w WEINBERG, M.: Clarinet Music - Clarinet Concerto / Clarinet Sonata / Chamber Symphony No. 4 (Oberaigner, Schöch, Michail Jurowski) (8.574192) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Mieczysław Weinberg was familiar with the clarinet from his youth, given its prominent place in klezmer bands and theatre ensembles, and he wrote three works specifically for the instrument. In the Clarinet Concerto he draws a wide range of textures from the accompanying strings, over which the soloist explores the clarinet’s extremes of register in virtuosic fashion. Despite having been written when Weinberg was still in his mid-twenties, the Clarinet Sonata is a mature work with Romantic and folkloric elements. His last completed work was the Chamber Symphony No. 4, an impassioned piece with a wrenching chorale theme and role for obbligato clarinet. Full Article
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w WEILAND, D.: String Quartets Nos. 4 and 5 (Melbourne Quartet) (8.574028) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT British composer Douglas Weiland has long been acclaimed as one of contemporary music’s most outstanding composers for the string quartet medium, and his evolving cycle has won much admiration. Composed between 2011 and 2012 the Fourth and Fifth Quartets show him at the height of his artistic powers, where he seeks connections across time, and shows a Classical commitment to form, invention and melodic beauty. His conceptions can be Schubertian in scale and scope, while also displaying the influence of Haydn and Bartók. Full Article
w 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
w HARDY, T.: Two on a Tower (Unabridged) (NA0400) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Mon, 28 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT Deep in the grounds of Welland House lies an ancient memorial tower, surrounded by a prehistoric wilderness that isolates it from the rest of the land. When one day Viviette Constantine, the wife of the estate’s owner, investigates the tower, she there discovers Swithin St Cleeve, a young astronomer who introduces her to the majesty and wonders of the night sky. Instantly drawn to Swithin, and with her husband abroad, Viviette offers him use of the tower and becomes a kind of apprentice to him, and then, eventually, a lover. Guarded by the tower’s safe seclusion, the two star-crossed lovers ‘sweep the heavens’ and create their own private world, away from the judgement of society… Will they keep their secret, and escape the forces set to drive them apart? Full Article
w COLLINS, W.: Haunted Hotel (The) (Unabridged) (NA0403) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Mon, 28 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT When Lord Montbarry dies suddenly in his Venice palace, and his courier goes missing, suspicion is instantly thrown on his new wife, the beautiful Countess Narona, who has collected his life insurance and fled to America. Montbarry’s former fiancé Agnes, still harbouring feelings for him, and Henry Westwick, Montbarry’s younger brother, decide to investigate this tragedy and head for the palace, now a hotel. Not long after their arrival they experience strange and unsettling occurrences, and the circumstances of Montbarry’s death begin to unravel… Full Article
w O'BRIEN, F.: At Swim-Two-Birds (Unabridged) (NA0476) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Tue, 05 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT More preoccupied with drinking, sleeping and writing, an unnamed student neglects his studies and invents three separate openings for a novel. The first introduces the Pooka MacPhellimey, ‘a member of the devil class’, the second involves Mr John Furriskey, a character belonging to another of the student’s creations (writer Dermot Trellis), while the final opening features legendary Irish heroes Finn Mac Cool and Mad King Sweeny. Soon, Trellis’s creations rebel against him, doing as they like while he sleeps, and the characters from each story begin wandering in and out of each other’s tales. Published in 1939, At Swim-Two-Birds is a madcap exploration of Irish literature and mythology, and the unending possibilities of fiction. Full Article
w SMITH, A.: Wealth of Nations (The) (Unabridged) (NA0407) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT It was Adam Smith (1723–1790) who first established economics as a separate branch of knowledge, and many would say his work has never been surpassed. The Wealth of Nations, which appeared in 1776, is the definitive text for all who believe that economic decisions are best left to markets, not governments. At the heart of Smith’s doctrine is an optimistic view of the effects of self-interest. Though each individual seeks only personal gain, the collective result is increased prosperity, which benefits society as a whole. Full Article
w 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
w COLLINS, W.: Armadale (Unabridged) (NA0409) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT Two young men linked by a familial murder mystery, a beautiful yet wicked governess who spins a web of deceit, and five individuals named Allan Armadale: Wilkie Collins’s follow-up to The Woman in White and No Name is an innovative take on mistaken identity, the nature of evil and the dark underbelly of Victorian England. The story concerns two distant cousins, both named Allan Armadale, and the impact of a family tragedy, which makes one of them a target of the murderous Lydia Gwilt, a vicious and malevolent charmer determined to get her hands on the Armadale fortune. Will the real Allan Armadale be revealed, and will he survive the plot against his life? Full Article
w WHARTON, E.: Ethan Frome (Unabridged) (NA0421) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Set deep in the remote countryside of Massachusetts, New England, in a world of small-town prejudice, pettiness and rural poverty, the story of Ethan Frome explores the crippling marriage of a young man to an older woman and his love for her vibrant young cousin, Mattie, who lives as a dependent in the Frome household. His feelings lead to a day of explosive emotions with tragic consequences. Published in 1911, two years before Wharton divorced her husband, the novel integrates the raw experiences of the author’s own life to create a powerful tale of the tragic destruction of innocent love, in a stark, compressed and unified form. Over time, the book has gained the reputation of being Edith Wharton’s best work. Full Article
