al MICHL, J.C.W.: Quartets Nos. 1-6 for Bassoon, 2 Violins and Cello (Hoadley, The Hall String Trio) (8.574054) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Upon hearing a chamber piece by Joseph Michl in Munich in 1772 the English composer and music historian Charles Burney wrote, ‘I hardly ever heard a composition that discovered more genius and invention.’ Even though Michl achieved success writing for the operatic stage and his contemporary reputation rested on his sacred works, the Bassoon Quartets present the epitome of urbane sophistication—elegantly constructed and full of imaginative detail—and at times resembling miniature concertos. Full Article
al MARTINI, G.B.: Azione teatrale / Richiami degli ambulanti al mercato di Bologna (Contro, Troilo, Coro da Camera Euridice, Circe, Scattolin) (TC701307) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al MAGNARD, A.: Orchestral Works - Ouverture / Chant funèbre / Hymne à la justice / Hymne à Vénus (Freiburg Philharmonic, Bollon) (8.574084) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Although Albéric Magnard’s oeuvre is relatively small, the uncompromising perfectionism with which he worked created a catalogue that is filled with expansive, complex and beautifully crafted music. Composed while he was still a student of Vincent d’Indy, the Suite d’orchestre dans le style ancien follows 18th-century models and is simultaneously solemn and joyful in mood, while the Chant funèbre is seen as his first true masterpiece. The importance of justice in Magnard’s life is expressed in the Hymne à la justice, while the Hymne à Vénus reflects every aspect of love, from tenderness to elation. Full Article
al KORNGOLD, E.W.: Opera Highlights and Orchestral Works - Das Wunder der Heliane / Märchenbilder / Die tote Stadt (Linz Bruckner Orchestra, C. Richter) (C7350) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al Impressions of China - Winning Works from the 2018 Huang Zi International Chinese Piano Composition Competition (G. Luisi) (8.579070) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT All of the works in this programme were prize winners in the hotly contested 2018 Huang Zi International Chinese Piano Composition Competition, an event marking the 80th anniversary of the death of this influential composer and educator. Themes explored include the charm and unpredictability of China’s landscape, alongside elements of Chinese musical and theatrical aesthetics. Joint First Prize winners were Emile Naoumoff, whose Celestial Parade describes the composer’s wonderful experiences while in Shanghai, and Zhiliang Zhang, whose Qiao Ling Liu Dan portrays six widely differing ‘Dan’ or female characters in Sichuanese opera. Full Article
al Harp Recital: Plachá, Barbora - KRUMPHOLTZ, J.-B. / DUSSEK, J.L. (Works for Harp) (UP0216) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al Guitar Recital: Egholm, Jonas - BERGNER, Y.L. / CHRISTENSEN, J.J. / FRANDSEN, J. / GLERUP, R. / HEGAARD, L. / HOLMEN, J. / NIELSEN, M. (Educate-S) (8.226615) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al Guitar Recital: Aguiar, Pedro - PEREIRA, M. / GNATTALI, R. / REIS, D. / GAROTO / GUINGA / GARCÍA AGUILERA, J. de D. / VILLA-LOBOS, H. / ASSAD, S. (8.574069) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Rooted in European music, native folk traditions and often infused by jazz, Brazilian music encompasses a huge variety of dance forms and songs. Prize-winning guitarist Pedro Aguiar has selected a panoramic recital to illustrate these elements which include the choro and music rich in melody and rhythmic vitality. From Villa-Lobos, whose Choros No. 1 is one of the most popular guitar solos ever written, through to the work of the revered Dilermando Reis, and on to contemporary examples of the genre, this is music of dazzling virtuosity and finesse. Full Article
al DOHNÁNYI, E.: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 (Gülbadamova, Rheinland-Pfalz State Philharmonic, Matiakh) (C5387) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al COLOMBIA Son Real Orchestra: Salsa (EUCD2900) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al CLASSICAL MUSIC - 30 of the Best (8.578355-56) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT This introduction to the exciting world of classical music will take you on a voyage of discovery as you experience the beauty and drama of some of the most famous music ever written. This essential collection presents something for every moment: excitement, relaxation, elation and more, with critically acclaimed recordings selected from the vast Naxos catalogue. Let your mind and emotions be transported by the greatest music from the greatest composers. Full Article
