New On Naxos | General Issue: July 2026

JULY 2026

THE WORLD OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

Aigul Akhmetshina as Elisabetta © Javier del Real

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

Elissa Pfaender as Anna Kennedy and Lisette Oropesa as Maria Stuarda © Javier del Real

Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797–1848) Maria Stuarda Tragedia lirica in two acts (1835) Libretto by Giuseppe Bardari after Andrea Maffei’s translation of Friedrich von Schiller’s play Maria Stuart Lisette Oropesa, Soprano Aigul Akhmetshina, Elissa Pfaender, Mezzo-sopranos Ismael Jordi, Tenor • Andrzej Filończyk, Baritone Roberto Tagliavini, Bass Coro y Orquesta Titulares del Teatro Real José Miguel Pérez-Sierra, Conductor David McVicar, Stage director Gaetano Donizetti’s tragic opera Maria Stuarda depicts the merciless rivalry between Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, who is seen as a martyr facing up to the illegitimate Queen of England. The opera was a victim of censorship at its premiere and was beset by problems during rehearsals but is now seen as one of Donizetti’s great operatic masterpieces. From the flamboyantly lyrical royal confrontations to the poignant final execution scene, this widely acclaimed production by David McVicar features monumental sets and sumptuous Elizabethan costumes bringing the majesty and stark brutality of Elizabeth I’s reign vividly to life.

2.110782 Playing time: 142 minutes Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Sound format: Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 and DTS 5.1 Language: Italian Subtitles: Italian, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean Region code: 0 (worldwide) No. of disc/s: 1 (DVD 9) Release date: 10 Jul 2026

BUY NOW!

WATCH VIDEO TRAILER

Key features: •

Director David McVicar has been behind an enviable catalogue of acclaimed operatic productions in recent years, including a previous staging of Maria Stuarda at the Metropolitan Opera in 2013. His Teatro Real production draws on the dangers and tensions faced by women dealing with a political world dominated by men, a historical context that has equal resonance today. For this staging of Donizetti’s masterpiece, Teatro Real offers a superb cast under the baton of José Miguel Pérez-Sierra . American soprano Lisette Oropesa, who received the 2024 International Opera Awards for Female Performer of the Year, sings the title role. ‘[David] McVicar‘s Maria Stuarda production is very appealing and was warmly rewarded by the audience at the curtain call… Soprano Lisette Oropesa performed the titular role, showcasing her lyric coloratura qualities perfectly. Her sound is round and dark, and although she keeps a strong high register (up to high Ds in this role), her voice tends to be more lyrical, which suits the middle-centric vocal writing of the part’ ( Operawire.com ).

•

Also available on Blu-ray video: NBD0192V Playing time: 142 minutes Picture format: HD 16:9 Sound format: PCM stereo and DTS MA 5.1 Language: Italian Subtitles: Italian, English, French,

German, Japanese, Korean

Region: A, B, C No. of disc/s: 1 (BD 50) Release date: 10 Jul 2026

BUY NOW!

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

Recommended Italian operas

‘Fuchs is a delight. As are the orchestra and the chorus under Emmanuelle Haïm – Handel turns every second of the score into Shakespearean magic.’ – BBC Music Magazine

‘The singers are all good actors, and their

interactions with each other are honest and believable. …Joshua Guerrero is handsome and has a solid grasp of Puccinian style. His voice, like Bystrom’s, is attractive. …Viotti leads an exciting performance, well-paced.’ – American Record Guide

NOMINEE

BSOLU A C rescen O

OPERA NEWS

‘The glamorous (visually and vocally) Angela Vallone, as Livia, excels both in amorous longing and fiery indignation. Her fellow soprano, the bright-toned Bianca Tognocchi, brings comic panache to the role of the knowing, seen-it-all Brillante.’ – Gramophone Choice

‘Director Robert Carsen brings Cavalieri’s work to life; conductor Giovanni Antonini draws out the score’s texture and colours… Anett Fritsch is a bright-toned, bright-eyed Anima, Daniel Schmutzhard’s Corpo the good-time guy ready to give it all up and follow her lead.’ – Gramophone

