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Presto News - 30th November 2009Christmas Releases |
 With advent starting yesterday and Christmas fast approaching I thought I’d take the opportunity this week to fill you in with some of this 2009's best new releases with that seasonal theme in mind. And this year there seem to be a bumper crop of genuinely interesting and enjoyable things to listen to. Over recent years the Choir of Westminster Cathedral have made a number of very fine Christmas releases and this year is no exception, digging up an excellent collection of mainly Renaissance polyphony mixed with liturgical sequences from the vaults of the Cathedral. It is beautifully sung and excellently recorded by Hyperion. I’ve put the Sanctus and Benedictus from Monteverdi’s Messa a 4 da Cappella (1650) below to give you an idea.  Christmas Music Moving into the twentieth (and even twenty-first) century the Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge has produced a fascinating disc that juxtaposes contemporary Christmas music with seasonal music from the middle ages. The relationship is very appropriate as more and more contemporary composers are going back to the medieval ages to find texts for their Christmas music, and the resulting programme is challenging but seems to work well. I’ll say immediately that this isn’t a disk to have on in the background while decorating the Christmas tree, but if you sit down, read the excellent booklet and soak it up there is much to enjoy. And don’t be put of by the word ‘contemporary’ - there is plenty of very accessible and enjoyable music on here. I’ve put a lovely setting by Howard Skempton of To Bethlem did they go for you to listen to below which illustrates this (and the lovely sound which the choir make) perfectly. For a single disc presenting a mix of Christmas music from all periods and all countries it is hard to top Ex Cathedra’s new release ‘Joy in the morning’. The Birmingham based Chamber Choir sing with a warmth of sound and collective voice that is almost unmatched in the world today. It is a lovely disc which mixes well-known standards with seldom-heard rarities. I’ve chosen John Gardner's entertaining setting of The holly and the ivy to give you a flavour. And finally this years budget-priced bargain of the year has to be Naxos’s new Christmas Anthology of English composers named after the Finzi Cantata In Terra Pax. Like the Ex Cathedra disc there is a mixture of favourites and new discoveries. The Finzi Cantata is the longest work and receives an excellent performance with baritone Roderick Williams on outstanding form, and soprano Julia Doyle soaring high like the angel she portrays. The orchestra has a warm tone and the City of London Choir is excellent. The Finzi is a bit long to give you as the sample here so instead I’ve opted for William Mathias’ short Sir Christemas which shows off the choir at the energetic best. There are many other new seasonal releases worth a look and you can browse full details of them on our special Christmas page here.
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 From the vaults of Westminster CathedralThe Choir of Westminster Cathedral, Martin Baker
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 Into This World, This Day Did ComeChoir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, Geoffrey Webber |
 Joy in the morningEx Cathedra, Jeffrey Skidmore |
 In Terra Pax - A Christmas AnthologyJulia Doyle (soprano), Roderick Williams (baritone) & Mark Williams (organ and piano), City of London Choir & Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Hilary Davan Wetton |
Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
listen - Monteverdi - Sanctus & Benedictus (from Messa a 4 da Cappella 1650)New Releases30th November 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. |
 J.C. Bach - La Dolce FiammaPhilippe Jaroussky (countertenor), Le Cercle De L'Harmonie, Jérémie RhorerIn his seventh solo disc for Virgin Classics, Philippe Jaroussky explores the rarely performed operas of Johann Christian Bach, known as ‘the London Bach’. “The countertenor Philippe Jaroussky wields his sweet-toned, radiant voice to emotive effect, displaying both a rapid-fire coloratura technique and a poignant, lyrical expressiveness.” New York Times |
 IstanbulHesperion XXI, Jordi SavallFollowing the huge success of Orient-Occident and Jerusalem.... prepare yourself to cross borders! This new release is mainly based on 'The Book of Science of Music', published in 1710 by the Moldavian prince Dimitrie Cantemir, after many years spent in Istanbul. This unique manuscript enables us to discover the jewels of the Turkish traditional music. Jordi Savall already included some of its pieces in his album Orient Occident (AVSA9848), but he decided to explore it further in order to reveal the magic of the incredible city of Istanbul. This city portrait wouldn't have been complete without the fascinating Armenian and Sephardic repertoire that was also familiar in Istanbul during this time. Once again, Jordi Savall reminds us about a Golden Age of cultural dialogue, brought back to life by Hesperion XXI and outstanding Turkish and Armenian guests musicians. A Jordi Savall experience that goes beyond music… |
