December 2010

‘The appearance of Drosselmayer evoking that equivocal feeling of awe,

glee and suspicion, the battle engaged with gusto’ Geoffrey Norris on Sir Simon Rattle’s recording of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker with the Berlin Philharmonic, reviewed on page 77

Letters Jussi Björling remembered

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editor’s choice The irresistible music of Eric Whitacre; Paul Lewis and Steven Osborne join forces; Sir John Eliot Gardiner concludes his epic

Bach cantata series

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S o u n d b i t e S

For the record Universal pledges a new focus on classical music; lost Vivaldi score uncovered;

record-breaking Stradivarius sale

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a conversation with… …Gilmore Prize winner Kirill Gerstein

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diary Edward Higginbottom on the pride and perils of creating a new record label for his

Choir of New College, Oxford

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one to watch Landing the assistant conductorship of the

Hallé bodes well for Andrew Gourlay

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richard eyre Sometimes silence is the most eloquent music

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PhiLiP Kennicott Elı¯na Garan∂a has certainly arrived

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recordings on triaL How magic is Sir Thomas Beecham’s famous recording of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte? Stand by for a fierce debate from our critics

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F e A t u R e S

ARVO PÄRT SPEAKS The reclusive composer prefers his music to do the talking, but he gave us an exclusive

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the King’s singers Good music, say these superstar vocalists, is good music. Try categorising the new album.

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PicK oF the christmas discs Fabrice Fitch picks out a festive shopping list

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critics’ choice Gramophone’s reviewers pick the recordings that they’ll be giving as Christmas presents

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the gramoPhone coLLection Finding the finest recording of Mahler’s

Tenth Symphony

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The King’s Singers have had many line-ups over the years, but all shared a philosophy 40

e n C o R e musicaL journeys They’re playing piano in the streets of New Ross; the Chopin Competiton in Warsaw

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PicK oF the musicaL month Tanayev in Berlin to Bartók in Tel Aviv

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audio and visuaL The rise of 3D TV (and whether it’s worth it); storing music digitally with Marantz

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my music Mission Impossible composer Lalo Schifrin

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A rare interview with Arvo Pärt

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www.gramophone.co.uk

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