CRITIC’S CHOICE

NOMINEE

GRAMOPHONE CHOICE

Remy Franck’s Journal about Classical Music

GRAMOPHONE CHOICE

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

Alfred SCHNITTKE (1934–1998) Complete Works for Two Violins Concerti grossi Nos. 1 and 3 1 Moz-Art à la Haydn 2 • Moz-Art 3 Prelude in memoriam Dmitri Shostakovich 4 Vadim Gluzman 1–4 , Friedemann Eichhorn 1–4 , Violins Evgeny Sinaiski 1 , Prepared Piano, Piano, Harpsichord, Celesta Deutsche Radio Philharmonie • Valentin Uryupin 1–3 Alfred Schnittke’s oeuvre carries an unmistakable personal signature that integrates widely differing stylistic worlds. The profoundly compelling works heard in this programme display an extraordinary level of expression and colours. From the haunting sonorities of the prepared piano in his First Concerto Grosso to the playful theatricality of Moz-Art (after the fragment K. 416d) this album brings together all of Schnittke’s works for two violins, both with and without orchestra. Key features: • Violinist Friedemann Eichhorn is one of the most creative and versatile musicians of his generation, easily at home in performing early Baroque music on period instruments as well as classical and contemporary works with renowned orchestras and chamber music partners. Among many other works, Friedemann Eichhorn rediscovered and first recorded the complete violin concertos of French virtuoso Pierre Rode. Among numerous Naxos recordings he has given the world premieres of Fazıl Say’s Violin Sonata No. 2 , Tristan und Isolde transcriptions and Violin Concerto No. 2 (Naxos 8.574502) on which MusicWeb International wrote, ‘This disc is an amazing experience and Fazıl Say, if you are new to him, is a revelation…’ • Vadim Gluzman is universally recognised among today’s top performing artists, appearing with the world’s leading orchestras and conductors and performing premieres of works by the likes of Sofia Gubaidulina, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Moritz Eggert, Giya Kancheli, Elena Firsova, Pēteris Vasks, Michael Daugherty and Lera Auerbach. His performances are heard around the world through livestreams, broadcasts and a striking catalogue of award-winning recordings on the BIS, Platoon and EuroArts labels, and we are delighted to be able to add Naxos Records to his distinguished catalogue.

8.574460 Release date: 24 Jul 2026

BUY NOW!

Listen to an excerpt from Moz-Art (after the fragment K. 416d) for two violins LISTEN

Tracklist 1 – 6 Concerto grosso No. 1 (1976–77) 7 Moz-Art à la Haydn (after the fragment K. 416d) (1977) 8 Prelude in memoriam Dmitri Shostakovich (version for two violins) (1975) 9 – # Concerto grosso No. 3 (1985) $ Moz-Art (after the fragment K. 416d) (1976)

Deutsche Radio Philharmonie

Evgeny Sinaiski

Valentin Uryupin

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

About Vadim Gluzman, Violin Israeli violinist Vadim Gluzman breathes new life and passion into the violin tradition of the 19th and 20th centuries. His performances can be heard around the world on livestreams, broadcasts, and a striking catalogue of award-winning recordings on the BIS, Platoon and EuroArts labels. He has appeared with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Boston Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and collaborated with conductors Riccardo Chailly, Christoph von Dohnányi and Neeme Järvi, among others.

About Friedemann Eichhorn, Violin One of the most creative and versatile musicians of his generation, Friedemann Eichhorn has rediscovered and premiered numerous works both on stage and in the recording studio. His discography spans over 30 highly acclaimed releases, and includes the complete violin concertos of French virtuoso Pierre Rode, as well as works by Senfter, Arnold Mendelssohn, Servais and Hermann, among others. An advocate of contemporary music, he has given world premieres of Fazıl Say’s Violin Concerto No. 2 , Violin Sonata No. 2 , Sonata for Solo Violin and Tristan und Isolde transcriptions (all released on Naxos).

Other recommended recordings

‘Anatolian-born Fazıl Say is most familiar as a pianist who combines technical prowess with an exuberantly showy performing style. His music is correspondingly extrovert, blending western Romanticism and eastern-inspired rhythms and harmonies with a jazzy tunefulness in heart-on-sleeve lyrical appeal… The soloist throughout is Friedemann Eichhorn, whose violin alternately dances, skitters, pleads and beguiles with astonishing ease.’ – BBC Music Magazine

‘Fascinating programme… The performers…give this stylistically varied program skillful advocacy.’ – American Record Guide UPERSONIC S

Remy Franck’s Journal about Classical Music

NOMINEE

CD-TIPP

Das Klassik- & Jazz-Magazin

‘The work has more pizzicato for the soloist than any other violin concerto I can recall, and indeed, it concludes with that very technique played pianissimo . Needless to say, Say makes very effective use of it. Violinist Friedemann Eichhorn is a master of his instrument and has made this work his own.’ – Fanfare

‘Schnittke’s uniquely drawn visions of despair, irony violence and nostalgia cannot help but exert a powerful spell over even the most sceptical of listeners. The uncompromising directness of expression often reminds one of his great predecessor Shostakovich whose influence is particularly tangible here...’ – BBC Music Magazine

NOMINEE

WANT LIST

Remy Franck’s Journal about Classical Music

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

Franz KROMMER (1759–1831) Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 Concertino for Flute, Oboe and Violin * Klára Mach Jasenčáková, Flute * Vojtěch Podroužek, Oboe * Markéta Čepická, Violin * Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice Marek Štilec Franz Krommer served the Habsburg emperors as court composer in Vienna, having succeeded his Czech compatriot, Leopold Koželuch. He excelled in a vast range of music, notably the string quartet and music for winds, but he also wrote eight published symphonies and a sequence of concertos. In the recordings heard here conductor Marek Štilec uses corrected parts based on archival records. Both the First and Second Symphonies are fulsome and vigorous with graceful trios and bustling energy, revealing an increasingly bold and adventurous language. The attractive Concertino is in effect a divertimento full of shifting moods. Key features: • With the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice , Marek Štilec recorded for Naxos cycles of music by Wrantizky (eight volumes) and Leopold Koželuch. • ‘Wranitzky’s highly individual sound world is extremely distinctive, and this welcome disc demonstrates not only Wranitzky’s compositional diversity but a penchant for careful symphonic strategies. The Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice perform confidently under the baton of Marek Štilec’ ( Classical CD Choice on 8.574454).

