Presto Music Classical Podcast

In the midst of the awards season for classical music recordings, this week I am joined by Marina Frolova-Walker, a Russian-born British musicologist and music historian, to discuss the subject of her 2016 book Stalin's Music Prize: Soviet Culture and Politics. Marina specialises in German Romanticism, Russian and Soviet music, and nationalism in music, and is Professor of Music History and Director of Studies in Music at Clare College, Cambridge. Its a great chat, taking in some of the less well known Russian composers like Myaskovsky, Weinberg and Kabalevsky as well as the two titans, Prokofiev and Shostakovich.

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We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future topics, and guests who you would like us to talk to. Please email us at [email protected]

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This week I am joined by Professor Laura Tunbridge, whose book Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces (published earlier this year by Viking Books) offers new perspectives on the man, the music and early nineteenth-century Vienna in this, the year of his 250th anniversary. Laura guides us through the nine works that she chose for the book, offering new perspectives on some of the choices made by this complicated genius. 

www.prestomusic.com/classical

You can buy Laura's book here:

Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces
Laura Tunbridge

https://www.prestomusic.com/books/products/8719490--beethoven-a-life-in-nine-pieces

The recordings in this episode:

Beethoven: Septet, Op. 20 & Clarinet Trio, Op. 11
Berkeley Ensemble
Resonus Classics - RES10255
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8719600--beethoven-septet-op-20-clarinet-trio-op-11

Beethoven: Spring & Kreutzer Sonatas
Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin) & Lambert Orkis (piano)
DG -  4791679
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8031599--beethoven-spring-kreutzer-sonatas

Beethoven – Complete Symphonies & Concertos
Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Warner Classics – 2564637792
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7951068--harnoncourt-beethoven

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 & Choral Fantasy
Christiane Karg (soprano), Sophie Harmsen (mezzo), Werner Güra (tenor), Florian Boesch (baritone), Kristian Bezuidenhout (fortepiano)
Freiburger Barockorchester, Zürcher Sing-Akademie, Pablo Heras-Casado
Harmonia Mundi - HMM90243132
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8784812--beethoven-symphony-no-9-choral-fantasy

Beethoven: Lieder
Matthias Goerne (baritone), Jan Lisiecki (piano)
DG – 4838351
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8736187--beethoven-lieder

Jonas Kaufmann (Florestan), Nina Stemme (Leonore), Falk Struckmann (Pizarro), 
Lucerne Festival Orchestra & Arnold Schoenberg Chor, Claudio Abbado
Decca – 4782551
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7997601--beethoven-fidelio-op-72

Beethoven - The late Piano Sonatas
Maurizio Pollini
DG – 4497402
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7930708--beethoven-the-late-piano-sonatas

Beethoven: Missa Solemnis in D major, Op. 123
Lucy Crowe (soprano), Jennifer Johnston (mezzo), James Gilchrist (tenor), Matthew Rose (bass). Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique & Monteverdi Choir, Sir John Eliot Gardiner
SDG - SDG718
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8034633--beethoven-missa-solemnis-in-d-major-op-123

Beethoven - Late String Quartets
Takács Quartet
Decca - 4708492
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7933919--beethoven-late-string-quartets

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We are delighted to welcome back Rob Cowan, who was our inaugural guest back in June. Rob and Paul discuss several recent historical boxsets that collect together recordings by three American émigré artists; pianist Andor Földes, conductor Antal Dorati and violinist Isaac Stern. 

www.prestomusic.com/classical

The recordings discussed in this episode:

Andor Foldes: Complete Deutsche Grammophon Recordings
Eloquence - ELQ4841256
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8797738--andor-foldes-complete-deutsche-grammophon-recordings

Mozart, Schubert: Symphonies
London Symphony Orchestra, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Walter Susskind, Antal Dorati
Eloquence - ELQ4840353
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8813389--mozart-schubert-symphonies

The Mozart & Haydn Recordings On Mercury Living
Antal Dorati
Eloquence - ELQ4840385
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8813388--the-mozart-haydn-recordings-on-mercury-living

Isaac Stern - The Complete Columbia Analogue Recordings
Sony - 19439724252
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8793248--isaac-stern-the-complete-columbia-analogue-recordings

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This week our host Paul Thomas talks to saxophonist Jess Gillam about the motivations behind her new album "Time" and the effect that moving from the country to the metropolis has had on her.

