New releases

[HighlandDougie]

Due out 8 November 2024: currently sampling what's already available to stream.
Gramophone November 2024 Recording of the month.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...rks-with-piano

This arrived by post earlier, courtesy of FNAC. While I haven't had a chance to listen to any of it yet, it is a very handsomely produced set. Excellent essay by Deborah Mawer ('The complete music for piano of Maurice Ravel: a classic-romantic synthesis'), texts and translations of the songs and what look to be a promising group of musicians, soloists and singers. Somehow the downloads (or streaming) wouldn't be quite as pleasurable, although it means even less space on already over-laden shelves.

[Petrushka]

For HvK and the Berlin Philharmonic fans, the BPO label is promising this:

https://www.berliner-philharmoniker-recordings.com/karajan-edition.html?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=REC%20-%2010%20%20Weihnachtsaktion%202024%20-%20EN&utm_content=REC%20-%2010%20%20Weihnachtsaktion%202024%20-%20EN+CID_1e9e8a600cf89f46d18bf71d8277b597&utm_source=Email%20Newsletter&utm_term=Pre-order%20with%20a%2010%20discount

as a forthcoming (sometime soon?) new release. Not, alas, any sort of bargain but would make an indulgent Christmas present to oneself.

I 'pre-ordered' this set on October 28 and my money was taken immediately as shown on my bank statement. However, while hoping it would arrive in time for Christmas, there is still no sign of it and the BPO Recordings website is still - two months later - showing it as 'coming soon' and is still inviting pre-orders.

It appears that they are happy to take my money but take an unacceptable length of time in sending the goods. This is not good enough.

Has anyone else 'pre-ordered?