v SCARLATTI, D.: Keyboard Sonatas (Complete), Vol. 23 (Monteiro) (8.574075) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Domenico Scarlatti’s distinguished career included a royal post in Rome where he competed against Handel, the latter being declared the better organist and Scarlatti the better harpsichordist. Written for his pupil the Infanta Maria Bárbara, Scarlatti’s legacy of hundreds of single-movement keyboard sonatas forms a valuable resource for performers today. This collection includes a wealth of Spanish dances with virtuoso leaps, unusual modulations, flourishes and ornamentation, as well as Scarlatti’s irrepressible verve and energy. Full Article
v JOLIVET, A.: Flute Works (Complete), Vol. 2 (Boulègue, Tulliez, L. Warnier, Gimeno) (8.574079) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT In this second volume of André Jolivet’s complete works for flute (Volume 1 is on 8.573885), Kobe International Flute Competition winner Hélène Boulègue explores further examples of some of the most individual and important of all 20th-century works for the instrument. The Flute Concerto No. 1 exemplifies Jolivet’s genius for liquid melodic lines and frenetic bravura. The intricately scored Suite en concert for flute and four percussionists is one of the most fascinating in the repertoire, whilst the Sonatine is both trance-like and rhapsodic. Full Article
v GOULD, M.: Symphonettes Nos. 2-4 / Spirituals for Orchestra (Vienna Radio Symphony, Fagen) (8.559869) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Morton Gould was an American musical phenomenon, equally at home in classical, crossover and film genres, and the recipient of both GRAMMY and Pulitzer awards during his long and distinguished career. The Symphonettes represent Gould’s best crossover work—the Symphonette No. 4 deriving its character from Latin-American dance forms to make it one of his most popular compositions. The first movement of Symphonette No. 3 has been described as “a collection of dance band licks, full of bent notes and syncopations” and the central Pavanne of Symphonette No. 2 with its bluesy trumpet motif is one of Gould’s biggest hits. Spirituals for Orchestra utilizes the strings as a choir, with antiphonal responses in the rest of the orchestra. Full Article
v Flute Sonatas (20th Century) - Lupachev, Denis - HINDEMITH, P. / NAGOVITSIN, V.L. / DENISOV, E. / PROKOFIEV, S. (Lupachev, Laul) (8.579069) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Written over the course of a quarter-century, these four flute works reflect the individual approaches to the flute sonata taken by their composers. Hindemith’s aim was to offer new music of buoyancy and brio, tempered by elegiac moments. Prokofiev’s famous sonata has Classical formal elegance, while the sonatas of Denisov and Nagovitsyn are single movement works that explore the flute’s extreme registers, as well as its dynamic contrasts and virtuosic capacities. Full Article
v EŠENVALDS, Ē.: Choral Music (Translations) (Portland State Chamber Choir, Sperry) (8.574124) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT The multi-award-winning Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds’ 21st-century choral sound is both exquisite and angular, and in this album he explores ideas of ‘translation’, legend and the divine. With his expanded tonality and employment of shimmering singing handbells in Translation, and the angelic use of the viola and cello in In paradisum he creates music of ravishing refinement. In Legend of the Walled-In Woman Ešenvalds transcribes and employs an authentic Albanian folk song. Full Article
v Cello and Piano Recital: Smith, Brinton Averil / Chen, Evelyn (Exiles in Paradise - Émigré Composers in Hollywood) (8.579055) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Political crises and rising antisemitism in Europe during the first half of the 20th century prompted many leading musicians to immigrate to America. An influx of refugees formed a flourishing artistic community centred within a few square miles near Hollywood and this exceptional gathering of composers transformed America’s musical landscape. This survey explores their diverse output through music for cello and piano, including arrangements by the composers and their fellow expatriate performers never before heard on the cello. Full Article
v BROUWER, L.: Guitar Music, Vol. 5 - Danzas Rituales y Festivas, Vol. 2 / Guitar Sonatas Nos. 3, 4, 5 (P.M. González) (8.574016) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Leo Brouwer is universally acclaimed as an innovative composer, and this fifth volume of his complete guitar works contains some of his longest and most ambitious pieces. Danzas Rituales y Festivas Vol. 2 covers the gamut of virtuosic techniques and includes a movement dedicated to Pedro Mateo González, while Brouwer considers the Sonata del Pensador to be ‘one of my most valuable pieces’. Rich in Cuban rhythms, introspection and astonishing virtuosity, Brouwer’s work is the result of a lifetime of musical exploration alongside a passion for music of the past. Full Article
