& BEETHOVEN, L. van: König Stephan / Leonore Prohaska (excerpts) (The Key Ensemble, Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis, Turku Philharmonic, Segerstam) (8.574042) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT Aside from his only opera Fidelio, Beethoven’s general link with the theatre in Vienna came about largely with incidental music or songs to be inserted into the works of other composers—insertion arias. König Stephan was written to celebrate the politically significant opening of a new theatre in Pest, its triumphant mood honouring the ruling Austrian Emperor. Standard-bearer of female heroism Leonore Prohaska is commemorated with a Soldier’s Chorus and a Romance with harp accompaniment. In Friedrich von Matthisson’s poem Opferlied (‘Sacrificial Song’), a young man prays to Zeus to bestow upon him beauty and goodness in youth and old age. Two of Beethoven’s four settings are heard on this wide-ranging programme. Full Article
& MAYR, J.S.: Mass in E-Flat Major (Szczepańska, Krödel, M. Schäfer, Ochoa, Simon Mayr Choir, Concerto de Bassus, Hauk) (8.574057) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Mayr’s great Mass in E flat major is a late work, largely composed in 1843. It conforms to the prevailing Italian messa concertata tradition with its clear divisions into distinct vocal numbers, as opposed to the symphonic Mass which held sway north of the Alps. In this reconstruction and musical revival, Mayr’s imposing, tonally consonant and expressive setting can be heard in all its grandeur and eloquence. With its striking vocal solos and choruses, and characteristically songlike instrumental roles, Mayr contributed a late pinnacle in the long history of this form of the Mass. Full Article
& Guitar Recital: Park, Ji Hyung - ALBÉNIZ, I. / BROUWER, L. / CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO, M. / SCARLATTI, D. / TAKEMITSU, Toru / THIELEMANS, T. (8.574140) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Ji Hyung Park has won numerous prestigious competitions, with the 7th Changsha International Guitar Competition in 2018 his most recent triumph. The diverse selection of music performed in this programme features three virtuoso sonatas by Scarlatti, the world premiere recording of Leo Brouwer’s evocation of ancient Greek culture Las Cíclades arcaicas, Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Sonata ‘Omaggio a Boccherini’ in its original, pre-Segovia manuscript form, Takemitsu’s final work In the Woods and rare selections from Albéniz’s masterpiece Iberia. The programme ends with a colourful arrangement of Toots Thielemans’ gorgeous Bluesette. Full Article
& GÓRECKI, H.M.: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 2 - No. 3 / Sonata for 2 Violins (Tippett Quartet) (8.574110) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT The Sonata for Two Violins is one of Henryk Górecki’s earliest acknowledged works—its contrasts, instrumental rivalries and sophisticated technique a worthy rounding-off of his formative period. The Third String Quartet with its evocative subtitle ‘…songs are sung’ represents a culmination of Górecki’s preoccupations with elaborate and emotive melodic shapes and closely intertwined harmonies, its final minutes recalling the beauty and poignancy of the composer’s Third Symphony (Naxos 8.550822). The First and Second String Quartets can be heard on Naxos 8.573919, ‘a recording deserving of the very highest recommendation’ (Gramophone). Full Article
& FARRENC, L.: Symphony No. 1 / Overtures Nos. 1-2 / Grand Variations on a theme by Count Gallenberg (J. Muller, Solistes Européens, Luxembourg, König) (8.574094) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Louise Farrenc was renowned in her lifetime as a pianist, composer and teacher, but it is only recently that her compositions have emerged from many years of neglect. Symphony No. 1 in C minor—cast in the German tradition—is an exceptionally accomplished work, finely orchestrated, lyrical and fiery, and a substantial contribution to the canon. The Grand Variations on a Theme by Count Gallenberg is a showcase for virtuosic elegance, and the two overtures demonstrate real theatrical drama—Overture No. 2 was admired by no less a figure than Hector Berlioz. Full Article
& ZÁDOR, E.: Sinfonia Technica / Music for Clarinet and Strings / Trombone Concerto (Sólyomi, Fejér, Budapest Symphony Orchestra MÁV, Smolij) (8.574108) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT The music of Eugene Zádor is both warmly expressive and colourful. The composer took great delight in writing for overlooked solo instruments, as his Trombone Concerto, garnished with elements of Hungarian folklore, clearly shows. The easy-going, gypsy-influenced Music for Clarinet and Strings is a beautifully proportioned quasi-concerto. The Sinfonia Technica, composed much earlier when he was living in Vienna, and something of a one-off, is an enchanting and exuberantly orchestrated example of ‘industrial music’. Full Article
& 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
& 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