8.574705 Release date: 24 Jul 2026

BUY NOW!

Listen to an excerpt from Symphony No. 1 in F major, Op. 12: IV. Rondo: Allegro assai LISTEN

Tracklist Symphony No. 1 in F major, Op. 12 (1797) 1 I. Adagio – Allegro vivace 2 II. Andante 3 III. Menuetto: Allegretto 4 IV. Rondo: Allegro assai Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 40 (pub. 1803) 5 I. Adagio – Allegro 6 II. Adagio 7 III. Menuetto: Allegretto 8 IV. Allegro Concertino for Flute, Oboe and Violin in F major, Op. 38 (pub. 1803) 9 I. Allegro 0 II. Menuetto: Allegretto ! III. Adagio

Klára Mach Jasenčáková , Vojtěch Podroužek and Markéta Čepická

@ IV. Menuetto: Allegretto # V. Tema con variazioni

Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

About Marek Štilec, Conductor Czech conductor Marek Štilec is known as an interpreter of Classical orchestral repertoire and is a specialist in Czech Romantic and contemporary music. He has collaborated with orchestras the world over, including the New World Symphony, Ulster Orchestra, London Classical Soloists, Orchestra of the Swan, Berliner Camerata, Prague Philharmonia, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Kammerphilharmonie Graz, Sarajevska filharmonija, Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonietta Bratislava and Slovak Chamber Orchestra. A prolific recording artist, he has released over 40 albums for labels including Naxos, ArcoDiva, cpo and Supraphon.

Other recordings conducted by Marek Štilec

‘The slimmed-down Prague Symphony Orchestra play alertly

‘The result is gloriously romantic, and this performance from Marek Štilec and the Hradec Králové Philharmonic will leave you wondering why [Cyrano de Bergerac] hasn’t been recorded more frequently. The Czech players bring a red-blooded commitment to the more passionate pages of the score; they’re lilting and playful in the (slightly Mahlerian) central scherzo and the woodwinds are both sweet and succulent.’ – Gramophone

enough, with ear-catching woodwind contributions in Kozeluch’s many solos… soprano Kristýna Vylíčilová… sings with feeling both in her touching arias and in a dramatic recitative that evokes Austria’s turbulent past.’ – Gramophone

MAGAZINE

Remy Franck’s Journal about Classical Music

‘Marek Štilec conducts all of this facile music well, and the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice is in top form as is the recording.’ – Fanfare

‘The performances are lively, with expressive vigor and strong rhythmic cohesion. Marek Štilec’s conducting for Naxos’s whole Fibich series has been excellent, making a good case for a worthy less-known master.’ – American Record Guide

For the full list of Marek Štilec’s discography on Naxos, visit www.naxos.com/Bio/Person/Marek_Stilec/148049

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

Ignaz PLEYEL (1757–1831) String Quintets, Ben. 271–273 Pettman Ensemble – Curt Thompson, Oksana Murashova Thompson, Violins Wenhong Luo, William Vyvyan Murray, Violas • Edith Salzmann, Cello The name Pleyel is chiefly remembered today as a piano manufacturer, but the company’s founding figure Ignaz Pleyel, a former pupil of Haydn, was one of the most acclaimed composers of the late 18th century. The success of Pleyel’s finely wrought twelve String Quintets , the three of which heard on this album inspired Mozart to compose his own quintets in C major and G minor, lies in their well-paced balance between crackling energy and lyrical expansiveness. These highly accomplished works are sprightly, good humoured and filled with such an intrinsic lightness and grace that they are guaranteed to delight as much now as they did centuries ago. Key features: • We have had success in the past with Ignaz Pleyel’s String Quartets Op. 2 (Naxos 8.557496 and 8.557497), regarded as ‘enormously entertaining’ in The Dallas Morning News , and with David Hurwitz of ClassicsToday.com giving the first volume a 9/9 score and remarking that ‘Naxos… is rescuing many fine works that collectors will enjoy… This is good music, and in these performances the players have you believing in its quality at every point.’. • Despite being an inspiration to Mozart, Pleyel’s String Quintets are a genuine rarity on recordings, with these works apparently only otherwise available on a complete edition from the ARS label released back in 2016. This excellent new recording therefore joins a collection of Pleyel works on the Naxos label and has the current catalogue almost entirely to itself.

8.574492 Release date: 10 Jul 2026

BUY NOW!