v BEETHOVEN, L. van: Celebrate Beethoven - Concertos (9.30210) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v BEETHOVEN, L. van: Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II / Cantata on the Accession of Leopold II (Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis, Segerstam) (8.574077) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT By the time of Emperor Joseph II’s death in 1790 Beethoven was a member of the court musical establishment in Bonn. To mark the occasion, Beethoven was commissioned to write two cantatas, one to mourn Joseph’s death and the other to celebrate the accession to the throne of Emperor Leopold II. Although Beethoven was only 19 years old at the time, both works show the embryonic marks of his greatness: intense expression and control of structure in one, and an almost operatic panache in the other. Neither piece was performed during Beethoven’s lifetime. Full Article
v BEETHOVEN REIMAGINED (G. Prokofiev, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Segal) (8.574020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT 2020 is the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, and this album presents three works that reshape the composer’s awe-inspiring music for the 21st century. The Sonata for Orchestra considers how the Violin Sonata No. 7 would sound had it been written for orchestra, while A Fidelio Symphony transforms vocal lines into symphonic textures to take us through the entire arc of the composer’s sole opera. Based on the famous Ode to Joy of Beethoven’s final symphony, BEETHOVEN9 Symphonic Remix uses loops, grooves and musical transformations to create a contemporary tribute to Beethoven’s universal message. Full Article
v WIDOR, C.-M.: Organ Symphonies (Complete), Vol. 2 - Nos. 3 and 4 (Rübsam) (8.574195) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Charles-Marie Widor was a hugely influential and venerated musician in his day, and his innovative organ symphonies are both a pinnacle of the repertoire and a testament to his creative and technical mastery of the instrument. These spectacular works are in the grand Romantic manner, but Widor was keenly aware of his musical ancestry, referring to music of the past such as Bach’s St Matthew Passion in the opening of the Third Symphony. The Scherzo of the Fourth Symphony is one of Widor’s finest symphonic movements, exploring the organ’s sonic beauties. The original E major Scherzo from the Symphony No. 2, which Widor subsequently replaced with a Salve Regina (see Volume 1: 8.574161), can be heard on Track 6. Full Article
v TURNER, K.: Horn Works (Complete), Vol. 1 (K. Mascher-Turner, K. Turner, F. Lloyd, Bloomer) (8.579050) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Kerry Turner made his mark on the global music community through his association with the illustrious American Horn Quartet. Turner’s compositional goal is to communicate to the listener a vivid picture through his highly melodic musical language. Many sources provided the inspiration for the works on this album, ranging from the spiritual, to the literary, and even Turner’s powerful response to the music of J.S. Bach. Full Article
v SPUCK, C.: Nutcracker and Mouse King [Ballet] (after P.I. Tchaikovsky) (Zürich Ballet, 2018) (NTSC) (ACC-20449) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v SPUCK, C.: Nutcracker and Mouse King [Ballet] (after P.I. Tchaikovsky) (Zürich Ballet, 2018) (Blu-ray, Full-HD) (ACC-10449) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v ST. TERESA OF AVILA: Interior Castle (The) (Unabridged) (NA0405) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 29 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT In The Interior Castle, Carmelite nun, mystic and patron saint of Spain Teresa of Ávila uses the metaphor of a giant crystal castle to explain her theory of the soul and the various stages it passes through as it progresses towards God. Beginning in the outer rooms, where demons are fought and vices are purged, the soul must reach the inner chambers, where it will enter betrothal and intimate union with God. Prayer is central to the journey, as the soul is guided by its practice and each phase represents a different category of devotion. Originally written as counsel for the sisters in her convent, The Interior Castle is a poignant and poetic reflection on prayer, humility and self-knowledge, and the path towards a deeper communion with God. Full Article
