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Presto News - 17th November 2008Lost manuscripts continue to be found |
 Last month it was announced that a sketch for a lost Mozart Mass movement had been discovered in a library in the town of Nantes on the Atlantic coast of France. The score is for a Credo in D major and although it contains only 15 bars of melody with no indication of harmony or instrumentation, it is still a very important discovery not least because it gives insight into Mozart's evolving composition style and provides a clue about the role religion may have played for the composer as his life neared its turbulent end.  Recent Mozart discovery It seems that every year or so a major discovery takes place, and while in this case it is obviously more newsworthy because it is Mozart rather than because it gives us an actual new work to be performed and recorded, that is not always the case. The Haydn Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major for example was presumed lost until a copy of the score was discovered in Prague in 1961. It is now one of the standard works in the cello repertoire and is studied by almost every young cellist. Although it is rare to uncover manuscripts of that magnitude, even in the last few years some important things have come to light. Handel’s Gloria in Excelsis Deo for example was found in an unmarked book of Arias at the Royal Academy of Music in 2001, and in 2005 Bach’s aria for soprano ‘Alles mit Gott und nichts ohn' ihn’ was uncovered in a German library. Both works have now been recorded and even after the novelty value has subsided they are undoubtedly of the quality to remain regulars in the concert and recorded programmes of both composers. Some manuscript discoveries are important not because they give us new works but because they provide invaluable original sources for existing ones. The score of Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony for example was found in a carrier bag in 2004, while a working piano duet manuscript of Beethoven’s ‘Grosse Fuge’ was spotted on the bottom shelf of a cupboard in Philadelphia in 2005. Both are fascinating as they help us to understand the creative processes that the composers went through on route to the final versions. I did a post-graduate degree in musicology before getting involved in the record industry and found working with original manuscripts and sources one of the most fascinating parts – looking at a piece of paper and thinking ‘what did he have in mind when he made that mark, or wrote that note there?’ As mentioned above, the new Mozart discovery is just a fragment and therefore unlikely to ever appear on CD, but the premiere recordings of the Handel and Bach works are listed below. Although other recordings have since appeared of both works these two remain amongst the very finest.
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 Handel - Gloria in Excelsis DeoEmma Kirkby (soprano) |
 Bach, J S: Alles mit Gott und nichts ohn' ihnElin Manahan-Thomas (soprano), The Monteverdi Choir & The English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner(coupled with selections from the Cantatas) |
Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
New Releases17th November 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. |
 Vivaldi - Operas 1 Deluxe EditionChristophe Spinosi, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Jordi Savall, Alessandro de Marchi, Ottavio Dantone, etc.This luxurious, limited edition 27-CD boxed set gathers together the 8 operas so far released in Naïve’s ongoing Vivaldi Edition. Alongside Orlando finto pazzo, Juditha Triumphans, Tito Manlio, La verita in cimento, Orlando Furioso, Atenaide, L’Olimpiade, and Griselda, the set also includes Jordi Savall’s Alia Vox recording with Le Concert des Nations of Farnace plus a bonus DVD and a 208-page book. It is included in our 20% off Naïve special offer but still doesn't come cheap. Maybe an ideal Christmas gift! |
 Chopin: Piano ConcertosLang Lang (piano), Wiener Philharmoniker, Zubin MehtaA long-awaited recording: Lang Lang performs Chopin’s Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, two of the most beloved pieces in the repertoire. Lang Lang has performed these concertos for many years with many different orchestras before deciding to bring his interpretations into the recording studio. Here he is partnered by the supreme musicianship of the Wiener Philharmoniker and Zubin Mehta, who ensure that the orchestral part is far more than mere accompaniment. |
 Anna Netrebko - Souvenirs (Special Edition)Anna Netrebko (soprano)Soprano superstar Anna Netrebko steps away from the operatic stage to create her most personal and intimate album yet. Souvenirs is a gorgeous collection of short and sparkling pieces that allow Anna to display her amazing voice and temperament “This recording is like a bridal bouquet, bursting with variety and colours,” says Anna Netrebko. “I want it to create a wonderful array of emotions – passion, fun, love, tenderness.” |
 Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 4 & Wind QuintetFrançois-Frédéric Guy (piano), Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Phillipe JordanSecond volume in the cycle of Beethoven’s piano concertos performed by François-Frédéric Guy, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Philippe Jordan. François-Frédéric Guy is now firmly established as a pianist of immense interpretative authority and superlative technique. With his exceptional command of keyboard sonority he has a special gift for music of the grandest scale, such as the major works of Brahms, Liszt and Beethoven. His recording of Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” sonata for Naïve was recently picked as BBC Radio 3’s “Building a Library” choice. |
 Music of Henry Purcell - (The Complete Vanguard Recordings Volume 2)The Deller Consort, Alfred DellerMusic of England's greatest composer was a speciality of Alfred Deller. His artistry was particularly welll suited to Purcell and Deller's role in establishing the greatness of this music cannot be exaggerated. This collection includes iconic performances of solo vocal works with groundbreaking recordings of operas, sacred music and theatical works which Deller performs and conducts. Being at the forefront of the re-birth of the early music movement, he naturally attracted many of the other supreme artists of the time, all of whom went on to become great figures in their own right. |
 Sharon Kam - Works for ClarinetSharon Kam (clarinet), Lars Vogt (piano), Antje Weithaas (violin) & Gustav Rivinius (piano)Sharon Kam is possibly one of the world’s great clarinettists. On this CD, presented as a profile of her outstanding musicianship, she is joined by Lars Vogt, Antje Weithaas and Gustav Rivinius, in pieces by Hindemith, Poulenc and Debussy. |
 Vivaldi - Cello ConcertosHan-Na Chang (cello), London Chamber Orchestra, Christopher Warren-GreenHan-Na Chang’s latest album for EMI Classics is her first account on disc of Baroque repertoire, specifically cello concertos of Antonio Vivaldi. "[Han-Na] has an enviable power to move her audiences ... she’s a natural performer whose musicianship is intense, profound and astonishingly mature." The Strad |
 10 Bernstein DVDsIn remembrance of his 90th birthday Deutsche Grammophon releases 10 DVDs of the Maestro Leonard Bernstein at work. Included is the Complete Beethoven Symphony cycle he made with the Vienna Philharmonic available both individually and as a box set, as well as the symphonies of Schumann and Tchaikovsky, a disc of Copland and Ives and a disc of his own works. |
 BBC Radio 3 CD ReviewSaturday 15th November 2008 |
Building a Library - Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 60 in C major, Hob. XVI/50 |
 First Choice(coupled with Haydn Piano Sonatas Nos. 33, 35, 52 and 54)Malcolm Bilson (fortepiano) |
 Modern Instrument Choice(coupled with Haydn Piano Sonatas Nos. 59, 61 and 62)Andras Schiff (piano) |
Disc of the Week |
 Beethoven - The Piano Sonatas (Volume 8)Andras Schiff (piano) |
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