Listen to an excerpt from Quintet in G minor, Ben. 272: II. Andante grazioso LISTEN

Tracklist

Quintet in C major, Ben. 273 (1786) 1 I. Moderato 2 II. Adagio 3 III. Rondo Quintet in E flat major, Ben. 271 (1785) 4 I. Allegro spiritoso 5 II. Adagio 6 III. Rondo: Allegro Quintet in G minor, Ben. 272 (1785) 7 I. Moderato 8 II. Andante grazioso 9 III. Presto

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

About the Pettman Ensemble The Pettman Ensemble is a flexible touring group of musicians from New Zealand and Australia dedicated to performing chamber music from early classical repertoire to the music of today. Its core members are Michael Endres (piano), Uwe Grodd (flute), Curt Thompson (violin) and Edith Salzmann (cello). New Zealand’s and Australia’s most talented young artists join the ensemble periodically to perform music for larger groups at festivals and in concerts. The Pettman Ensemble has performed extensively in New Zealand, Australia and across Europe and in recent years has toured the UK. Recommended recordings

‘Hummel shows his imagination in full force, but this is comfortable to listen to, especially as played with the vigour and enthusiasm of the Pettman Ensemble. …flutist Uwe Grodd is well integrated into the ensemble.’ – American Record Guide

‘The energy generated by these young musicians is obvious from the get-go, as is their commitment to the repertoire. Vital and intellectually challenging, these curiosities repay the listener’s interest time after time by way of their memorable and affable nature.’ – Fanfare

‘The Enso Quartet plays with great confidence and verve, not to mention excellent rhythm and admirably accurate intonation. This is good music, and in these performances the players have you believing in its quality at every point.’ – ClassicsToday.com

‘Well-crafted and bounces right along – tuneful, too… The performances by the Finnish orchestra…under their French conductor-soloist are first-rate: lively, concentrated, polished, and direct.’ – American Record Guide

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

8.559963 Release date: 10 Jul 2026

BUY NOW!

Larry Lipkis

Larry LIPKIS (b. 1951) Pierrot and Friends Four Commedia Concerti Mykhailo Sosnovsky, Flute Andriy Tkachuk, Bassoon Oksana Hretchyn, Violin Luke Sieve, Bass Trombone Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra Theodore Kuchar

Listen to an excerpt from Pierrot: I. In the Dancing Master’s Palace LISTEN

Key features: •

Internationally acclaimed performer, professor and composer Larry Lipkis has written over 100 works for a variety of vocal and instrumental ensembles. Lipkis’s love of commedia dell’arte stems from his career as a performer of Renaissance music, and these four concerti are musical depictions of characters from this popular theater tradition. The impish and impetuous Pierrot is personified by the bassoon, while his love interest Columbina flits and charms through a mercurial violin. The gently youthful Innamorata or female lover is expressed through a translucently accompanied flute, and the romantic entanglements and acrobatic humor of Harlequin is a perfect fit for the outsized musical personality of the bass trombone.

This release consists entirely of world premiere recordings and represents a Naxos debut for Larry Lipkis , whose accessible but highly personal style we are sure will prove attractive to a wide audience. • The four concertos on this recording are a heartfelt expression of Lipkis’s affection for the commedia dell’arte and its colourful characters. As a performer of early music, he has always felt a great kinship with these whimsical, theatrical creatures from the Renaissance, finding himself repeatedly drawn to compose works in which he tries to capture the essence of their irrepressible spirits in music. Such honestly programmatic material is rarely heard from today’s composers, and this collection of fine character-based concertos provides refreshing flights of fancy for the listener.

Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

About Theodore Kuchar, Conductor Multiple award-winning conductor Theodore Kuchar appears on nearly 150 albums across the Naxos, Marco Polo, Brilliant Classics, Ondine and Toccata Classics labels. Recently appointed principal conductor of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine, he concurrently serves as principal conductor of the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine . He was previously the artistic director and principal conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. He has also served in the same position with the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela, Great Barrier Reef Orchestra, and prior to that was music director and principal conductor of the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra.

Other releases from the American Classics series

NEW

‘Three warmly evocative recent works… Meyers on particularly dazzling form… This well-performed album is both moving and uplifting, and aptly showcases Daugherty’s imaginative approach to musical storytelling.’ – BBC Music Magazine

Remy Franck’s Journal about Classical Music

‘The excellent interpretations by the London Symphony Orchestra under Rafael Sanz-Espert bring Fritze’s music to life in all its sonority.’ – Pizzicato

‘Armed with the 3,568 pipes of the concert organ

at Nashville’s Laura Turner Concert Hall, the excellent Paul Jacobs gives a delightful performance, vigorously supported by Giancarlo Guerrero’s brightly polished Nashville Symphony, stripped of woodwinds in Parker’s scoring – something that only makes the organ’s tones stand

out with extra clarity.’ – BBC Music Magazine

‘The performance here by Han Chen is fully up to the demands of the piece… dynamic and virtuosic, yet also warm and expressive… Ms Clamagirand plays with a gorgeous tone and seems alert to the many changes of mood in both this concerto and No. 2. Jeter and his players are there with her… an enjoyable album.’ – American Record Guide