& 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
& 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
& BRETÓN, T.: String Quartets Nos. 1 and 3 (Bretón String Quartet) (8.573037) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Tomás Bretón’s distinguished career as an opera composer and leading figure in Madrid’s musical life at the turn of the 20th century has tended to overshadow the significant contribution he made to Spanish chamber music. He remained true to the historic roots of the string quartet genre—his First String Quartet being a tribute to the Viennese tradition in its Classical poise. The Third String Quartet exudes Mendelssohnian inspiration in its first movement with overtly Spanish idioms, the Allegro no mucho third movement also having been turned into a version for piano trio as the Scherzo andalou. This is the first of two albums of the complete string quartets. Full Article
& 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
& 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
& 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
& 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
& LEBLANC, M.: Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar (Unabridged) (NA0411) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT The first of Maurice Leblanc’s collections about his devilish, debonair rogue, Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar presents eight dazzling short stories that display some of Lupin’s greatest thefts and escapes. Lupin robs from within prison, leaves its walls with ease, steals priceless diamonds from the rich and outwits the greatest detective of all: Sherlock Holmes. Witty, cunning and taunting, Lupin is a genius on the wrong side of the law, although his noble code of ethics and Robin-Hood-like ways often see him use his talents for good. Full Article
& Podcast: The resurrection of a requiem. Randall Thompson’s choral masterpiece. (Apr 10, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 10 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT THOMPSON, R.: Requiem Philadelphia Singers, David Hayes 8.559789 Join Raymond Bisha in a podcast of artistic discovery as he unveils yet another American classic—Randall Thompson’s Requiem. Reckoned by many to be his most ambitious work, the composer himself considered it to be his masterpiece, yet it has languished for decades on the periphery of the choral performance repertoire. This world première recording fr ...more Full Article
& From the Naxos Blog: Drum roll for a teacher’s role (Apr 17, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 17 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco I was on a plane a few months ago during which the choice of in-flight viewing didn’t immediately excite, but my eye was caught by a film about Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968). Naxos and its affiliated labels have released numerous recordings of the composer’s works which, to be honest, I find much more engaging than I did the film. In fact, we chose a clip from his Cello Concerto Op. 72 as the intro and outr ...more Full Article
& From the Naxos Blog: Reicha’s rich reach (Feb 21, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 21 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT You have to pity those composers who got air-brushed out of the limelight during their time for no other reason than they were contemporaries of the acknowledged masters, and so had to live under the long shadows of composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and so on. Or, at least, it seems to us that they were unduly neglected. It’s nearer the truth to say that societies of their day did afford them recognition, but the passing of time has not been so acco ...more Full Article
& 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
& 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
& Podcast: Richard Danielpour’s oratorio The Passion of Yeshua (Mar 13, 2020) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 13 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT DANIELPOUR, R.: Passion of Yeshua (The) [Oratorio] UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta 8.559885-86 Raymond Bisha introduces Richard Danielpour’s oratorio The Passion of Yeshua, a 105-minute work for large chorus, six soloists and orchestra that takes the listener back to Jesus’ final day on earth, removing as much as possible the accretions of history since that moment in ...more Full Article
& 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
& 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
& NIELSEN, C.: Flute Concerto / IBERT, J.: Flute Concerto / ARNOLD, M.: Flute Concerto No. 1 (Andrada, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, J. Martín) (ODE1340-2) By Published On :: May 2020 Review by Christian Hoskins Gramophone, May 2020 Full Article
& LISZT, F.: 3 Études de concert / Grandes Études de Paganini / 12 Études d'exécution transcendante (Hommage à Liszt) (A. Katz) (C990202) By Published On :: May 2020 Review by Jeremy Nicholas Gramophone, May 2020 Full Article
& 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
