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Presto News - 7th December 2009El Sistema |
 Three decades ago, the visionary Venezuelan musician and politician José Antonio Abreu founded an organisation nicknamed El Sistema (The system). It is a government funded national program of music education designed as a model for social improvement, and its story is truly remarkable. I imagine a number of readers will have already heard of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela and its conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Their five recordings for DG combined with their performances around the world have already given them worldwide acclaim, but this orchestra includes just the very few top young players from Venezuela and, welcome though it is, the real aim of El Sistema is not this orchestra, but to change the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people, by giving them new hope and leading them out of the vicious circle of poverty which so many of them are in.  Gustavo Dudamel & El Sistema Paul Smaczny, (the director of the 2006 International Emmy Award winning film “Knowledge is the Beginning" about Daniel Barenboim and his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra,) has made a film about how El Sistema really functions by following three young people through their daily lives for a whole year, and it has just been released on DVD and Blu-ray by Medici Arts. The stories of these children are both moving and heartbreaking. The fear that so many of these children live in is hard to comprehend, with violence and guns part of their everyday lives, but then the fire in their eyes and the joy in their faces when they are playing their instruments seems to transport them to another world. The interviews are all very interesting, both from the children who talk with such passion and conviction about what they are doing, and from Dr. Abreu (whom the kids fondly call ‘grandpa’) who explains his aims and objectives behind the project. I think there is still a common perception in much of the world that Classical Music is an exclusive thing enjoyed only by the minority. In Venezuela, thanks to Dr. Abreu, it is the complete opposite - the one thing regardless of class and wealth which is truly inclusive, and which can be enjoyed by everyone. This documentary is superbly well put together, portraying the struggles of their everyday lives along with the hope that they find through their music. You can really understand how the experience is changing their lives for the better and it is all really very moving. It is available on DVD and Blu-ray and I have put the trailer of the film on the website to give you an idea.
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 El Sistema - DVDMusic to Change Life |
 El Sistema - Blu-rayMusic to Change Life |
Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
Watch a short trailerNew Releases7th December 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. |
Gershwin: Porgy and BessIsabelle Kabatu, Jonathan Lemalu, Arnold Schoenberg Chor & Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus HarnoncourtNikolaus Harnoncourt turns 80 in December 2009, but still has the capacity to surprise! As his birthday present to himself he fulfilled a lifelong ambition to conduct Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess, and the performances at the 2009 Graz Festival, where this recording was made, met with unanimous acclaim and delight from critics and public alike. |
 Thomas Tallis’s Secret GardenEnsemble européen William Byrd, Graham O'ReillyMore than half Tallis’ life was spent as a musician at the English Chapel Royal. During his time in royal service, four different monarchs sat on the throne: Henry VIII, Edward VI, Queen Mary I and Elizabeth I. The performers here have aimed for the intimate atmosphere of a chamber performance of the works generally with one voice to a part. |
 Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 in C minorOrchestra Métropolitan, Yannick Nézet SéguinNézet Séguin has been principal conductor of the Orchestra Métropolitan since March 2000. He is Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and in May 2009 received the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Award. “Like all good Bruckner interpreters [Nézet-Séguin] made the abrupt changes of gear sound natural and unforced, giving the impression of a mighty planet gradually orbiting around its axis” Sydney Morning Herald |
 Poulenc - Secular Choral MusicNorddeutscher Figuralchor, Jörg StraubeThis choir’s stylistic versatility is documented in numerous CD recordings and has toured extensively, appearing at many internationally renowned festivals. The disc is a fantastic representation of Poulenc’s a cappella works, performed brilliantly here, despite the technical difficulty. |
 Vivaldi: Cello SonatasRoel Dieltens (cello), Ensemble ExplorationsVivaldi was attracted to the cello for the expression it can produce, and this disc showcases his skills perfectly. Ensemble Explorations make their debut on the Etcetera label in a stunning fashion. |
 Thomas Hewitt Jones - Under Milk WoodThe Choir of Clare College Cambridge, Court Lane Ensemble, Thomas Hewitt JonesFollowing a fruitful two-year collaboration with Welsh ballet company Independent Ballet Wales, Court Lane Music presents a very special debut album of the music of award-winning British composer Thomas Hewitt Jones. BBC Young Composer of the Year 2003, Hewitt Jones’s wistful, thoughtful music has been hailed to great acclaim by audiences and critics alike. |
 The Secret LabyrinthThe Paul van Nevel & the Huelgas Ensemble CollectionPaul van Nevel, choirmaster, musicologist, and cultural historian founded the Huelgas Ensemble in the early 1970’s at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. The Ensemble has emerged as one of Europe’s main vocal ensembles dedicated to the performance of music from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. This 15 CDs boxset includes some of the most prestigious recordings available on the Sony Classical VIVARTE label and sheds light on this long-forgotten music that too often seems to lie in dark corners of European archives and libraries. |
 Vladimir Horowitz - The Complete Original Jacket CollectionVladimir Horowitz (piano)For the first time, in one essential collection – all of Vladimir Horowitz’s recordings from the golden prime of his storied career. Included are all of the pianist’s recordings for RCA Red Seal and Columbia Masterworks/Sony Classical – including 4 discs that feature the first release in any format of two complete live Horowitz recital recordings, from 1951 and 1967. Each recording from the catalogue has been restored to its original LP album format and is presented individually in a sleeve featuring the original album art. Includes spellbinding performances of essential masterpieces by Beethoven, Chopin, Clementi, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Scarlatti, Schumann, Scriabin and many more. |
 BBC Radio 3 CD ReviewSaturday 5th December 2009 |
Building a Library - Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15 in A major, Op. 141 |
 First Choice(coupled with Rayok - satirical cantata)Cleveland Orchestra, Kurt Sanderling |
Disc of the Week |
 Schubert: Winterreise D911Mark Padmore (tenor) & Paul Lewis (piano) |
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