‘The players from the two ensembles involved strike me as highly versatile and very comfortable with Ives’s truly unique style… I cannot imagine anybody who appreciates Ives’s music not wanting this!’ – American Record Guide

CRITIC’S CHOICE

Remy Franck’s Journal about Classical Music

UPERSONIC S

NOMINEE

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

Fromental HALÉVY (1799–1862) La Juive Opera in five acts (1835) Libretto by Eugène Scribe (1791–1861) Ambur Braid, Monika Buczkowska-Ward, Sopranos John Osborn, Gerard Schneider, Tenors Simon Lim, Bass Chor der Oper Frankfurt Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester Henrik Nánási, Conductor

Fromental Halévy’s five-act grand opera La Juive charts the forbidden love between a Christian man and a Jewish woman, and the tragedy that ensues. The work’s pageantry, opulence and thrilling music made it one of the most enduringly successful operas of the 19th century with more than 500 performances in Paris alone. This acclaimed contemporary staging from Oper Frankfurt features Ambur Braid as the heroine Rachel, and John Osborn as her father Éléazar. Key features: • This release is the audio version of a video production released in April 2026 (DVD: 2.110781 / Blu-ray: NBD0190V). • The role of Rachel is taken by increasingly in-demand Canadian Soprano Ambur Braid . Of this performance, Concerti.net wrote ‘Ambur Braid’s effortless unfolding of her well-timbred voice makes every performance of Rachel an event’. • Éléazar is American tenor John Osborn who ‘is a vocal phenomenon who astounds both in bel canto and nineteenth century French opera. In addition, his diction is exemplary. Rarely have I heard a non‑native speaker enunciate French so well. He was able to convey Éléazar’s piety, anger, paternal love and tormented soul…His rendition of the opera’s most popular aria, the Act V aria “Rachel, quand du Seigneur,” was not merely beautifully sung, it was also immensely moving’ ( www.concertonet.com ). • Léopold is sung by Austrian-Australian lyric tenor Gerard Schneider . ‘Sweet toned and dashing on stage, he was convincing as the love interest of Rachel, Éléazar’s daughter. His lighter tenor contrasted well with Osborn’s heftier voice, especially where both tenors sang’ ( www.concertonet.com ).

8.660611-13 Release date: 10 Jul 2026

BUY NOW!

Listen to an excerpt from Act I: Scène 4: Ô ciel! Le président suprême du concile! LISTEN

Ambur Braid Rachel

John Osborn Éléazar

Gerard Schneider Léopold

Monika Buczkowska-Ward Princess Eudoxie

Simon Lim Cardinal Jean-François de Brogni

Chor der Oper Frankfurt

Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS About Henrik Nánási, Conductor Henrik Nánási was general music director of the Komische Oper Berlin from 2012 to 2017, where he conducted a wide-ranging repertoire. Born in Hungary, he regularly appears at the world’s most prestigious international opera houses, including The Metropolitan Opera in New York, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Teatro Real in Madrid, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Opéra national de Paris, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opernhaus Zü rich, Bayerische Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden, Arena di Verona and the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. In addition, he has appeared in concert with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo, ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien and the Bruckner Orchester Linz, among others.

Recommended Oper Frankfurt recordings

NEW

‘Loy masses his choral scenes with gusto, and draws the characters with compassion and wit. It’s the mixture of cheerfulness and melancholy that makes this opera sing, and Loy walks the line without compromise to his own aesthetic.’ – Gramophone

NOMINEE FOR RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Remy Franck’s Journal about Classical Music

‘What has kept the piece in the repertoire is singing and it’s the cast that make this new recording… The chorus… are magnificent throughout… All credit too to conductor Antonello Manacorda for steering so straight a course through all five acts.’ – BBC Music Magazine [Performance – / Recording – ]

‘Leo Hussain conducts his Frankfurt Opera Orchestra with verve and energy, giving the farce a pleasant freshness.’ – Pizzicato

