Dennis Brain, the much-loved horn player who died tragically in a motor accident 60 years ago on the morning of 1 September 1957, was a shining example of a quiet, unassuming but supremely gifted musician in a field populated by colourful characters many of whom lacked his modesty, reserve and gentle wit. In his all…
Author: berggasse
Arturo Toscanini – the Quintessential Italian Maestro
Short, dapper and elegant, the Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini (1867 – 1957) cut a spritely figure; polite and attentive in congenial company but famous for his fiery outbursts in rehearsals, he marshalled his orchestral forces with a hitherto unheard of precision and intensity to produce a soundscape that was unmistakeably his own. In a long…
Press Releases: August 2017
George Frederic Handel Parnasso in festa Andrea Marcon, David Hansen, Robin Johannsen, Kangmin Justin Kim, Jenny Högstrom, Silke Gäng, Francesca Ascioti, Luca Tittoto, La Cetra Barockorchester Basel, La Cetra Vokalensemble Basel. PENTATONE PTC 5186643 Andrea Marcon and La Cetra sparkle in this new release from PENTATONE of Handel’s forgotten masterpiece Parnasso in festa, recorded shortly…
Maria Callas – The Voice
Photo by Ken Veeder, courtesy of Warner. Franco Zeffirelli’s new production of Puccini’s Tosca at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in January 1964 was the most hotly anticipated event in the calendar. Not only did the lavish production cost an eye-watering £32,000 but it also marked the return to the stage of the celebrated soprano…
Press Releases: July 2017
Gustav Mahler Song Cycles Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen Rückert-Lieder Kindertotenlieder Alice Coote, mezzo-sporano Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra Marc Albrecht PENTATONE PTC 5186576
Press Releases: June 2017
Ludwig van Beethoven Missa Solemnis Regine Hangler, Clementine Margaine, Christian Elsner, Franz Josef Selig. Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig Marek Janowski, conductor Released on 01-06-2017, PENTATONE PTC 5186565 “From the heart to the heart” – Beethoven’s deeply felt and visionary choral masterpiece, the Missa Solemnis The conductor Marek Janowski and the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin continue…
Press Releases: May 2017
Giacomo Puccini La Fanciulla del West Zubin Mehta, Placido Domingo, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden PENTATONE REMASTERED CLASSICS PTC 5186243 May 2017. Puccini’s late opera La fanciulla del West bristles with drama and intrigue in this newly remastered classic recording with Zubin Mehta conducting…
Press Releases: April 2017
Franz Joseph Haydn Symphonies Nos. 53, 64 & 96 Oregon Symphony Orchestra, Carlos Kalmar (conductor) PENTATONE PTC 5186612 Released on 01-04-2017 April 2017 – Whether it’s a confident swagger or a balletic grace, a beguiling folk-melody or a quicksilver rondo, there is always something new to discover in the endlessly inventive symphonies of Haydn, especially…
Press Releases: March 2017
Felix Mendelssohn Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 NDR Radiophilharmonie, Andrew Manze (conductor) PENTATONE PTC 5186595 Released on 01-03-2017 March 2017. Mendelssohn’s warmly lyrical and evocative Scottish symphony is paired with his confident and precocious first symphony for the first in a series of recordings in multi-channel surround sound for PENTATONE by the conductor Andrew Manze…
The Performance of a Lifetime: Sviatoslav Richter Plays Brahms
Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 83 Beethoven Sonata No. 23, Op. 57 “Appassionata” Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf (conductor) Sviatoslav Richter (piano) Sony G010001718537R