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Presto News - 28th December 2009Anniversaries - 2009 and 2010 |
 Without any new releases to inspire me this week, I thought I’d take the opportunity to sum up some of my personal highlights from 2009, and give you an idea of what to expect from 2010.  Frederic Chopin 2009 has been a big year for composer anniversaries with Purcell, Handel, Haydn and Mendelssohn (as well as several others) all reaching major landmarks this year. To be honest it has been more re-issues rather than new recordings which have dominated these composers’ releases. But there have been a number of notable new recordings as well. Purcell year got off to a flier with a stunning Dido and Aeneas featuring Sarah Connolly which came out back in January and has been one of our best sellers of the year. Handel has been well served throughout the year by the ongoing Italian Cantata series from Fabio Bonizzoni on Glossa which reaches Volume 6 in a couple of weeks time. These are great works, superbly performed, many of which I didn’t know at all. I find it very refreshing that, even with a composer as well known as Handel, there are corners of his repertoire still largely unknown which really do merit re-discovery. I had hoped that 2009 would see a burst of recording activity around Haydn’s operas, but it seems that in the current economic climate that was a bit optimistic. However, there have been some notable achievements, not least René Jacobs' vivid and dramatic Creation and Marc-Andre Hamelin’s second volume of Piano Sonatas. And a recording of Mendelssohn’s Organ Sonatas from William Whitehead opened my ears to some very attractive and sometimes quite sumptuous music. Looking ahead, 2010 brings with it notable anniversaries for Schumann and Chopin (both born in 1810), Mahler (born 1860), and Barber (born 1910) whilst there are also a number of Baroque composers like Pergolesi and Scarlatti (Alessandro) who also reach landmarks. Both EMI and DG have Chopin boxes coming out shortly and I’ll tell you more about those in a few weeks. Meanwhile the Gergiev Mahler cycle with the LSO continues and I know that a couple of labels have Mahler Editions planned for later in the year as well. I'm looking forward to hearing more Barber as I'm embarrassed to say that I can only think of a handful of his works that I know! I know a lot of you have been taking advantage of our huge Box Set Sale in the run-up to Christmas with around 1,000 boxes at discounts of up to 40%. Just a reminder then that this special offer ends in two days time (Wednesday 30th December) so make sure you get your final orders in before then in order to enjoy these very special prices. It only remains for me to wish you a happy end to the year, and a successful and musically fulfilling 2010.
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 Purcell: Dido and AeneasSarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano), Gerald Finley (baritone), etc, OAE, Steven Devine and Elizabeth Kenny.
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 Handel: Italian Cantatas Volume 6 - Olinto, pastore arcade (1708)Roberta Invernizzi, Yetzabel Arias Fernández (sopranos), Romina Basso (alto) & Fabio Bonizzoni (harpsichord & direction), La RisonanzaScheduled for release on 11 January 2010 |
Haydn: The CreationJulia Kleiter (soprano), Maximilian Schmitt (tenor) & Johannes Weisser (bass), RIAS Kammerchor & Freiburger Barockorchester, René Jacobs |
 Haydn: Piano Sonatas Volume 2Marc-André Hamelin (piano) |
 Mendelssohn: Organ Sonatas Nos. 1-6, Op. 65William Whitehead (organ in the Ballroom, Buckingham Palace) |
Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
listen - Purcell: When I am laid in earth (Dido)2009 Best Sellers |
With no new releases out this week, I thought you might be interested to see our top ten best-selling new releases of 2009. There aren't any huge surprises and they are almost all things which I have picked up on during the year in these weekly newsletters. The new release section will be back as usual next week, but in the mean time the New Releases and Future Releases pages are always available for browsing all the new and forthcoming releases. |
 Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1-4 (Complete)Berliner Philharmoniker, Simon Rattle |
 Cecilia Bartoli - Sacrificium (Hard Cover Book Deluxe Version)Cecilia Bartoli, Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini |
 JerusalemCity of the two peaces: Heavenly peace and Earthly peaceLa Capella Reial de Catalunya, Hespèrion XXI (Andrew Lawrence-King, Pedro Estevan, Arianna Savall, Pierre Hamon, Montserrat Figueras...) Jordi Savall |
 Puccini: Madama ButterflyAngela Gheorghiu (Butterfly), Jonas Kaufmann (B.F.Pinkerton), Enkelejda Shkosa (Suzuki), Fabio Capitanucci (Sharpless), Gregory Bonfatti (Goro) & Raymond Aceto (Bonzo), Orchestra e Coro dell’Accadmia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Antonio Pappano |
 Bach, J S: Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 1-6 BWV1046-1051 (complete)Academy of Ancient Music, Richard Egarr (harpsichord & direction)
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 James Ehnes - HomageCD/DVD tribute to 12 of the world’s finest instruments |
 Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-10 (Complete)Isabelle Faust (violin) & Alexander Melnikov (piano)Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov have long cherished the prospect of recording the ten sonatas for violin and piano composed between 1797 and 1812. And the behind-the-scenes bonus documentary filmed on this occasion, gives an insight into the impressive work on documentation and interpretation that enabled them to get as close as possible to the composer's intentions. |
 Rachmaninov - 24 PreludesSteven Osborne (piano)
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 Handel: Italian Cantatas Volume 5 - Rome, (1707)Fabio Bonizzoni (harpsichord & direction), Roberta Invernizzi (soprano), Yetzabel Arias Fernández (soprano) & Romina Basso (alto), La RisonanzaIn May 1707 George Frideric Handel entered into the service of the Marquis Francesco Maria Ruspoli, and under his protection, embarked upon a tremendous career. As well as making a name for himself as a spectacular virtuoso on the harpsichord and organ, through his plentiful concerts in the Roman academies, Handel lost no time in also becoming a highly sought-after composer through his felicitous and apparently inexhaustible inspiration. |
Purcell: Dido and AeneasSarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano), Gerald Finley (baritone), etc, OAE, Steven Devine and Elizabeth Kenny.
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Watch a short preview video BBC Radio 3 CD ReviewSaturday 26th December 2009 |
Building a Library - Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 'Choral' |
 First ChoiceRecorded live at the Festival Hall, London, 15.11.1957Aase Nordmo-Løvberg, Christa Ludwig, Waldemar Kmentt, Hans Hotter, Philharmonia Chorus & Orchestra, Otto Klemperer |
 Modern ChoiceLive performance from the 1996 Salzburg Easter FestivalJane Eaglen, Waltraud Meier, Ben Heppner and Bryn Terfel, Berlin Philharmonic, Claudio Abbado |
Disc of the Week |
Haydn: The CreationJulia Kleiter (soprano), Maximilian Schmitt (tenor) & Johannes Weisser (bass), RIAS Kammerchor & Freiburger Barockorchester, René Jacobs |
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