NOMINEE

NOMINEE FOR RECORDING OF THE YEAR

GERMAN RECORD CRITIC’S AWARD QUARTERLY CRITIC’S CHOICE

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

Joseph Gabriel RHEINBERGER (1839–1901) Romantic Piano, Vol. 10 Piano Works Piano Sonatas Nos. 2, 3 and 4 ‘Romantic’ Dmytro Semykras, Piano Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger’s musical legacy can be found in his reputation as a renowned organist and professor as well as in his extraordinary facility and productivity as a composer in all forms, including a considerable amount of solo piano music. From the high- spirited Second Sonata to his final Fourth Sonata with its defiant opening and hymn-like Romance , Rheinberger’s piano sonatas are polished, beautifully balanced and tasteful, drawing on established Classical-Romantic traditions while being especially effective in producing flowing and memorable melodies. Key features: • The Naxos Romantic Piano series first appeared in September 2025 with works by Julius Benedict (8.574586), which was warmly welcomed by MusicWeb International : ‘we must above all be grateful to Naxos… for their enterprise in exploring an area of the repertoire that must be totally unknown to all but a very few experts in the period.’ With numerous world premiere recordings, the series explores and promotes little-known composers and unusual repertoire, including rarely heard music by Friedrich Kiel and piano sonatas by Józef Wieniawski. • Vol. 2 of the series, featuring sonatas by Wilhelm Taubert (8.574585), saw Interlude commenting that the recording is ‘a reminder of the breadth of 19th-century musical life, where many composers made meaningful contributions to the piano repertoire, even if they did not become household names.’ Vol. 3 (8.574534) presents a substantial programme of piano works by Charles Gounod, with American Record Guide declaring that ‘[Warren Lee] is a most eloquent and spirited advocate for this rare and diverting repertory.’.

8.574676 Release date: 10 Jul 2026

BUY NOW!

Listen to an excerpt from Piano Sonata No. 4 in F sharp minor, Op. 184 ‘Romantic’: I. Moderato LISTEN

Tracklist

Piano Sonata No. 2 in D flat major, Op. 99 (1876) 1 I. Non troppo mosso 2 II. Romanze: Andante espressivo 3 III. Finale: Con fuoco ed espressivo Piano Sonata No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 135 (1883) 4 I. Moderato e con espressione

Piano Sonata No. 4 in F sharp minor, Op. 184 ‘Romantic’ (1864–96) 8 I. Moderato

9 II. Romanze: Andante molto 0 III. Intermezzo: Largo – Allegro ! IV. Finale: Presto agitato

5 II. Scherzo: Vivo 6 III. Poco adagio 7 IV. Finale: Allegro

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

About Dmytro Semykras, Piano Born in Sumy, Ukraine, Dmytro Semykras graduated from the city’s music college before continuing his education at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz with Milana Chernyavska. He has refined his artistry in masterclasses with Claudio Martínez Mehner, Lily Dorfman, Vanessa Latarche and Alexei Grynyuk. Semykras has won prizes at the Santa Cecília, Île-de-France, Samson François, Ettlingen, Vladimir Krainev, Vladimir Horowitz, Young Musicians (Enschede) and Siegfried Weishaupt international piano competitions, and is also a recipient of the Yamaha Scholarship Programme.

Previous releases in the series

JUN 2026

The young Spanish pianist María Linares does full justice to this character. She emphasises the romantic character, passion, and virtuosity [of the music] just as well as she is able to bring the poetic pieces to life in her internalized interpretation. Her piano sound is beautifully round and warm.’ – Pizzicato full-bodied sound… The young Ukrainian combines a nuanced, but fundamentally very romantic expressiveness with great transparency and an extraordinary wealth of detail.’ – Pizzicato UPERSONIC S ‘Fediurko performs the Allegro of the Grande Sonate with vigour and power, producing a warm,

‘Avagyan is an inspired interpreter of the smaller pieces, dances, songs, and marches, giving each of the little miniatures its own character and thus ensuring variety so that the sequence never becomes monotonous.’ – Pizzicato

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

8.579187 Release date: 24 Jul 2026

BUY NOW!

CHEN Yi (b. 1953) Works for Violin, Viola and Piano Spring in Dresden The Soulful and the Perpetual Three Bagatelles from China West Chinese Folk Dance Suite Patrick Yim, Violin, Viola Kiu Tung Poon, Piano

Listen to an excerpt from The Soulful and the Perpetual: I. The Soulful LISTEN

Key features: •

Chen Yi was one of the very first women in China to achieve a master’s degree in composition, marking a significant milestone in the country’s musical history. She was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2006 for her orchestral work Si Ji . Over the course of her career, she has received numerous prestigious honours, including the Charles Ives Living Award, as well as fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2005, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, further recognising her influence and contributions to contemporary music. • In 2024, she was made an honorary member of the International Society for Contemporary Music, underscoring her global impact in the field. An album of her music is available on 8.572838, which includes her Suite for Cello and Chamber Winds , among other works. The recording has been praised as ‘a disc of fascinating contemporary wind band music that moves from celebration to tragedy’ by MusicWeb International , while BandWorld noted that ‘the music of Chen Yi is quite fascinating and offers a unique mesh of Eastern and Western sounds and traditions… it is a most rewarding discovery.’

Tracklist 1 Spring in Dresden 德雷斯頓之春 (2005) (version for violin and piano, 2024) 2 – 3 The Soulful and the Perpetual 抒情曲與無窮動 (2012) (version for viola and piano, 2024) 4 – 6 Three Bagatelles from China West 西南小曲三首 (2006) (version for violin and piano, 2024) 8:21 7 – 9 Chinese Folk Dance Suite 中國民族舞組曲 (2000) (arr. Wong Tak Chiu for saxophone and piano, 2017; ed. Chen Yi for violin and piano, 2018) The four works on this album by the esteemed Chinese-American composer Chen Yi are all premiere recordings, two of which – The Soulful and the Perpetual and Three Bagatelles – she has adapted specifically for violinist/violist Patrick Yim and pianist Kiu Tung Poon for this recording. Admired for bridging Eastern and Western traditions, Chen Yi draws on authentic folk music from the west of China evoking the sound of the bawu and lerong in Three Bagatelles . Originally composed for saxophone and piano The Soulful and the Perpetual is characterised by two opposing movements – the first lyrical; the second a perpetuum mobile . Spring in Dresden is a vivid and energetic work with erhu -inspired sliding tones, while the Chinese Folk Dance Suite is colourful, virtuosic and brilliantly conceived.