w 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
w From the Naxos Blog: Swiss roles (Feb 07, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 07 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Naxos has travelled far since its founding in 1987 as a budget label with a compelling business model, a chairman of great foresight and a DNA oozing innovation. It has developed into a web of avenues that link art music with music lovers. The Naxos label is now just one of the constituents of the Naxos Music Group; a host of other independent labels have joined the group over the years, benefitting from the Naxos global infrastructure, but each retaining its i ...more Full Article
w 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
w 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
w Sounds Interesting. A witty ditty (Jan 03, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 03 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT This podcast from the Naxos Sounds Interesting series highlights some humorous lines from the pens of the past masters. The presenter is Richard Kennedy. Listen to the podcast Listen to more podcasts on the Naxos Blog ...more Full Article
w Podcast: Write It – Reflections on Sanctuary Road (Jan 10, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 10 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT MORAVEC, P.: Sanctuary Road Laquita Mitchell, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Joshua Blue, Malcolm J. Merriweather, Dashon Burton, Oratorio Society of New York, Kent Tritle 8.559884 WQXR radio host Terrance McKnight introduces the world premiere recording of an oratorio by composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell. It’s a deeply moving tribute to the men and women of the Underground Railroad and to one heroic man in ...more Full Article
w Podcast: Nino Rota’s works for solo piano. A magical melting pot. (Jan 17, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 17 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT ROTA, N.: Piano Solo Works (Complete), Vol. 1 Eleanor Hodgkinson GP827 Raymond Bisha introduces this new release from the Grand Piano label. It’s the opening volume in what is to be the first complete series of recordings of Nino Rota’s works for solo piano, performed by Eleanor Hodgkinson. Nino Rota embraced neo-Classical, neo-Romantic and even neo-Baroque affiliations. His music prized melodic directness ...more Full Article
w In the Studio with Kenneth Fuchs and the United States Coast Guard Band (Jan 18, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 18 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT Kenneth Fuchs, the GRAMMY Award-winning American composer, is no stranger to followers of our burgeoning American Classics Series, in which he is represented by six fine releases, including the GRAMMY-winning album with “Spiritualist” piano concerto from last year’s award ceremony. His next recording, a programme of music for wind band, will be available in August 2020. As part of the preparations for that release, Kenneth has been working on a couple of video pre ...more Full Article
w From the Naxos Blog: I can zing a rainbow (Jan 24, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 24 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT I never tire of listening to the voice of Peggy Lee (1920-2002), the American jazz and popular music singer who was also a songwriter, composer and actress. And with an active career that spanned some six decades, it seems I’m not the only one in her fan club. Her unique vocal timbre was apposite to one of her hits, Sing a Rainbow. I wondered if the Naxos catalogue could similarly zing a rainbow and turn up an interesting collage of pieces reflecting the individual c ...more Full Article
w 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
w Naxos among ICMA 2020 winners – wins Recording of the Year Award (May 02, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 02 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT Naxos was among the winners of this year’s International Classical Music Awards (ICMA), announced on 30 April. Ondine, one of Naxos’ affiliated labels, was also the recipient of an award. Of the nineteen citations in the audio and video categories, Naxos received two awards, both of which went to its box set of Beethoven’s complete symphonies, featuring the Danish Chamber Orchestra under Adam Fischer. The collection won the Symphonic Music category and was also na ...more Full Article
w 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
w 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
w LUTOSLAWSKI, W.: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3 (Finnish Radio Symphony, Lintu) (ODE1332-5) By Published On :: May 2020 Review by Freya Parr BBC Music Magazine, May 2020 Full Article
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w 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
w PURCELL, H.: King Arthur [Opera] (Sung in English with German dialogue) (Staatsoper unter den Linden, 2017) (NTSC) (2.110658) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
w 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
w SAINT-SAËNS, C.: Ascanio: Ballet / Overtures to Stage Works (Malmö Symphony, Märkl) (8.574033) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT Saint-Saëns’ operatic works contain instrumental music of vivacity and charm but have been undeservedly overlooked. Ascanio contains a substantial and elaborate divertissement that fellow composer Reynaldo Hahn termed ‘the entire Renaissance in a few pages’. Les Barbares, a tale of conquest and revenge, includes a vivid Prologue and joyful ballet, while La Princesse jaune with its pentatonic writing, and La Jota aragonese laced with Spanish vitality, show the composer at his most generously carefree. Full Article
w SHAKESPEARE, W.: Romeo and Juliet (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2018) (NTSC) (OA1291D) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
w SHAKESPEARE, W.: Merry Wives of Windsor (The) (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2018) (NTSC) (OA1293D) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
