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Presto News - 10th October 2011Pavel Haas Quartet the big winners at the Gramophone Awards |
 This year’s Gramophone Awards took place last Thursday at London’s Dorchester Hotel. Gramophone put on a really good show, mixing live performances with the giving out of awards and speeches, and while all the artists were clearly thrilled with their awards I found it particularly moving to see Dame Janet Baker so touched by her lifetime achievement award. She seemed in really good health and gave an excellent speech, picking up on the fact that Culture Secretary Ed Vaizey was in the room to point out that young artists aren’t supported today like she was in her time. Good on her!  Pavel Haas Quartet The most coveted award though is always the overall Record of the Year, and this year that went to the Pavel Haas Quartet for their recording of Dvorák’s Quartets Nos. 12 (American) and 13. The young Czech Quartet formed in 2002 and this was their fourth recording for their label Supraphon. They are clearly well-liked by the Gramophone critics as all of their previous discs have been nominated for Gramophone Awards, and one of them (their first recording in fact) picked up the Chamber Category Award back in 2007. This disc has already achieved widespread critical success gaining five-star reviews in the majority of the press and being named first choice when BBC Radio 3’s Building a Library programme surveyed all available recordings of the Op. 106 Quartet (No. 13) back in April of this year. But winning the Gramophone Record of the Year is still a big thing and this will really help propel their performance and recording career forward. It is also richly deserved. The Quartet has an obvious natural affinity with this music and much of the dance-like character common in Dvorak's music is evident throughout. But these aren’t purely instinctive performances and the players have clearly spent much time and effort ensuring that the musical line is always to the fore and that all vital musical details (often hidden in inner parts) are always heard. Intonation is spot on throughout and they play with a homogenous but still rich and varied sound throughout. It is one of those paradoxes of good string quartet playing when you want the ensemble to sound as one, but you still want to hear all the individual parts. They achieve that balance brilliantly and also succeed in offering both drive and excitement, but never at the expense of beauty. It is a terrific recording and would complement any collection. As usual you can listen to sound sample via the link below. We’ve set up a special Gramophone Awards page which lists full details of all the winners including all the special awards and the other finalists. Also worth mentioning though is that we’ve managed to negotiate special prices on the Disc of the Year and indeed all the other category winners and with discounts in some cases close to or even over 50% off it is well worth a look! We’re also offering 25% off the Pavel Haas Quartet’s back catalogue and that is well worth exploring as well.
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 Dvorak: String Quartets Nos. 12 & 13Pavel Haas Quartet |
Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
Listen - sound samples available for this itemNew Releases10th October 2011 |
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. |
 Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 & Francesca da RiminiCity of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons"Andris Nelsons, the CBSO and Tchaikovsky have become synonymous, not least on disc, and the latest in their series of recordings will be eagerly awaited after this week’s performances set down for the Orfeo label." – Birmingham Post, June 2011 |
 André Campra: Gli strali d’Amore Divertimento immaginarioRoberta Invernizzi (Leonora), Cyril Auvity (Lelio), Salvo Vitale (Il Dottore) & Fabio Bonizzoni (harpsichord & direction), La RisonanzaFabio Bonizzoni has come up with another imaginative and enticing programme for his latest Glossa release, creating an Italian pastiche with music by André Campra and starring soprano Roberta Invernizzi. This is the latest hit from La Risonanza and follows discs devoted to Handel, Lully and Alessandro Scarlatti. |
 Knudåge Riisager: The Symphonic Edition Volume 1Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Bo HoltenDacapo Records are delighted to present this world premiere recording series of the five symphonies by Knudåge Riisager. After having issued the composer's orchestral and ballet music, we have now reached Riisager's absolute key works in the devoted hands of conductor Bo Holten and the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra. The cycle opens with the virtuosic Symphony No. 1. Also featured are four lively and humorous orchestral pieces. |
 Jukka-Pekka Saraste conducts Sibelius & LutosławskiLondon Philharmonic Orchestra, Jukka-Pekka SarasteAt first glance, Sibelius and Lutosławski may seem odd bedfellows on disc, but not in this instance. This disc couples the two works for which these composers are probably best remembered. Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 and Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra. |
 Théodore Dubois: ConcertosMarc Coppey (cello) & Jean-François Heisser (piano & direction), Orchestra Poitou-CharentesThéodore Dubois [1857-1924] is today recognised as a major figure of French Romanticism confronted with modernity. Both profound and sentimental, but always clear and immediately appealing, his ideas found expression in the most varied genres. The concertante works on this CD remind us of the great artistic moments of Belle Epoque Paris before the Great War. |
 Kalinnikov: The Two SymphoniesMalaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Kees BakelsThe Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra under Kees Bakels here present the two symphonies by Russian composer Vassily Kalinnikov. In his short life Kalinnikov wrote several songs and choral and orchestral works, among which the two symphonies are the crowning glories. |
 Dvorak: Symphonies Nos. 7 & 8Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart de SWR, Roger NorringtonNorrington returns to the works of Dvořak. Both he and his SWR ensemble have ample opportunity in these works to display their unflagging virtuosity. He has previously released Dvořak’s 9th Symphony with this orchestra. |
 Mahler Symphonies Nos. 2 and 8Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Riccardo ChaillyAt Leipzig’s International Mahler Festival, to mark the centenary of Mahler’s death, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and their Music Director Riccardo Chailly performed the Second and Eighth Symphonies. Christiane Oelze (soprano) & Sarah Connolly (alto) are the excellent soloists in the Second Symphony. Both symphonies are available on a choice of DVD or Bluray. |
Watch - Video trailers available for these items BBC Radio 3 CD ReviewSaturday 8th October 2011 |
Building a Library - Tchaikovsky: Pique Dame (The Queen of Spades) |
 First Choice(only available as part of a 60 disc set. However we've managed to secure a pretty good price on it…)Georgi Nelepp (Hermann), Eugenia Smolenskaya (Lisa), Eugenia Verbitskaya (Countess), Aleksey Petrovich Ivanov (Tomsky), Pavel Lisitsian (Yeletsky), Vera Ivanova Borisenko (Polina) Orchestra & Chorus of the Bolshoi Theatre, Alexander Melik-Pasheyev |
 Single set choiceMaria Guleghina (Lisa), Gegam Grigorian (Hermann), Irina Arkhipova (Countess), Vladimir Chernov (Yeletsky), Nikolai Putilin (Tomsky), Olga Borodina (Polina), Vladimir Solodovnikov (Chekalinsky), Sergei Alexashkin (Surin), Evgeni Boitsov (Chaplitsky), Nikolai Gassiev (Major-Domo), Gennadi Bezzubenkov (Narumov), Ludmila Filatova (Governess) Kirov Opera & Orchestra, Valery Gergiev |
Disc of the Week |
 Delius: Violin Concerto, Double Concerto & Cello ConcertoTasmin Little (violin), Paul Watkins (cello), BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis |
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