 Pictures Reframed - Pictures at an Exhibition & KinderszenenLeif Ove Andsnes (piano)Leif Ove Andsnes embarks on a major project which marks a new departure for the internationally acclaimed pianist. Together with South African-born visual artist Robin Rhode he has created a special programme entitled Pictures Reframed which centres around Mussorgsky's epic piano suite Pictures at an Exhibition combining music, film and still imagery. |
 Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C minor 'Resurrection'Miah Persson & Christianne Stotijn, Chicago Symphony Chorus & Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Bernard HaitinkCSO principal conductor Bernard Haitink leads a moving and noble performance of Mahler's immense Second Symphony, continuing his and the orchestra's successful exploration of Mahler's symphonies. The legendary CSO brass are at their finest, with stellar solos and ensemble playing from the woodwinds, strings and percussion.The Chicago Symphony Chorus sounds glorious in Mahler's triumphant finale, singing with sumptuous sound and immaculate diction. A musical force in Chicago and around the world, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is consistently hailed as one of the finest international orchestras. |
 Bach - Cantatas Volume 45Yukari Nonoshita (soprano), Robin Blaze (counter-tenor) & Peter Kooij (bass), Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki SuzukiWith this disc the cantata series of Bach Collegium Japan and Masaaki Suzuki reaches its 45th instalment, to ever-growing acclaim, as exemplified by a recent review regarding Volume 42: 'a recording which shows Suzuki maturing along with Bach... another fine instalment in this most consistent of series' (International Record Review). |
 Mendelssohn - Symphonies No. 1 & 4Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew LittonMendelssohn was only fifteen when he composed his First Symphony by which time he had already written twelve string symphonies. His Symphony No. 4, widely known as the 'Italian' is one of Mendelssohn's most loved compositions. The Ruy Blas overture was written for a play by Victor Hugo. The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Andrew Litton began their cycle of Mendelssohn’s symphonies with Symphony No. 2 ‘Hymn of Praise’ which was described as ‘suitably glowing’ by the reviewer in Financial Times, and ‘alert and vigorous’ in BBC Music Magazine. |
 Guide To Period Instruments200 page full colour book + 8 CD's in a magnificent BoxThis Guide to Period Instruments endeavours to answer the questions that every lover of early music has about the instruments used in these periods of music history.Text and recorded excerpts describe the origin and the development of every musical instrument from the Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century and place them in their historical context. There is a completely new presentation booklet, over 200 pages long and abundantly illustrated, as well as eight CDs of recorded examples of the instruments that shed new light upon major periods of music history.These excerpts have been drawn from the Ricercar catalogue for the most part and are completed by new recordings made for the purpose as well as by material made available to us by other specialist recording labels.This Guide to Period Instruments is a perfect synthesis of the music lover's thirst for knowledge with the sheer pleasure of hearing these historical instruments. |
 15 New Brilliant Classics releasesA great mixture of re-issues and new recordings this month, with Chamber music from Borodin and the unknown Friedrich Gernsheim, a 3 disc set of Rimsky Korsakov songs, the Complete Monteverdi Operas, Christian Thielemann conducting Schoenberg and Wagner, and the Sviatoslav Knushevitsky Edition (the latest in the labels' critically acclaimed Historic Russian Archive edition). |
 BBC Radio 3 CD ReviewSaturday 28th November 2009 |
Building a Library - A Spohr Survey |
 Spohr - Double Quartets Volume 1Forde EnsembleAnthony Burton talked to Andrew McGregor about recent recordings of music by Louis Spohr, in the 150 anniversary year of the composer’s death. A number of different recordings were played including this recent recording of the Double Quartets from the Forde Ensemble which was particularly well recommended. See our Building a Library page for a full listing of the discs played. |
Discs of the Week |
 Mahler - Symphony No 9 in D major2nd movement playedRoyal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra / Alan Gilbert |
 Mahler - Symphony No 9 in D major3rd movement playedBamberger Symphoniker / Jonathan Nott |
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