Hailing from Ulverston in Cumbria, Jess Gillam is blazing a trail in the music world with her outstanding talent and infectious personality. In 2016 Jess was the first-ever saxophonist to reach the final of BBC Young Musician of the Year, and performed at the Last Night of the Proms in 2018, having her performance described as “the indisputable highlight” by BBC News. Jess is also the first saxophonist to be signed to Decca Classics and is about to release her second album following on the success of her debut "Rise", which was No.1 in UK Official Classical Chart. She is also a presenter on TV and Radio, becoming the youngest ever presenter for BBC Radio 3 and hosts her own weekly show called “This Classical Life”.

www.prestomusic.com

Excerpts from:

Jess Gillam - Time
Jess Gillam, Jess Gillam Ensemble
Decca - 4851065
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8792134--jess-gillam-time

Rise
Jess Gillam (saxophones)
Decca - 4834862
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8549147--rise

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Paul Thomas is joined by guitarist, broadcaster and concert organiser Tom McKinney for a wide-ranging conversation about contemporary music. As well as discussing some recent new releases the discussion touches upon performances in unconventional venues and the art of commissioning new works.

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The music discussed in the show:

Haydn: String Quartets Op. 76 Nos. 1 - 3
Chiaroscuro Quartet
BIS - BIS2348
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8777472--haydn-string-quartets-op-76-nos-1-3

Vienne 1900 – Music by Mahler, Zemlinsky, Berg & Schoenberg
Eric Le Sage (piano), Zvi Plesser (cello), Daishin Kashimoto (violin), Paul Meyer (clarinet), Emmanuel Pahud (flute)
ALPHA - ALPHA588
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8789365--vienne-1900

Here We Are
Héloïse Werner (soprano); The Hermes Experiment
Delphian - DCD34244
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8794320--here-we-are

Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time & Catlin Smith: Among the Tarnished Stars
Anton Lukoszevieze (piano), Mira Benjamin (violin), Heather Roche (clarinet) & Philip Thomas (piano)
Another Timbre - AT143
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8623053--messiaen-quartet-for-the-end-of-time-catlin-smith-among-the-tarnished-stars

Morton Feldman Piano
Philip Thomas (piano)
Another Timbre – AT144
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8676745--morton-feldman-piano

Spilled Out From Tangles
Juliet Fraser (soprano)
Huddersfield Contemporary Records - HCR23CD
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8768008--spilled-out-from-tangles

Messiaen: Catalogue d'oiseaux Books 1-7
Pierre-Laurent Aimard (piano)
PENTATONE - PTC5186670
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8404435--messiaen-catalogue-doiseaux-books-1-7

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Andrew Mellor has established himself as something of a British cultural attaché to Scandinavia since moving to Copenhagen in 2015. Well known for his contributions to BBC Radio 3's Record Review and the BBC Proms, he takes Paul on a guided tour of Denmark, Faroe, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland, discussing some of the fascinating music that has been inspiring him recently.

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Music discussed:

Nielsen: Symphony No. 3, Op. 27 (FS60) 'Sinfonia espansiva'
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra; Myung-Whun Chung
BIS - BISCD321

Sørensen, B: La mattina
Leif Ove Andsnes (piano); Norwegian Chamber Orchestra; Per Kristian Skalstad
Dacapo - 8.226095

Confessions
Nico Muhly & Teitur with Holland Baroque
Nonesuch - 7559794430

Þorvaldsdóttir: Dreaming
Recurrence - ISO Project, Vol. 1
Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Daníel Bjarnason
Dorian Sono Luminus - DSL92213

Grieg - Choral Music
Det Norske Solistkor (The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir), Grete Pedersen
BIS - BISSACD1661

Gunnar Idenstam: Songs For Jukkasjärvi
Simon Marainen (yoik/vocals), Brita Stina Sjaggo (vocals), Sandra Marteleur (violin), Thorbjörn Jakobsson (saxophones), Jonas Sjöblom (percussion), Gunnar Idenstam (organ & pre-recorded sounds)
BIS - BISSACD1868

Outi Tarkiainen: The Earth, Spring's Daughter & Saivo
Virpi Räisänen (mezzo-soprano), Jukka Perko (soprano saxophone), Lapland Chamber Orchestra, John Storgårds
Ondine - ODE13532

The Voice of Sibelius
Tom Nyman (tenor) & Tommi Hakala (baritone) YL Male Voice Choir & Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Hyökki (a cappella works) & Osmo Vänskä (accompanied works)
BIS - BISCD1433

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Paul talks to Harriet Smith about the pleasures and pitfalls that come with being a successful music critic, writing for, amongst others, Gramophone Magazine and making regular appearances as a guest on BBC Radio 3's Record Review. Paul asks Harriet to reappraise three albums that she reviewed in the past, right a wrong for a record she didn't review, and to take up the challenge of reviewing four albums in less than 24 hours.

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Our host Paul Thomas is joined by broadcaster and critic Rob Cowan to discuss recent reissues and new releases, including a mammoth Barbirolli boxset from Warner, Robert Trevino's Beethoven symphony cycle, and Michael Tilson Thomas's moving From the Diary of Anne Frank. We also hear Rob's Confessions of a Bartók Salesman and delve into his extensive interview archive for a conversation with Finnish conductor and composer Leif Segerstam.

Presto Music

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