QuartetsAtrium Quartet
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 Beethoven - Complete Symphonies and OverturesAnima Eterna, Jos van Immerseel |
Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
listen Beethoven: String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major, Op. 74 'Harp' - First movement (opening)New Releases8th September 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. |
 Strauss - Four Last SongsRenee Fleming (soprano), Münchner Philharmoniker, Christian ThielemannThe dream team: Renee Fleming and Christian Thielemann, today's foremost interpreters of Richard Strauss, in a brand new recording of the Four Last Songs, plus other arias and songs by R. Strauss. Fleming recorded these songs once before, ten years ago before she had ever sung them live. Since then, these enduringly popular showcases for the soprano voice have become signature pieces for Fleming and a regular and much-loved part of her concert repertoire. With years of experience of live performances behind her, Fleming is ready now to revisit these works, bringing more insight, fresh interpretations and greater maturity. |
 Bartók - ConcertosYuri Bashmet (viola), Gidon Kremer (violin), Pierre-Laurent Aimard & Tamara Stefanovich, Berliner Philharmoniker, Pierre BoulezThe living legend: still innovative, radical and original. Pierre Boulez concludes his acclaimed Bartók Concertos project, which has received the highest accolades, with an album featuring the Viola Concerto, Violin Concerto no.1 and the Concerto for Two Pianos, Percussion and Orchestra. |
 Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-5 (complete)Evgeny Kissin (piano), London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin DavisContinuing with its series of major concerto recordings with Evgeny Kissin, EMI Classics releases the pianist’s first ever complete cycle of Beethoven Piano Concertos. Kissin is partnered in these recordings by one of the master Beethovenians of our time, Sir Colin Davis, leading the London Symphony Orchestra. |
 Martinu - The complete music for violin and orchestra Volume 4Bohuslav Matoušek (violin), Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Christopher HogwoodThis recording is the last volume of a four-disc survey of Martinu’s complete output for solo violin and orchestra, including compositions with other solo instruments. They are performed here by the orchestra in which Martinu played the violin, the distinguished Czech violinist Bohuslav Matoušek who is one of the foremost living exponents of this music, and conductor Christopher Hogwood. |
 Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50Gil Shaham (violin), Yefim Bronfman (piano) & Truls Mørk (cello)You don't often come across an established piano trio made up of three players who also each pursue high profile international careers, but that is what is on display here and the quality of music making is as you would expect quite superb. |
 Foerster - Violin ConcertosIvan Ženatý (violin), BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jirí BelohlávekFoerster was five years younger than Janacek, and his music is a late-Romantic throwback to the eras of Smetana and Dvorak, but with a harmonic sound world influenced by the chromaticism of late Wagner, early Schoenberg and Richard Strauss. The unique first recording of Foerster’s complete violin concertos in a spectacular performance by Ivan Ženatý and the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jirí Belohlávek. |
 Berlioz: Grande Messe des Morts, Op. 5 (Requiem)Ronald Dowd (tenor), |
 5 New BBC Legend releasesIncluding Janet Baker singing Mahler, Rozhdestvensky conducting Shostakovich, Rudolf Serkin playing Beethoven, Rostropovich playing Don Quixote and Sir Georg Solti conducting Wagner. No weak links here and all included in our current 25% off BBC Legends promotion. |
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