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Presto News - 13th July 2009Brilliant Classics |
 One label that is really benefiting from the current economic downturn is the Dutch label Brilliant Classics. They are renowned for licensing and reissuing many important recordings from other labels, as well as a number of previously unreleased recordings from the former Soviet Union. From the perspective of labels like EMI and DG, licensing their recordings to Brilliant is easy money for virtually no work, while from a music lover’s perspective it means there are some fantastic recordings available at very cheap prices. Not infrequently Brilliant Classics are even making recordings available that would otherwise be deleted, so while a few people still argue that they’re cheapening the value of classical music, it is hard not to celebrate the work that they do.  Rostropovich and Oistrakh Brilliant Classics began life as a pharmacy CD label in The Netherlands thirteen years ago. The CDs were initially exclusive to the chain whose 600 outlets were frequented by a clientele not known for venturing into record shops. Starting with Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, Brilliant kept the range small but brought out new CDs every two weeks which encouraged customers to keep pace with the collection. It was a fantastic idea – marketing classical music to a new audience and by all accounts selling in quite phenomenal numbers. Once established, the label soon embraced the traditional record shop outlets as well and now, with a catalogue of about 800 titles, releases some of the best value sets on the market. They licence recordings from majors and independents, and also record over 50 hours of repertoire a year themselves (primarily from fairly unknown Dutch artists, but sometimes including a few real gems). They have also become particularly known for their Complete Editions (firstly Mozart and Bach and more recently Beethoven, Haydn, Brahms, Rachmaninov, etc.) and their Historic Russian Archive Edition that now numbers twenty titles and contains many outstanding recordings from the archives of the Soviet broadcasting company, including virtually every great Russian musician of the twentieth century. I thought they were particularly worth a mention this week as they have had some really strong releases recently and we’ve also just started a 20% off special offer on the label which makes them even more outstanding value than usual. Browse Brilliant Classics Special Offer:
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Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
New Releases13th July 2009 |
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. |
 Ferguson, Finzi, Austin & Rawsthorne - Piano ConcertosMark Bebbington (piano), City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Howard WilliamsWith this important new release featuring four works for Piano & Orchestra, two of these premiere recordings, pianist Mark Bebbington and SOMM continue their intrepid exploration of British Piano Music written in the first half of the 20th century, this time with the wonderful City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under the expert baton of Conductor Howard Williams. |
 Beethoven - Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3François-Frédéric Guy (piano), Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Philippe JordanThe third and final volume in the complete recordings of Beethoven’s Piano Concerti, by François-Frédéric Guy and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under Philipe Jordan. Following the critically-acclaimed first two volumes in this series, the flourishing musical partnership continues with Beethoven’s Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3. |
 Unsuk Chin - Violin Concerto & RocanaViviane Hagner (violin), Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, Kent NaganoKorean composer Unsuk Chin, a pupil of Ligeti, is rapidly obtaining a reputation as a first class composer on an international platform (her cello concerto is being premiered at the Proms). Viviane Hagner is the dedicatee of the Violin Concerto. |
 Simon Rattle conducts Elgar & SibeliusIda Haendel (violin), City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Simon RattleOn 7 September 1993, Ida Haendel joined Simon Rattle and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for a performance of Sibelius’s Violin Concerto at the Proms. The press commented on the special experience the soloist brought to this work. “Tuesday night opened up tingling lines of communication with the past,“ wrote Edward Seckerson in The Independent. “Haendel’s direct line to Sibelius stretches back over more than 50 years of Prom appearances. She still has the fire and ice of his Violin Concerto in her bowing arm, the tone still smoulders provocatively, time and space on her side now.” |
 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4 in C minor, Op. 43Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Mark WigglesworthThis is the seventh disc in Mark Wigglesworth’s complete cycle of Shostakovich’s symphonies and the fourth to feature the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. This partnership has gone from strength to strength, with their Symphony No. 13 (‘Babi Yar’) described as ‘probably the most convincing to have appeared in the West’ in International Record Review, and the coupling of Symphonies Nos 9 and 12 being designated a benchmark recording in BBC Music Magazine. |
 Haydn - 6 Divertimenti for flute, violin & celloLuis Meireles (flute), Pedro Meireles (violin) & Ken Ichinose (cello)This CD is slightly unusual in the context of Haydn Celebrations as the repertoire recorded is less well known by the general public. The set of 6 divertimenti for flute, violin and cello has been almost completely disregarded outside the repertoire of flautists and is seldom heard in concerts. This collection of beautiful and elegant pieces is performed by Luis Meireles (flute), Pedro Meireles (violin) and Ken Ichinose (cello). |
 The Sony Opera House - 10 new re-issuesThe new mid-price opera series continues with another strong selection of titles drawn from the Sony and RCA archives. They don't come with librettos but the prices are very keen, and there are some very famous recordings amongst these. Well worth considering. |
 Monteverdi: L'Orfeo - DVDLes Arts Florissants, William ChristieThis is the first recording in the complete Monteverdi cycle with William Christie and Les Arts Florissants, made possible by a three-year collaboration between Dynamic and Teatro Real. Luigi Pizzi’s attractive and original staging is enhanced by the rich colour of 17th century costumes. The musicians - and Christie himself - also perform in costume, with the conductor clad in a flowing red cloak and white ruffed collar. |
 BBC Radio 3 CD ReviewSaturday 11th July 2009 |
Building a Library - Handel: Acis and Galatea |
 First ChoiceSusan Hamilton, Nicholas Mulroy, Thomas Hobbs, Nicholas Hurndall Smith & Matthew Brook, Dunedin Consort & Players, John Butt |
Disc of the Week |
 Piotr Anderszewski at Carnegie HallPiotr Anderszewski (piano) |
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