NEW ON NAXOS | JANUARY 2026
Henrique Alves de MESQUITA (1830–1906) Piano Works Tangos, Polkas and Quadrilles Maria Teresa Madeira, Piano
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Henrique Alves de Mesquita was a prolific composer who defied Brazilian society’s systemic exclusion of Black people to achieve prominence as one of the leading figures in the local musical scene of the 19th century. He was highly regarded for his sacred music and operas, which are rarely heard today. After study years in Paris, Mesquita turned his versatility and sophistication towards fashionable music theatre styles such as polkas, tangos and waltzes, conveying emotions ranging from contagious joy to gentle melancholy. It is these lighter pieces that are now considered by many scholars to be one of the main origins of modern Brazilian popular music. Key features: • Henrique Alves de Mesquita was renowned as a trumpeter, organist, conductor, teacher and composer in his day but his works are now virtually unknown, with no commercial recordings to be found in any of the current mainstream catalogues. With recent moves towards greater appreciation of Black composers, Mesquita is a prime example of a musician whose pieces demand to be rediscovered, and this highly entertaining and vibrant selection of dances and music-hall numbers could hardly be a better introduction to this undeservedly neglected composer. • Brazilian pianist Maria Teresa Madeira has appeared internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, including at the XVII Bienal de M úsica Brasileira Contempor â nea. Her discography encompasses over 30 solo and chamber albums, and in 2016 she released the boxed set Obra integral de Ernesto Nazareth , which won Best Classical Music Album at both the Premio da M úsica Brasileira and the Pr ê mio Bravo! de Cultura.
8.574571 Release date: 30 Jan 2026
Companion titles – The Music of Brazil
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Click to listen to Quebra, quebra minha gente, Polka cateretê
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Anton URSPRUCH (1850–1907) Romantic Piano, Vol. 6 Piano Works 5 Morceaux • Cavatine und Arabeske Variationen über ein eigenes Thema María Linares, Piano
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A native of Frankfurt, Anton Urspruch was a student of Joachim Raff, later becoming one of Liszt’s favourite protégés. Urspruch’s style was more aligned with Mendelssohn and Beethoven, however, and he proclaimed that ‘you can’t understand modern music if you don’t understand Bach’. The Cavatine und Arabeske are delightful salon pieces, while the Variationen form an extensive canvas that revels in contrasting moods and constructional ingenuity. The short but emotionally packed Cinq Morceaux stand at the apex and final flowering of purely Romantic pianism in Europe. Key features: • We launched our Romantic Piano series in September 2025 with works by Julius Benedict on Naxos 8.574586. With numerous world premiere recordings, this series explores and promotes little-known composers and unusual repertoire. Further volumes present rarely heard music by Charles Gounod, works by Friedrich Kiel, and piano sonatas by Wilhelm Taubert and Józef Wieniawski. • Appearing here in her Naxos debut, María Linares has performed across Europe and as a soloist with numerous orchestras. She has been named Music Ambassador for Spain by the Lang Lang International Music Foundation and, alongside a burgeoning concert career, is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma with Norma Fisher and Danny Driver at the Royal College of Music as a Constant & Kit Lambert Junior Fellow under a full scholarship.
8.574702 Release date: 30 Jan 2026
Companion titles – Previous volumes in the series
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Click to listen to Variationen über ein eigenes Thema, Op. 10: Variations 15–17
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