NEW ON NAXOS | AUGUST 2023
George ENESCU (1881–1955) Early Chamber Music Piano Quintet 1 • Prélude et Gavotte 2 Aubade 3 • Pastorale, Menuet triste et Nocturne 4 Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 in A major 5 Fine Arts Quartet – Ralph Evans 1, 2, 4, 5 , Efim Boico 1, 3, 5 , Violins Gil Sharon, Viola 1, 3, 5 • Niklas Schmidt, Cello 1–3, 5 Alexander Bickard, Double bass 5 Gisele Witkowski 1, 2, 4 , Fabio Witkowski 2, 4, 5 , Pianos
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It was in Paris just before the end of the 19th century that George Enescu began to compose prolifically, but it is only in recent years that a number of these scores have emerged. The Piano Quintet in D major is one such work, lost for decades, but which proves to be a robust and elaborate piece reflecting the influence of Brahms. Enescu’s liking for unusual instrumental combinations is another theme of this album, such as the Prélude et Gavotte for violin, cello and two pianos, and the eloquent Pastorale, Menuet triste et Nocturne for violin and piano four hands. Aubade is Enescu’s only string trio, and the ever-popular Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 in the arrangement for piano and string quintet ends the programme with a flourish. Key Features: •
8.574487 Release Date: 11 Aug 2023
Companion Titles – George Enescu, Composer
The Fine Arts Quartet is one of the world’s leading quartets. They have received Gramophone Award and Recording of Legendary Status ( Gramophone Classical Music Guide ), Key Recording/Top Recommendation ( Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music ), Editor’s Choice ( Gramophone ), Critic’s Choice ( American Record Guide ) twice, BBC Music Magazine Choice and Recording of the Year ( MusicWeb International ) thrice. • The quartet’s violinists, Ralph Evans (prize-winner in the International Tchaikovsky Competition) and Efim Boico (former concertmaster of the Orchestre de Paris under Daniel Barenboim), have performed together for 40 years. •
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From left to right: Ralph Evans , Efim Boico , Gil Sharon and Niklas Schmidt
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Enescu’s Violin Sonatas Nos. 2 and 3 can be heard on 8.572691: ‘These are the finest readings of these sonatas that I have heard aside from the recordings that Enescu himself made…the advantage that these recordings have over those is high fidelity and brilliantly clear digital sound’ ( American Record Guide ).
Click to listen to Piano Quintet in D major: I. Allegro moderato
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INCLUDES WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS
Isaac ALBÉNIZ (1860–1909) Piano Music, Vol. 9
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Rapsodia española • Chants d’Espagne Miguel Ángel R. Laiz, Santiago L. Sacristán, Pianos
Twenty-five years ago, Guillermo González, a great exponent of Spanish music, inaugurated an ambitious project to record all of Isaac Albéniz’s piano music. This ninth volume is the culmination of that project and the recordings have all been made by González or his students, adding interpretative unity to the cycle. The final instalment focuses on Albéniz’s compositional evolution and his use of inspired folk-based melodies, Hispanic nostalgia and vivid dance rhythms, encapsulated by the intoxicating Chants d’Espagne . Additionally, five works are heard in exciting new arrangements for two pianos made expressly for this recording, presented as if in a suite of dances. Key Features: • Guillermo González recorded the first three volumes in the series. The other volumes have all been played by five other leading Spanish pianists, all of whom were his students. • He is the holder of the Premio Nacional de Música (1991), the Premio Nacional del Disco (1980), the Medalla Albéniz (2009) and his 1998 urtext edition of Albéniz’s suite Iberia has become a work of reference. • Fanfare wrote of Vol. 2 on 8.570553, that ‘González plays with passion, bringing out the music’s warmth… this should prove to be another rewarding series from Naxos.’ •
final Volume
8.573927 Release Date: 25 Aug 2023
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The two soloists have played in the previous volumes of the series. Miguel Ángel R. Laiz recorded Volume 8 (8.573779) back in 2017 which American Record Guide said was ‘played superbly’. Santiago L. Sacristán plays on Volume 6 on 8.573295: ‘Sacristan plays with a crisp, tangy tone that is just right for this music’, wrote American Record Guide .
Miguel Ángel R. Laiz and Santiago L. Sacristán
Click to listen to Recuerdos de viaje, Op. 70: No. 5. Puerta de Tierra, bolero, T. 72E
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