Classical August 2024

Ida Presti was a remarkable musician whose extraordinary talent and virtuosity on the guitar left an indelible mark on the world of classical music. Born 31 May 1924 in Suresnes, France, Presti began a journey as a guitarist at a young age that would ultimately shape her life and career.

As a skilled practitioner of his craft, Joseph Labitzky gained global acclaim for his waltz and polka compositions. He was a conductor and orchestra manager who transformed the musical entertainment of the spa in Karlsbad (today: Karlovy Vary) into a spa orchestra, later to evolve into the present-day Karlsbad Symphony Orchestra through his efforts and the contributions of his son, August. His programming expertise engaged audiences with a wide variety of light music, operas, symphonies, choral-orchestral pieces, and chamber music. The inherent invitation to dance within his musical creations is unmistakable!

The latest release, "Cosmic Calendar," by Ukrainian pianist and composer Marina Baranova, highlights her versatile musical prowess. Raised in a household where classical music was taught by her mother and jazz & composition by her father, Baranova was exposed to contrasting musical worlds from an early age, cultivating her skills in improvisation. A highly gifted pianist, she honed her craft in her hometown of Kharkiv (Ukraine) and later at the University of Hanover (Germany), playing with a natural ease. Baranova possesses a synesthetic talent, allowing her to perceive sounds as colors, adding a unique dimension to her music.

As a skilled practitioner of his craft, Joseph Labitzky gained global acclaim for his waltz and polka compositions. He was a conductor and orchestra manager who transformed the musical entertainment of the spa in Karlsbad (today: Karlovy Vary) into a spa orchestra, later to evolve into the present-day Karlsbad Symphony Orchestra through his efforts and the contributions of his son, August. His programming expertise engaged audiences with a wide variety of light music, operas, symphonies, choral-orchestral pieces, and chamber music. The inherent invitation to dance within his musical creations is unmistakable!

The Cleveland Orchestra will release a new audio recording of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 led by Music Director Franz Welser-Möst on August 16 as it prepares to perform the work on tour in Europe later this summer.

Regarded today as one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century, the Ukrainian-born Mischa Elman. Elman made his first records at the age of 15, and at the age of 19 – following his triumphant Carnegie Hall début – he made his first recordings for The Victor Talking Machine Company. Elman – along with Kreisler and Heifetz – made up the triumvirate of violinists that dominated record sales in the 1920s and 30s.

Die Pianistin, Komponistin und Konzeptkünstlerin Yelena Eckemoff versucht sich mit »Romance of the Moon« an einer etwas anderen, aber nicht minder geistreichen und kühnen Lösung. Als multimedialer Denker hat Eckemoff schon früher Alben gemacht, die sowohl ihre visuelle Kunst als auch Geschichten, Gedichte und Konzepte aus ihrer eigenen Vorstellungskraft einbeziehen. Diesmal präsentiert sie eine Suite von Kompositionen, die von dem großen spanischen Dichter Federico García Lorca inspiriert sind und von einem formidablen italienischen Ensemble interpretiert werden, zu dem der Bassist Luca Bulgarelli, der Schlagzeuger Stefano Bagnoli, der Gitarrist Riccardo Bertuzzi und die weltberühmte Trompetenikone Paolo Fresu gehören.

"The Russian violinist Mischa Elman (1891-1967) was born in the Pale of Settlement and is regarded by many as the original ‘Fiddler on the Roof ’. He produced one of the most glowing sounds ever made on the violin, and was known in his lifetime as ‘the violinist with the golden tone’.

An unusual artist with an unconventional résumé, pianist and electroacoustic composer Nicolas Horvath is known for his boundariesless musical explorations.

Nati Mistral (Natividad Macho Álvarez, * December 13, 1928 in Madrid; † August 20, 2017 ibid) was a Spanish singer and actress.