& 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
& 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
& 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
& SHAKESPEARE, W.: Globe Collection (The) (Shakespeare's Globe, 2009-2015) (23-DVD Box Set) (NTSC) (OA1301BD) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& MINKUS, L.: Bayadère (La) [Ballet] (Royal Ballet, 2018) (NTSC) (OA1296D) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& MINKUS, L.: Bayadère (La) [Ballet] (Royal Ballet, 2018) (Blu-ray, HD) (OABD7263D) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& WAGNER, R.: Walküre (Die) [Opera] (Royal Opera House, 2018) (NTSC) (OA1308D) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& WAGNER, R.: Walküre (Die) [Opera] (Royal Opera House, 2018) (Blu-ray, HD) (OABD7270D) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& WEBER, C.M. von: Peter Schmoll und seine Nachbarn [Opera] (Edelmann, Grümbel, Revolskaya, Vienna Radio Symphony, Paternostro) (C5376) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& Vocal Recital (Soprano): Ramos, Melba - TURINA, J. / GRANADOS, E. / MOMPOU, F. / OBRADORS, F. / GARCÍA ABRIL, A. (C3008) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& DOHNÁNYI, E.: Symphony No. 1 / Symphonic Minutes (Rheinland-Pfalz State Philharmonic, Paternostro) (C5386) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& ZEMLINSKY, A. von: Traumgörge (Der) [Opera] (Protschka, P. Coburn, J. Martin, H. Welker, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, G. Albrecht) (C5395) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& BUSONI, F.: Turandot / Arlecchino oder Die Fenster [Operas] (Pape, Plech, Wörle, S. Lorenz, Berlin Radio Symphony, G. Albrecht) (C5398) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& ABERT, J.J.: Ekkehard [Opera] (Kaufmann, Gerhaher, Ingen, H. Böhm, South West German Radio Kaiserslautern Orchestra, Falk) (C5392) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& DOHNÁNYI, E.: Schleier der Pierrette (Der) (The Veil of Pierrette) [Pantomime] (Vienna Radio Symphony, Matiakh) (C5388) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& BERNSTEIN, L.: Mass (Dyk, Vienna State Opera Children's Choir, Company of Music, Wiener Singakademie, Vienna Radio Symphony, D.R. Davies) (C5370) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& ZEMLINSKY, A.: Sinfonietta / 6 Gesänge / Der König Kandaules (excerpts) (P. Lang, S. Lorenz, Vienna Radio Symphony, G. Albrecht, Mälkki) (C5377) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& GODOWSKY, L.: Piano Music, Vol. 14 (Scherbakov) - 53 Studies on the Chopin Études, Vol. 1 (8.225372) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT Leopold Godowsky wrote his first Studies on the Chopin Études when he was barely 23 years old, and the complete cycle took some 20 years to finish. It remains one of the most extraordinary and technically demanding of all such works. It offered Godowsky—one of the greatest virtuosi of his age, but a haphazard teacher—an opportunity to resolve his innovative theories of keyboard technique. His exploration of developing the left hand in these studies remains revolutionary, and his ambition of ‘furthering the art of pianoforte playing’, triumphantly vindicated. Full Article
& Violin Recital: Wohn, Dawn - ESMAIL, R. / ZWILICH, E.T. / KAPRÁLOVÁ, V. / KANG, Jung Sun / PRICE, F. / BOULANGER, L. / BEACH, A. (Perspectives) (DE3547) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Fri, 01 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
& Waarom je volgens gedragswetenschap juist nú moet communiceren By www.marketingfacts.nl Published On :: 2020-05-08T06:00:00+00:00 Het coronavirus heeft een flinke impact op de economie. Er heerst veel angst, wat van invloed kan zijn op consumentengedrag. Daarnaast leeft de vraag of de consument reclame nu wel gepast vindt. Heeft het als adverteerder dan wel zin om te communiceren? Ik bekijk deze vraag vanuit een gedragswetenschappelijk perspectief. Full Article
& Uitnodiging marketing-webinar met Hästens #adv By www.marketingfacts.nl Published On :: 2020-05-08T08:48:00+00:00 In de huidige, uitdagende tijd met gewijzigd consumentengedrag bewegen marketeers mee met nieuwe scenario's. Naast het behouden van een verbonden klantervaring tijdens elk contactmoment, zorgen ze ook voor optimalisatie van inzet van hun mensen en budgetten. Neem deel aan dit webinar en ontdek hoe Hästens zich aanpast Full Article
& Zo creëer je energieke virtuele workshops die impact maken By www.marketingfacts.nl Published On :: 2020-05-08T09:00:00+00:00 Normaal gesproken doen we onze workshops altijd live met een groep van tien tot vijftien deelnemers van verschillende afdelingen van een organisatie. Maar dat ging hem dus niet worden deze keer. Tijd voor een online experiment, vonden we. Dat experiment werd een succes! In deze blog deel ik zeven tips zodat ook jij energieke virtuele sessies en workshops kunt verzorgen. Full Article
& TCHAIKOVKSY, P.I.: Piano Trio, Op. 50 / RACHMANINOV, S.: Trio élégiaque No. 1 (Mezzena, Patria, Ballario) (CDS7825) By www.naxos.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT Full Article