al CLARKE, N.: Mysteries of the Horizon / Dial 'H' for Hitchcock / Swift Severn's Flood (Vanhoorne, Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Thornton, Clarke, S.Smith) (8.574097) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Nigel Clarke has always been fascinated by virtuosity and timbre—it is the brass band genre that has lent itself most to his passion for musical athleticism. Dial ‘H’ for Hitchcock is an imaginary film score in the film noir vein, complete with classic and chilling sound effects, while the heroic, brooding and violent Swift Severn’s Flood was inspired by a line from Shakespeare. Cornet concerto Mysteries of the Horizon examines the atmosphere of paintings by René Magritte, and Earthrise celebrates one of the most iconic photographs in history and the drama of the Apollo 8 mission. Full Article
al ČIURLIONIS, M.K.: Sea (The) / In the Forest / Kęstutis Overture (Lithuanian National Symphony, Pitrėnas) (ODE1344-2) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al CHOPIN, F.: Scherzos Nos. 1-4 / Impromptus Nos. 1-3 / Fantasy-Impromptu / Allegro de concert (Mao Fujita) (8.574052) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Chopin turned the Scherzo into a new form of piano composition: an independent virtuoso work which he laced with drama, Polish folk song, tranquillity and nuance. With their rhythmic lilt and filigree ornamentation the Impromptus are infused with Romantic freedom, while the Allegro de concert, Op. 46 was originally conceived as a movement for a projected piano concerto but was instead revised for solo piano. Full Article
al Cello, Soprano and Piano Recital: Ruh, Janina / Kusnezow, Boris - POULENC, F. / DEBUSSY, C. / FRANCK, C. (Dialogues) (SWR19030CD) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al BRAHMS, J.: Piano Concerto No. 2 / Handel Variations (Vogt, Royal Northern Sinfonia) (ODE1346-2) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al BOITO, A.: Mefistofele [Opera] (F. Furlanetto, Filianoti, Theodossiou, Zaramella, Palermo Teatro Massimo Chorus and Orchestra, Ranzani) (CDS581) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al BERNSTEIN, L.: Songfest / GERSHWIN, G.: An American in Paris (Wolf Trap Opera, National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic, Judd) (8.559859) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT An American in Paris is one of Gershwin’s most vivacious works, an orchestral ballet saturated in homesickness and the blues. This recording, however, uses the new 2019 critical edition and offers Gershwin’s original orchestration, unheard for 75 years—leaner, more angular and transparent, it also employs the correct use of the iconic taxi horns, for a new sonic experience. The breezy vitality of Copland’s An Outdoor Overture is balanced by Bernstein’s Songfest—written to celebrate the Bicentennial Year in America, setting the verses of 13 of the country’s poets. Full Article
al BEETHOVEN, L. van: Mass in C Major / Vestas Feuer / Meeresstille und Glückliche Fahrt (Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis, Turku Philharmonic, Segerstam) (8.574017) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT The custom of marking the name-day of Princess Esterházy with a newly composed Mass began in the 1790s and for many years was carried out by Joseph Haydn. In 1807 Beethoven was commissioned and responded with his Mass in C major. Coolly received at court, it is a celebratory work of large-scale brilliance. The cantata Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt is set to Goethe’s poems and contrasts calm with exuberance. In 1803 Beethoven set two numbers from Vestas Feuer, written by Emanuel Schikaneder, the librettist of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. Full Article
al BEETHOVEN, L. van: Chamber Music - Piano Quartet, Op. 16 / Minuets and Dances (Sofia Kim, Kroh, Segal, Sarid, IU Wind Ensemble, Dorsey) (8.574040-41) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT In his first decade in Vienna, Beethoven seems to have been preoccupied with music for wind instruments. The best-known example is his Quintet in E flat major, Op. 16, which he arranged at the same time for piano quartet. He also wrote music for dances and settings of folk songs, and reflected the public’s interest in automata by writing for musical clock. The Napoleonic wars were mirrored in Beethoven’s music of the period, especially in his military compositions such as a series of Marches and the Equali, scored for trombones, which were later played at his funeral. Full Article