v MULLEY, C.: Woman Who Saved The Children (The) (Unabridged) (NA0477) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT This is an unconventional biography of an unconventional woman. Eglantyne Jebb moved from drawing rooms to war zones, often defying expectation and at times breaking the law. Although not fond of individual children, she founded Save the Children and originated the revolutionary concept of children’s human rights. Clare Mulley brings to life the brilliant, charismatic, passionate and compassionate woman, whose work has saved millions of lives and permanently changed the way the world treats children. Save the Children ambassador Joely Richardson narrates this extraordinary story. Full Article
v DOSTOYEVSKY, F.M.: House of the Dead (The) (Unabridged) (NA0408) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 07 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Completed six years after Dostoyevsky’s own term as a convict, The House of the Dead is a semi-autobiographical account of life in a Siberian prison camp, and the physical and mental effects it has on those who are sentenced to inhabit it. Alexandr Petrovitch Goryanchikov, a gentleman of the noble class, has been condemned to ten years of hard labour for murdering his wife. He is little prepared for the cruel conditions and punishing temperatures, and struggles to integrate with the other prisoners, who claw for their sanity. Fettered, hungry and isolated, Alexandr Petrovitch must find faith and hope if he is to make his way out alive, and resurrect himself from the ‘dead house’. Full Article
v Podcast: Ludwig van Beethoven. Music from his late compositional period. (Apr 24, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 24 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT BEETHOVEN, L. van: Celebrate Beethoven – Music from His Late Compositional Period (c.1815–1827) 9.30207 Raymond Bisha introduces the latest release in the Naxos Beethoven anniversary digital album series. Ranging from a solo piano to the huge resources required for his final symphony, the programme comprises ten works that define the last ten years of Beethoven’s creative life, exemplifying his ever more technically c ...more Full Article
v Podcast: The symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven (Feb 13, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Thu, 13 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT BEETHOVEN, L. van: Celebrate Beethoven – Symphonies and Orchestral 9.30209 Raymond Bisha presents an overview of Beethoven’s nine symphonies as a companion resource to the first of Naxos’ monthly digital albums presenting the music of Beethoven in this 250th anniversary year of his birth. January’s compilation album (9.30209) spotlights the symphonic journey and stylistic progression from Beethoven&rs ...more Full Article
v Podcast: Ludwig van Beethoven. Works from his middle years. (Feb 28, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 28 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Celebrate Beethoven – Music from His Middle Compositional Period 9.30206 Raymond Bisha presents an overview of works written by Beethoven during his middle years period. It’s a companion resource to the latest release in Naxos’ monthly digital album series featuring the music of Beethoven in this 250th anniversary year of his birth. February’s compilation album (9.30206) presents a programme of wo ...more Full Article
v Sounds Interesting. A Magnificent Seven (Mar 06, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 06 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT This podcast from the Naxos Sounds Interesting series spotlights the contributions of seven composers who made significant, but neglected contributions to the heritage of American symphonic music. The presenter is Richard Kennedy. Listen to the podcast Listen to more podcasts on the Naxos Blog ...more Full Article
v Podcast: Ludwig van Beethoven–the concertos (Mar 27, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 27 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT BEETHOVEN, L. van: Celebrate Beethoven - Concertos 9.30210 Beethoven’s concertos enjoy the spotlight in this podcast from Raymond Bisha. It serves as a companion resource to the latest digital album in our series marking the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth. The technical and musical demands Beethoven makes of his concerto soloists shine centre-stage in this compilation of wonderful performances of movements from his ...more Full Article
v SUK, J.: Asrael (Bavarian Radio Symphony, Hruša) (900188) By Published On :: May 2020 Review by Richard Whitehouse Gramophone, May 2020 Full Article
v Piano Recital: Gulda, Friedrich - BEETHOVEN, L. van / BACH, J.S. / SCHUBERT, F. / COUPERIN, F. (The Stuttgart Solo Recitals) (1966-1979) (SWR19081CD) By Published On :: May 2020 International Piano, May 2020 View PDF Full Article
