Presto CD,
Presto CD - Mercury Living Presence
For the first batch of Presto CDs in 2015, we've decided to resurrect some gems from the Mercury Living Presence series, so-named after the New York Times's chief critic Howard Taubman enthused that the revolutionary single-microphone technique developed by the Mercury engineers gave the impression of 'being in the living presence of the orchestra'.
Mostly dating from the 1950s and 60s, the thirty-one discs here represent the label in its heyday, with many recordings featuring Mercury's flagship orchestra the Minneapolis Symphony (later the Minnesota Orchestra) under the inspired leadership of Antal Doráti (their musical director from 1949-60) and his successor Stanisław Skrowaczewski, as well as several landmark performances from the London Symphony Orchestra and a generous helping of lighter fare from Frederick Fennell and the Eastman-Rochester Pops Orchestra and Wind Ensemble.
You can browse through the full range of Presto CDs here.
Mercury Living Presence
The Eastman Wind Ensemble perform Holst's two Suites for Military Band, Vaughan Williams's English Folk Song Suite, and works by Mennin, Persichetti and Herbert Owen Reed.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Rafael Kubelik conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Frederick Fennell conducts the Eastman Wind Ensemble in music by Richard Rodney Bennett, Holst, Walton, Gordon Jacob and Clifton Williams.
Available Format: Presto CD
Stanisław Skrowaczewski conducts the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in the Scottish, and Antal Dorati the London Symphony Orchestra in the Italian.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Antal Dorati conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Mandarin and the Divertimento, and members of the London Symphony Orchestra in the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Antal Dorati conducts the London Symphony Orchestra.
Available Format: Presto CD
Paul Paray conducts the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Frederick Fennell conducts the Eastman-Rochester Pops in lollipops including Benjamin's Jamaican Rumba and Percy Faith's Brazilian Sleigh Bells.
Available Format: Presto CD
Howard Hanson conducts the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra in music by James Sutcliffe, Ron Nelson and others.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Byron Janis performs the solo piano version of Mussorgsky's masterpiece, paired with Ravel's orchestration performed by Antal Doráti and the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Janos Starker plays music by JS Bach, Boccherini, Corelli, Locatelli, Valentini, Giuseppe and Vivaldi.
Available Format: Presto CD
Paul Paray conducts the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Available Format: Presto CD
Antál Dorati conducts the London Symphony Orchestra and Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in works by Auric, Fetler, Françaix, Milhaud and Satie.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Frederick Fennell conducts Eastman Wind Ensemble in marches including Colonel Bogey, Knightsbridge and The Stars and Stripes Forever.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Antal Dorati conducts the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in works including An American in Paris and the dances from Rodeo.
Available Format: Presto CD
Howard Hanson and Eastman Orchestra in music by Ginastera, McBride, Mitchell, Ron Nelson and WG Still.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Antal Dorati conducts London Symphony Orchestra in the Khachaturian and Stanislaw Skrowaczewski the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in the Shostakovich.
Available Format: Presto CD
Frederick Fennell conducts the Eastman Wind Ensemble in music by Gounod, Respighi, Sullivan and Wagner.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Antal Doráti conducts the London Symphony Orchestra.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Frederick Fennell conducts the London Pops in works including Coates's London and Four Ways Suites and Andersons's Pirate Dance and Bugler's Holiday.
Available Format: Presto CD
Paul Paray conducts the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Available Format: Presto CD
Antal Dorati conducts the London Symphony Orchestra.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Music by Edward German, Glière, Massenet, Richard Rodgers, Rossini and others, played by the London Pops and Eastman-Rochester Pops Orchestras.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Howard Hanson conducts the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra in the two Grofé suites and Victor Herbert's Cello Concerto with soloist Georges Miquelle.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Yehudi Menuhin is the soloist with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra under Antal Doráti.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Frederick Fennell conducts the Eastman Wind Ensemble in 22 of Sousa's best-loved marches, including Washington Post, Liberty Bell and Stars and Stripes Forever.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Paul Paray conducts the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in Berlioz's great phantasmagoric symphony, plus the Corsaire and Carnaval Romain overtures and two marches.
Available Format: Presto CD
Mihály Székely and Olga Szőnyi are Bluebeard and Judit, with the London Symphony Orchestra under Antal Doráti; also includes the Three Fragments from Wozzeck.
Available Format: Presto CD
Paul Paray conducts the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in works including the two suites from Bizet's L'Arlésienne and the overtures from Thomas's Raymond and Mignon.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Marcel Dupré plays the organ of St Thomas's Church New York in Franck's Trois chorals and Pièce héroïque and Widor's Symphony No. 6 and Salve Regina.
Available Formats: Presto CD, MP3, FLAC
Frederick Fennell conducts the Eastman Wind Ensemble in over two dozen marches by composers including Kenneth Alford, Henry Fillmore and Karl King.
Available Format: Presto CD
Chris O'Reilly - Chief Executive