al BEETHOVEN, L. van: Celebrate Beethoven - Music from His Late Compositional Period (c.1815–1827) (9.30207) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al BALZAC, H. de: Cousin Bette (Unabridged) (NA0458) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Lisbeth Fischer has lived in the shadow of her beautiful cousin Adeline for much of her life. Pampered while Lisbeth works in the fields, Adeline makes an enviable leap in status when Baron Hulot offers her his hand in marriage. Out of kindness, they bring Lisbeth to Paris, where she falls in love with the artist Wenceslas, her protégé. However, when she is jilted for Adeline’s daughter Hortense, her jealousy and rage exponentially intensify, and she resolves to bring the Hulot family to ruin, employing the cold seductress Valérie Marneffe as her vehicle for revenge. A classic tale of obsession, self-destruction and unabated desire, Cousin Bette is a blazing portrayal of libertine France, and the fatal excesses which drive the novel to its dark end. Full Article
al BALADA, L.: Clarinet Works - Caprichos Nos. 6 and 7 / Double Concerto (Ivanov, Rominski, Polaczyk, Eryılmaz, Larson) (8.579056) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Barcelona native Leonardo Balada’s creative style has been labelled ‘Dalí’s surrealism in music’—an aspect of his work explored in this programme through the technique of ‘sound transformation’ in which abstract musical materials become familiar melody. Fusing traditional and contemporary elements, Caprichos Nos. 6 and 7 engage intimately with Spanish culture and history, while the virtuoso Double Concerto, heard here in an arrangement for flute, clarinet and piano, blends well-known Mexican folk tunes with the composer’s distinctive avant-garde style. Full Article
al Vocal and Piano Recital: Fingerlos, Rafael / Mouissi, Sascha el - BRAHMS, J. / SCHUBERT, F. / WOLF, H. / STRAUSS, R. / SCHUMANN, R. (Fremde Heimat) (OC1711) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al VIVALDI, A.: Four Seasons (The) / VERDI, G.: I vespri siciliani: Le quattro stagioni (R.M. Minasi, La Scintilla Orchestra) (PHR0112) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al VITALI, G.B.: Sonate, Op. 5 (Italico Spendore) (TC623305) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al Violin Recital: Arnoldi, Roberto - ANZAGHI, D. / ARNOLDI, N. / GARBARINO, G. / SPINOSA, R. / VACCHI, F. (New Music for Solo Violin) (TC940003) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al TCHAIKOVSKY, P.I.: Sacred Choral Works - Vesper Service / Hymn in honour of SS Cyril and Methodius (Latvian Radio Choir, Kļava) (ODE1352-2) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al SKORYK, M.: Violin Concertos (Complete), Vol. 2 - Nos. 5-9 (Bielow, Ukraine National Symphony, Sirenko) (8.574089) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT Myroslav Skoryk is one of Ukraine’s leading composers and teachers, with a portfolio of works that include opera, a symphonic transcription of Paganini’s Caprices, and a cycle of nine violin concertos written over a 45-year span (Volume 1 is on 8.574088). Concerto No. 5 utilises jazz elements and a vivid fugato, while Concerto No. 6 explores the use of sensual moods and provocative dance rhythms. Syncopation and lyricism suffuse Concerto No. 7, while No. 9 is both touching and dramatic. Concerto No. 8 offers a representation of events in Chopin’s life through quotations, in combination with Skoryk’s own distinctive musical voice. Full Article
al SIERRA, R.: Cantares / Loíza / Triple Concierto (Trío Arbós, Cornell University Chorus and Glee Club, Xalapa Symphony, Marcelletti) (8.559876) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT Roberto Sierra’s refined compositional voice is subtly combined with contemporary musical techniques and his Puerto Rican heritage in the three works recorded here. Cantares, commissioned by the Cornell University Chorus and Glee Club to celebrate the university’s sesquicentennial anniversary, evokes ancient Peruvian, Aztec and Afro Caribbean voices lost in time. The virtuoso Triple Concierto transforms the popular Caribbean rhythms of salsa, bolero and merengue into complex contemporary expressions, while the polyrhythmic layers of Loíza conjure a Puerto Rican town known for its strong African traditions. Full Article
al Piano Recital: Choni, Dmytro - DEBUSSY, C. / GINASTERA, A. / LIGETI, G. / PROKOFIEV, S. (8.574136) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT The Ukrainian pianist Dmytro Choni, winner of the 2018 Paloma O’Shea Santander International Piano Competition, has selected a programme that spans the 20th century. The first book of Debussy’s Images offers poetic evocation and virtuoso caprice, whereas Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 6, completed in 1940, is the first of his ‘War Sonatas’, characteristically contrasting rhythmic vitality with rich lyricism. Ginastera, too, supplies vivid intensity in his Piano Sonata No. 1 suggesting the sound of the guitar, while Ligeti’s Étude is a Debussyian evocation of a rainbow. Full Article
al Opéra-Comique Overtures - BOIELDIEU, F.-A. / DELIBES, L. / GOUNOD, C.-F. / HALÉVY, F. / HÉROLD, F. / LECOCQ, C. (Vienna Radio Symphony, M. Halász) (8.574122) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT Opéra-comique emerged in the 19th century as an intermediary between grand opera and burlesque operetta. This album charts its progression as a distinct genre, tracing the origins from Boieldieu and Méhul early in the century via the classic vitality of masters such as Hérold and Maillart into the operetta style of Offenbach and Lecocq. With innovative features, colourful orchestration, drama, wit and atmospheric writing, the operas proved very popular and these overtures encapsulate their immense vivacity and charm. Full Article
al HAYDN, J.: 6 Original Canzonettas, Books 1 and 2 / Lieder (Britain's Glory) (Horak, R. Fuller) (Gramola99212) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al HANDEL, G.F. / GLUCK, C.W.: Opera Arias for Soprano (Care Pupille) (Mariño, Halle Handel Festival Orchestra, Hofstetter) (C998201) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al FRANCK, C.: Psyché (version for choir and orchestra) / Le Chasseur maudit / Les Éolides (RCS Voices, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Tingaud) (8.573955) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT César Franck was a childhood prodigy who gained later renown as an organist and teacher. His compositions received scant attention until the success of Le Chasseur maudit, a symphonic morality tale that vividly portrays the ‘accursed huntsman’ from his defiance of the Sabbath to a dramatic chase and a horrific fate. Les Éolides is infused with Wagnerian colours and depicts the mythological Aeolids as they reawaken nature with their song. Franck’s lushly orchestrated final symphonic poem Psyché expresses the power of love in dreams and a passionate union. Full Article
al Flute Music - CASTALDI, P. / COSMI, G. / DAVISMOON, S. / FANTICINI, F. / MORRICONE, E. / PROCK, S. / TACCANI, G.C. (Flute XXI) (Fabbriciani) (TC980090) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al Flute and Piano Recital: Mazzoli, Filippo / Dang, Nathalie - LEFORT, A. / MASSON, L. / MORET, E. / SEITZ, A. (Chant dans la nuit) (CDS7862) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al Cello Quartet Recital: Kolophonistinnen (Die) - BRAMBÖCK, F. / STRAUSS I, J. / STRAUSS II, J. / SHOSTAKOVICH, D. / TANSMAN, A. (Heldinnenleben) (Gramola99218) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al ART OF OHAD NAHARIN (THE), Vol. 2 - Sadeh21 [Ballet] (Batsheva Dance Company, 2018) (NTSC) (BAC172) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al ART OF OHAD NAHARIN (THE), Vol. 2 - Sadeh21 [Ballet] (Batsheva Dance Company, 2018) (Blu-ray, Full-HD) (BAC472) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al WEILL, K.: Street Scene [Opera] (Teatro Real, 2018) (NTSC) (BAC162) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al WEILL, K.: Street Scene [Opera] (Teatro Real, 2018) (Blu-ray, Full-HD) (BAC562) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al WEILL, K.: Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny [Opera] (Sung in English) (Teatro Real, 2010) (NTSC) (BAC067) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al WEILL, K.: Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny [Opera] (Sung in English) (Teatro Real, 2010) (Blu-ray, Full-HD) (BAC467) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al TCHAIKOVSKY, P.I.: Swan Lake [Ballet] (Kiev National Ballet, 2019) (NTSC) (BAC174) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al TCHAIKOVSKY, P.I.: Swan Lake [Ballet] (Kiev National Ballet, 2019) (Blu-ray, Full-HD) (BAC574) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al GALERIE DORÉE - The 300th Anniversary Concert (Devos, Le Concert de la Loge, Chauvin) (NTSC) (BAC171) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al GALERIE DORÉE - The 300th Anniversary Concert (Devos, Le Concert de la Loge, Chauvin) (Blu-ray, Full-HD) (BAC571) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al VERDI, G.: Falstaff [Opera] (Teatro Real, 2019) (NTSC) (BAC177) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
al VERDI, G.: Falstaff [Opera] (Teatro Real, 2019) (Blu-ray, Full-HD) (BAC477) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