v Piano Concertos - MOZART, W.A. / BEETHOVEN, L. van / HAYDN, J. (Gulda, Keilberth, Müller-Kray, Rosbaud) (1959-1962) (SWR19088CD) By Published On :: May 2020 International Piano, May 2020 View PDF Full Article
v KÕRVITS, T.: Hymns to the Nordic Lights / Silent Songs / Élégies of Thule (Vind, Estonian National Symphony, Joost) (ODE1349-2) By Published On :: May 2020 Review by Ivan Moody Gramophone, May 2020 Full Article
v GÓRECKI, H.M.: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 2 - No. 3 / Sonata for 2 Violins (Tippett Quartet) (8.574110) By Published On :: May 2020 Review by Ivan Moody Gramophone, May 2020 Full Article
v EŠENVALDS, E.: Choral Music (Translations) (Portland State Chamber Choir, Sperry) (8.574124) By Published On :: May 2020 Review by Malcolm Riley Gramophone, May 2020 Full Article
v BACH, J.S.: Well-Tempered Clavier (The), Book 2, BWV 870-893 (A. Schiff) (NTSC) (2.110654) By Published On :: May 2020 Review by Jed Distler Gramophone, May 2020 Full Article
v BACH, J.S.: Well-Tempered Clavier (The), Book 2, BWV 870-893 (A. Schiff) (Blu-ray, HD) (NBD0105V) By Published On :: May 2020 Review by Jed Distler Gramophone, May 2020 Full Article
v BACH, J.S.: Well-Tempered Clavier (The), Book 1, BWV 846-869 (A. Schiff) (NTSC) (2.110653) By Published On :: May 2020 Review by Jed Distler Gramophone, May 2020 Gramophone, May 2020 Full Article
v BACH, J.S.: Well-Tempered Clavier (The), Book 1, BWV 846-869 (A. Schiff) (Blu-ray, HD) (NBD0104V) By Published On :: May 2020 Review by Jed Distler Gramophone, May 2020 Gramophone, May 2020 Full Article
v DEBARGUE, Lucas: To Music (Documentary, 2017) (Blu-ray, HD) (NBD0101V) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v BACH, J.S.: Well-Tempered Clavier (The), Book 1, BWV 846-869 (A. Schiff) (NTSC) (2.110653) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v BACH, J.S.: Well-Tempered Clavier (The), Book 1, BWV 846-869 (A. Schiff) (Blu-ray, HD) (NBD0104V) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v WEBER, C.M. von: Euryanthe [Opera] (Theater an der Wien, 2018) (NTSC) (2.110656) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v WEBER, C.M. von: Euryanthe [Opera] (Theater an der Wien, 2018) (Blu-ray, HD) (NBD0107V) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v SHOSTAKOVICH, D.: Violin Concerto No. 1 / TCHAIKOVSKY, P.I.: Symphony No. 5 (Skride, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, A. Nelsons) (NTSC) (ACC-20478) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v SHOSTAKOVICH, D.: Violin Concerto No. 1 / TCHAIKOVSKY, P.I.: Symphony No. 5 (Skride, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, A. Nelsons) (Blu-ray, Full-HD) (ACC-10478) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v MARTHALER, C. / ENGEL, T. / VIEBROCK, A.: Universe, Incomplete (after C. Ives) / The Unanswered Ives (Documentary, 2018) (NTSC) (ACC-20434) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v BACH, J.S.: Well-Tempered Clavier (The), Book 2, BWV 870-893 (A. Schiff) (NTSC) (2.110654) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v BACH, J.S.: Well-Tempered Clavier (The), Book 2, BWV 870-893 (A. Schiff) (Blu-ray, HD) (NBD0105V) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v RESPIGHI, O.: Bella dormente nel bosco (La) [Opera] (Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, 2017) (Blu-ray, HD) (NBD0106V) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v MOZART, W.A.: Mass No. 18, `Great` / MOZART, L.: Litaniae Lauretanae de BVM (Salzburg Bach Choir, Camerata Salzburg, Manze) (NTSC) (BVE08057) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v MOZART, W.A.: Mass No. 18, `Great` / MOZART, L.: Litaniae Lauretanae de BVM (Salzburg Bach Choir, Camerata Salzburg, Manze) (Blu-ray, HD) (BVE08058) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v EXHIBITION ON SCREEN - LEONARDO: The Works (Art Documentary, 2019) (NTSC) (SEV207) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v DEUTSCHER, A.: Cinderella [Opera] (Viennese version for children) (Vienna State Opera, 2018) (NTSC) (BVE08044) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v STRAVINSKY, I.: Rake's Progress (The) [Opera] (Equilibrium Young Artists, 2018) / HANNIGAN, Barbara: Taking Risks (Documentary, 2018) (NTSC) (ACC-20420) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v PURCELL, H.: King Arthur [Opera] (Sung in English with German dialogue) (Staatsoper unter den Linden, 2017) (Blu-ray, HD) (NBD0109V) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
v MAHLER, G.: Symphony No. 5 / TCHAIKOVSKY, P.I.: Piano Concerto No. 1 (Live aus der Elbphilharmonie) (SoRyang, Yutaka Sado) (NTSC) (Gramola20004) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