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

About Patrick Yim, Violin, Viola Honolulu-born violinist Patrick Yim made his solo debut with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra (now the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra), and has since given chamber music performances with members of the Juilliard, Emerson, St. Lawrence, Pacifica and Ying quartets. He appeared with The Cleveland Orchestra on a tour of the United States and Europe, and with the violinists of the Emerson Quartet at Carnegie Hall. In 2024, he performed the world premiere of Bamboo Grove , an unaccompanied violin work by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Zhou Long.

About Kiu Tung Poon, Piano Young Steinway Artist Kiu Tung Poon has appeared on concert stages worldwide, and at venues and festivals including Tanglewood and Aspen in the United States, Wiener Konzerthaus in Austria, St Martin-in-the-Fields in London and the Great Wall of China in Beijing. Recent releases include the critically acclaimed Digital Mist (Naxos 8.559903), featuring works for violin and piano by George Tsontakis, Chen Yi and Sebastian and Nathan Currier, and One Piano, Two Cultures – Early Piano Works by Contemporary Chinese Composers (Grand Piano GP984). Kiu Tung Poon graduated from Indiana University Bloomington and the University of Texas at Austin with a Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance. She is currently a senior lecturer in the Department of Music at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Recordings featuring Chen Yi’s works

‘These works are challenging and emotionally rich, and require no special pleading. Anyone interested in the continuing evolution of Chinese culture needs to give this excellent [disc] a listen.’ – Fanfare

‘Susan Chan plays with tremendous musicianship and technical mastery throughout the recording. Her commitment to this music, to which she alludes in her programme note, is audible in every phrase she plays. The disc’s sound quality is impeccable.’ – Fanfare

‘The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra under Darrell Ang does a respectable job bring these works to life. Long and Yi give us music well worth hearing, world-class orchestral music that goes its own way and reflects a melding of Asian and contemporary elements both convincing and at times quite exciting.’ – Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review

‘The music of Chen Yi is quite fascinating and offers a unique mesh of Eastern & Western sounds and traditions. …it is a most rewarding discovery.’ – BandWorld

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

Brass for Uncommon Times COLEMAN • COLLINS • COPLEY • MENDOZA PETERSEN • YAGISAWA • YORK Hiram Diaz, Vocals • Velvet Brown, Tuba Fran Vielma, Percussion • Daniel Prim, Drum Kit Brass for Uncommon Times • Brian Kaufman Composed between 2004 and 2022 the seven works on this album reflect the concerns and crises of our time. These include the pandemic, racial unrest, global conflict, reflections on the realities of war, the pervasive use of gun violence, pollution and social strife. The music oscillates between struggle and celebration and gives powerful glimpses of redemptive hope in our shared experiences, one that values civic identity and collective expression and offers a fanfare for those who shape our future for the better. Key features: • Brass for Uncommon Times is an all-star collective of 40 top- notch brass and percussion performers giving voice to socially relevant works to help build a better future. Ensemble members hail from the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) in the United States and are affiliated with the region’s most celebrated orchestras, military bands and universities. • These pieces confront societal division, racial injustice, gun violence, global crises and war, while also searching for hope, resilience and connection. From quiet reflection to bold, urgent passages, the music moves between struggle and celebration, tension and release. It guides listeners through uncertainty, offering moments of clarity and resolve. The project shows how music can reckon with the world as it is and inspire a vision of a more connected, hopeful future.

8.579190 Release date: 24 Jul 2026

BUY NOW!

Listen to an excerpt from COLEMAN, V.: Fanfare for Uncommon Times LISTEN

Tracklist

Valerie COLEMAN (b. 1970) 1 Fanfare for Uncommon Times (2021) * Satoshi YAGISAWA (b. 1975) 2 Blueshine Emblem, An Eternal Elegy (2006) Barbara YORK (1949–2020) 3 – 5 Concerto for Tuba ‘Wars and Rumors of War’ (2004, arr. pub. 2021) **

Katahj COPLEY (b. 1998)

6 Beyond (2018) *

Harrison COLLINS (b. 1999) (version for brass and percussion) ** Katelyn PETERSEN (b. 2000)

7 Young Voices (2018)

8 Respire (2022) *

Félix MENDOZA (b. 1983) 9 Guerra de Secciones (2007)

* WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING ** OF ARRANGEMENT

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

About Brian Kaufman, Conductor Committed to building a more engaged and just society through music, conductor Brian Kaufman has presented ideas and project results on five continents at venues such as the United Nations, the Ford Foundation, the University of Oxford, and Yale University. He is an associate professor of music at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

Music for Brass band

‘Rex Richardson is the terrific jazz trumpet player in the 3-movement Master of Suspense… You might never hear a euphonium player as technically dazzling as David Childs.’ – American Record Guide

‘The composers have contemplated playing to the most exciting qualities of these timbres, as well as connecting with the personalities of those for whom the pieces were written…’ – BBC Music Magazine

‘Septura always sounds terrific – tone qualities, blend, and intonation are always wonderful, ensemble always precise.’ – American Record Guide

‘[Childs’] technical skills are superb, as witness most of the pieces on his album – especially an amazingly fast and clean “Flight of the Bumblebee”. For variety, several song-like pieces are included and show Childs’s thick, very dark tenor-tuba tone to full advantage.’ – American Record Guide

JULY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

George Frideric HANDEL (1685–1759) Il Floridante Cembaless – Elisabeth von Stritzky, Vocals David Hanke, Annabell Opelt, Recorders Anna Lachegyi, Viola da Gamba Robbert Vermeulen, Theorbo Stefan Koim, Baroque guitar, Archlute Syavash Rastani, Persian drums Florian Wintels, Poetry Slam An opera reimagined – with courage, wit, and poetic resonance. In this bold and intimate interpretation of Händel’s Il Floridante , Cembaless and Poetry Slam artist Florian Wintels merge baroque virtuosity with the language of today. The result: a vibrant and emotionally charged experience that explores timeless themes of love, power, injustice, True to its name, Cembaless excels in its distinctive approach to early music, notably by omitting the traditional harpsichord. Cembaless’s bold experimentation and refined artistry yield arrangements that continually redefine the boundaries of concert and spatial design. Their performances take the audience on a journey through a unique sound world that effortlessly merges fiery, exhilarating rhythms with intimate, reflective moments. and resistance. Key features:

8.551491 Release date: 10 Jul 2026

BUY NOW!

Tracklist

1 Ouverture 2 Dimmi, o spene! 3 Marche

0 Notte Cara ! Sorte nemica, hai vinto! Mà che vuoi più da me @ Non lasciar oppressa della sorte # Vivere per penare $ L’unica figlia d’Oronte io son: Vanne, segui’l mio desio % Se dolce m’era gia ^ Quando pena la Constanza, spera pur

4 Alma mia, sì, sol tu sei 5 Ma pria vedrò le stelle 6 Finchè lo strale non giunge al segno 7 Ah mio caro, se tu parti 8 Ripigliati’l tu dono! … Barbaro! 9 Ma non s’aspetti, no

RETURN HOME

About Florian Wintels , Poetry Slam Some television channels refer to him as a ‘rapping slam machine’ (ARD), some newspapers find him to be a ‘word acrobat with an astonishing sense of humour, rhyme, and rhythm’ ( Süddeutsche Zeitung ), and some entertainment legends find him ‘remarkable’ (Götz Alsmann). Without a doubt, he claimed the title of Lower Saxony/Bremen Poetry Slam champion in 2013, 2016, and 2017, and even won the German-language championship in Vienna in 2022. His best texts were published in the book Offensichtlich hatte Steffi ihren Laptop mit dabei which was released in 2020 by Lektora-Verlag. After finding an old acoustic guitar on his estate, he published his debut EP allein in 2020. His humorous songs have already been performed on the stage of the Opera House in Hanover, the Thalia Theater in Hamburg, and as a one-man opening act for das Lumpenpack.

Recommended recordings

MAY 2026

‘The performances are responsive to such different stages of Gubaidulina’s music, with Alice Di Piazza having collaborated on a revision of the concerto, while Titus Engel has its measure at all times. Béatrice Rauchs is a dependable option for the works with piano… this is a worthwhile commemoration of an important composer.’ – Gramophone

Remy Franck’s Journal about Classical Music

‘With the Leipzig Symphony Orchestra, [Albrecht Menzel] finds himself in excellent company. The ensemble follows his thoughtful and outstanding playing with keen alertness and attention, capturing every nuance. Conductor Robbert van Steijn understands how to unite the performers perfectly.’ – Pizzicato

‘[Hershkowitz] has the perfect soubrette voice, graceful, sweet and effortless in the higher register… Her accompanist, So-Mang Jeagal, is a sensitive well-schooled artist exhibiting good taste and restraint when the material approaches the doors of the cabaret or music hall... Pianist Gloria Cheng gives them a thoughtful reading.’ – Fanfare ‘The Trio Egmont has not only dedicated itself to these little-played pieces. It also presents them in the style of the time, as can be gleaned from period sources. They also use period-appropriate instruments… The three musicians create irrepressibly fiery interpretations that always remain structured.’ – Pizzicato

‘An interesting programme of oft-recorded pieces… played in a vigorous and energetic manner.’ – American Record Guide

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21

naxosmusic.co.uk

Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker