New On Naxos | Consumer: August 2026

AUGUST 2026

THE WORLD OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

Bogang Hwang

AUGUST 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

Bedřich SMETANA (1824–1884) Romantic Piano, Vol. 11 Piano Works Piano Sonata in G minor Czech Dances, Books 1 and 2 Bogang Hwang, Piano

Regarded as the father of Czech music Bedřich Smetana was a pioneer in developing a national style that culminated in his popular symphonic cycle Má vlast . Composed after he had become deaf the Czech Dances are Smetana’s last major piano works. Sparkling with distinctive character and inventiveness Book 1 elevates the humble polka to the level Chopin achieved with his mazurkas, while Book 2 was inspired by the old Moravian and Bohemian dances played to Smetana by his neighbour, a local amateur violinist. Coloured with Lisztian harmonic richness, the Piano Sonata in G minor combines Romantic expressiveness with puckish good humour. 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, this series explores and promotes little-known composers and unusual repertoire. Further volumes present rarely heard music by the likes of Friedrich Kiel (8.574703), and piano sonatas by Józef Wieniawski (8.574583), in which Andrew Cannestra’s ‘bold playing is perfect for the grandeur of the sonata and the brilliance of the dances while finding delicacy and a fluent singing line in the barcarolle. This is a lovely disc in this enterprising series’ ( MusicWeb international ). • Vol. 2 of the series with sonatas by Wilhelm Taubert (8.574585) saw Interlude commenting that this 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.’ One further volume in this edition includes the piano music of Robert Volkmann (8.574674), of which pianist Levon Avagyan is ‘an inspired interpreter’ ( Pizzicato ).

Playing time: 87:00 Release date: 14 Aug 2026

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Listen to an excerpt from České tance (‘Czech Dances’) Book 1: No. 2. Polka in A minor LISTEN

Tracklist

Piano Sonata in G minor (1846) 1 I. Sostenuto – Allegro 2 II. Adagio 3 III. Scherzo: Vivace 4 IV. Finale: Molto vivace České tance (‘Czech Dances’) Book 1 (1877) 5 No. 1. Polka in F sharp minor 6 No. 2. Polka in A minor 7 No. 3. Polka in F major 8 No. 4. Polka in B flat major

Book 2 (1879)

9 No. 1. Furiant 0 No. 2. Slepička (‘Little Hen’) ! No. 3. Oves (‘Grain Dance’) @ No. 4. Medvěd (‘Bear Dance’) # No. 5. Cibulička (‘Little Onion’) $ No. 6. Dupák (‘Stamping Dance’) % No. 7. Hulán (‘Lancer’) ^ No. 8. Obkročák (‘Stepping Dance’) & No. 9. Sousedská (‘Neighbour’s Dance’) * No. 10. Skočná

2 1 1

AUGUST 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

About Bogang Hwang, Piano South Korean pianist Bogang Hwang graduated from the Sunhwa Arts High School, where she had won the excellence performance award for three consecutive years, and was a recipient of the Sunhwa Piano Society Scholarship, before completing her undergraduate studies with Ick-Choo Moon at Seoul National University. She is currently studying at the Colburn School Conservatory of Music with Fabio Bidini. She has participated in numerous prestigious competitions, including the Queen Elisabeth Competition and Los Angeles International Liszt Competition. Festival appearances include Ravinia Festival, Wideman Spring Festival, Laguna Beach Music Festival and Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.

Other volumes in the series

JUL 2026

JUN 2026

‘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

‘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 internalised interpretation. Her piano sound is beautifully round and warm.’ – Pizzicato ‘Cannestra certainly has the virtuoso technique to master the challenges Wieniawski places in front of him, and he plays with dramatic presence. …Cannestra provides excitement aplenty.’ –Fanfare

‘[Fediurko] plays everything with engagement and technical mastery…’ – American Record Guide

AUGUST 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

Daniel-François-Esprit AUBER (1782–1871) Overtures, Vol. 9 Le Domino noir • La Gitana La Sirène • Gustave III Marche funèbre pour la translation des

Cendres de Napoléon Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava Dario Salvi

Daniel-François-Esprit Auber was one of the most successful opera composers of the 19th century. His overtures were favourites of the light Classical repertoire with gracious melodies and dance rhythms that were hugely influential on the genre of Romantic comic opera, especially in Germany. The unexpected complexities of Le Domino noir result in Auber’s most subtle and refined overture, while the often vivacious and joyful music in Gustave III, ou Le Bal masqué corresponds to the expectations of the grand-opéra tradition. All of these contrast with a closing Marche funèbre composed to accompany the interment of Napoleon’s ashes in the church of Les Invalides. Key features: • Since the first volume of Auber’s overtures was released in 2019 (8.574005) this edition has become the principal, indeed the only reference for much of this excellent but rarely heard repertoire. This first volume was considered ‘inventive and ear-catching’ in ClassicsToday.com : ‘What wonderful woodwind writing supported by pizzicato strings at the outset of Le Timide . What nifty scurrying chromatic runs and ostinatos near the Leicester Overture ’s conclusion. Or, just try not to relish the tried-and-true “Rossini crescendo” capping Le Séjour militaire : Auber knew what worked, and he made it work without fuss or seeming effort’. • With this series the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava conducted by Dario Salvi has brought Auber’s music further into the mainstream than even we anticipated, with Vol. 7 (8.574597) a nominee as recording of the year for MusicWeb International in 2025, summing up this release as ‘hugely enjoyable and a real, smile-inducing delight’. This ninth volume is the penultimate album in this edition, following on from Vol. 8 (8.574668) released in June 2025 in which the orchestra ‘plays with inspiration and nuance under the committed direction of Dario Salvi, delivering colourful and, when necessary, dramatically gripping performances’ ( Pizzicato ).

Playing time: 75:18 Release date: 14 Aug 2026

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Listen to an excerpt from La Gitana: El Jaleo de Xeres LISTEN

Janáč ek Philharmonic Ostrava © Petr Hrubeš

AUGUST 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

About Dario Salvi, Conductor Dario Salvi is a busy and respected conductor with a versatile and eclectic repertoire, which has been recognised through numerous awards and nominations, including the 2023 ‘Riccardo Drigo’ Music for Ballet prize and a 2022 International Classical Music Awards nomination for the world premiere recording of Johann Strauss II’s Waldmeister (Naxos 8.660489-90). His passion for the rediscovery and performance of long-forgotten masterpieces and the curation of world premieres has put Salvi in the spotlight around the world. He has conducted many international orchestras and opera companies including the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, PKF – Prague Philharmonia, Neue Preußische Philharmonie Berlin, Kosovo Philharmonic, Malmö Opera and State Opera Rousse among many others.

Other volumes in the series

‘This is the Janáč ek Philharmonic Orchestra’s first appearance in this series…They play the music well… As for Scottish-Italian conductor Dario Salvi, this is a labour of love for him, and I have nothing but admiration for his persistence and scholarship…’ – Fanfare

‘Dario Salvi continues to lead his forces… with clearly evident enthusiasm for Auber’s cause and with a finely honed appreciation of the composer’s style.’ – MusicWeb International

NOMINEE FOR RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Remy Franck’s Journal about Classical Music

‘They play with aplomb and commitment under Salvi, while creditable production values impart burnished sonics and ample realism… It receives a rousing reading here from Dario Salvi, whose reliably intelligent performances are complimented by informative booklet notes.’ – BBC Music Magazine

‘The Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava plays with inspiration and nuance under the committed direction of Dario Salvi, delivering colourful and, when necessary, dramatically gripping performances… The Czech wind players are particularly noteworthy.’ – Pizzicato

AUGUST 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

Music of Resilience FROLYAK * • HAVRYLETS • KRYVOPUST *

POLEVÁ * • PRYDATKEVYCH ** SHEVCHENKO * • ZALESKY ** Solomiya Ivakhiv, Violin INSO-Lviv Symphony Orchestra Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra Roman Kreslenko * • Serhii Khorovets **

Hailed by Fanfare magazine as ‘one of the major artists of our time’ Ukrainian violinist Solomiya Ivakhiv continues to give voice to her country’s rich musical heritage in Music of Resilience . The album explores her homeland’s ongoing war and features new works: Victoria Vita Polevá’s searing lament, Bucha . Lachrimosa , and two pieces by Bohdan Kryvopust, the powerfully commemorative On the River and the folk-music inspired Ukrainian Suite . Hanna Havrylets’ Ex Libris dates from 1993 and employs folk music techniques that draw on ornamentation more than development. Representing an earlier generation, the richly Romantic works by Osyp Zalesky and Roman Prydatkevych are heard here in arrangements by Bohdana Frolyak. As an encore, Ivakhiv plays Yuriy Shevchenko’s arrangement of Ukraine’s national anthem. This is Solomiya Ivakhiv’s third album for Naxos. She continues to give voice to her country’s musical heritage and its present – bringing living and overlooked figures centre-stage. • She has recorded Ukrainian violin sonatas on 8.579146: ‘[Ivakhiv] is a fine interpreter of these works, none of which I’ve heard before…These are committed performances of some interesting music… I’m glad that I was able to hear them and hope that Ivakhiv has luck presenting more works of this quality’ ( American Record Guide ). • Her album Ukrainian Christmas is on 8.574677: ‘All these extravagant, captivating orchestrations are sheer joy, played with exuberance by Ivakhiv and the orchestra led by Serhii Khorovets ’ ( MusicWeb International) . Key features: •

Playing time: 62:57 Release date: 28 Aug 2026

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Listen to an excerpt from KRYVOPUST, B.: On the River LISTEN

Tracklist Victoria Vita POLEVÁ (b. 1962) Bucha. Lacrimosa (2022) Hanna HAVRYLETS (1958–2022)

2 – 5 Ex Libris (1993)

Bohdan KRYVOPUST (b. 1975)

Bohdana FROLYAK (b. 1968) Nocturne * Only available for download and streaming

6 On the River (2024)

Osyp ZALESKY (1892–1984)

7 Autumn Song (1916/2024 * ) Bohdan KRYVOPUST 8 – ! Ukrainian Suite (2024/2025)

Bohdana FROLYAK (b. 1968) @ Nocturne (2008/2024) Roman PRYDATKEVYCH (1895–1980) # – % Ukrainian Rhapsody No. 1 (1956/2022 * ) Yuriy SHEVCHENKO (1953–2022) ^ We Do Exist! (We Are!) (2014) (*arr. Bohdana Frolyak)

9.50355 * Release date: 31 Jul 2026

AUGUST 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

About Solomiya Ivakhiv, Violin Ukrainian-American violinist Solomiya Ivakhiv is a celebrated soloist, chamber musician and educator. Her recordings have been featured on NPR’s Performance Today, Sirius XM Symphony Hall and major classical radio stations across the United States, and have ranked in iTunes and Spotify charts. Dr Ivakhiv has served as artistic director of music at the Music at the Institute (MATI) Concert Series in New York City since 2010, where she champions Ukrainian classical music. She is also artistic director of the Caspian Music Festival in Greensboro, Vermont. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and Stony Brook University, she is professor of violin and viola and head of strings at the University of Connecticut. In 2021, she was named Honoured (Merited) Artist of Ukraine, the country’s highest cultural honour.

Recommended Ukrainian music

‘Performances are excellent. Mr Bielow is a brilliant player.’ – American Record Guide

‘All these extravagant, captivating orchestrations are sheer joy, played with exuberance by Ivakhiv and the orchestra led by Serhii Khorovets.’ – MusicWeb International

Remy Franck’s Journal about Classical Music

‘Wawrowski is an eloquent exponent of the many lyrical passages… It’s all strangely beautiful, and, at the same time, disconcertingly haunting.’ – BBC Music Magazine

‘[Ivakhiv] is a fine interpreter of these works, none of which I’ve heard before… These are committed performances of some interesting music… I’m glad that I was able to hear them and hope that Ivakhiv has luck presenting more works of this quality.’ – American Record Guide

Remy Franck’s Journal about Classical Music

AUGUST 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

Joseph MARX (1882–1964) Chamber Music, Vol. 1 Suite and Pastorale for Cello and Piano * Violin Sonata No. 2 ‘Frühlingssonate’ ** Minna Pensola, Violin ** Vida Vujić, Cello * Simone Sgarbanti, Piano This first volume of Joseph Marx’s chamber music charts a period of 30 years from the cello works of 1913–14 to the Violin Sonata No. 2 , written in 1944, shortly before he ceased all composition. The Pastorale is characteristically subtle with impressionistic devices harnessed to ever-changing variations. The Suite in F major , for which the Pastorale was originally intended, balances a rural idyll with more sombre elements, informed by a noble Classical design. Violin Sonata No. 2 , subtitled Frühlingssonate (‘Spring Sonata’), consciously re-uses material from earlier works to form a lyrical dance-like work irradiated by ingenious harmonic twists. Key features: •

Finnish violinist Minna Pensola is renowned for being an intense performer, invigorating soloist, energetic orchestra leader and inspiring teacher. A regular guest at many international chamber music festivals, Pensola is a member of the award-winning string quartet Meta4, and is one of the tutors and artistic directors of the European Chamber Music Academy (ECMA).

Playing time: 66:52 Release date: 14 Aug 2026

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She is also the artistic director of Kuhmo Chamber Music as well as the PuKamaChamber concert series. From 2019 to 2024, Pensola served as the artistic partner of the Joensuu City Orchestra, and was the artistic director of the Sysmän Suvisoitto from 2006 to 2012. She has also established ‘Klasariklubi’ – a concept that combines a relaxed bar setting with classical live music in her hometown of Helsinki. •

Listen to an excerpt from Suite in F major for Cello and Piano: I. Präludium LISTEN

Born in Paraćin (Serbia), Austrian cellist Vida Vujić enjoys an international career as a soloist and chamber musician. She studied cello with Rudolf Leopold in Graz and chamber music with Johannes Meissl in Vienna, graduating with distinction from both institutions. Further artistic inspiration came from Philippe Muller, Ivan Monighetti, Valter Dešpalj, Martin Hornstein

Tracklist Suite in F major for Cello and Piano (1914) 1 I. Präludium 2 II. Largo 3 III. Menuett 4 IV. Finale 5 Pastorale for Cello and Piano (1913) Violin Sonata No. 2 in D major ‘Frühlingssonate’ (‘Spring Sonata’) (1944) 6 I. Allegro espressivo 7 II. Allegretto (im Serenadenton) 8 III. Moderato

and Hatto Beyerle, among others. An active chamber musician, Vujić has performed throughout Europe and South America in renowned venues such as the Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, Salle Pleyel in Paris and the Kolarac in Belgrade. Her work has also been featured on radio and recordings. Vujić has received the Appreciation Prize from the Austrian Ministry of Education, the Stanojlo Rajcić prize for the best concert of the 2006/07 season, and the Thomastik-Infeld prize.

AUGUST 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

About Simone Sgarbanti, Piano Born in Reggio Emilia in 1995, Simone Sgarbanti was first introduced to music through the hymns of the Protestant church, later expanding his artistic language via gospel, jazz, improvisation and classical piano. A committed specialist of the music of Paul Hindemith, Sgarbanti is currently engaged in the study and performance of the composer’s complete works for solo piano, alongside regular lectures and workshops on his music and harmonic language at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel and Conservatorium van Amsterdam (CvA), among others. He has appeared at major festivals and venues, including the Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, performing across Europe, Morocco and Japan, and has been awarded first prize in several national and international competitions.

Joseph Marx, Composer

‘There’s lots of affection and fluidity to Lively’s performance, and some fine solo violin-playing… There’s no doubting Marx’s ear for orchestration was a very fine one… Both soloist and orchestra respond to its many imaginative colours and moods…’ – Gramophone

‘The Bochum Orchestra plays beautifully. Sloane’s interpretations show his tender feelings for the music… The minuet in the Vienna suite is so leisurely as to suggest a deliberate landler. Recorded sound is good.’ – American Record Guide

Remy Franck’s Journal about Classical Music

RECOMMENDED

‘Lavish, imaginative orchestrations of songs by this unjustly neglected, late-Romantic Viennese composer, whose love of the female voice and technical expertise is showcased in this appealing, sympathetic recording featuring Angela Maria Blasi.’ – BBC Music Magazine

‘The music is lavish, beautifully orchestrated and an aural treat… Performances are enthusiastic and refined and the sound is excellent.’ – American Record Guide

OPERA NEWS

AUGUST 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

Franz LISZT (1811–1886) Complete Piano Music, Vol. 70 Marches Christopher Williams, Piano

Franz Liszt’s lifelong engagement with the March is the focus of this volume. The March form offered a medium laden with public meaning allied to the possibility of reinvention and harmonic adventurousness. The symphonic depth of the Goethe-Festmarsch , for example, is elevated far above a mere commemorative work, and the Marche funèbre , composed two days after the death of his father, is a sombre, restrained elegy that foreshadows the austere style of Liszt’s later compositions. Whether exploring stylised folk elements or national pageantry reflecting Hungarian nationhood, the March drew from Liszt bold architectural design, rich harmonies and stirring thematic material. Key features: Pianist Christopher Williams recorded Vol. 65 in the Liszt Complete Piano Music series on Naxos 8.574614: ‘[Williams] plays superlatively, negotiating the many difficulties with ease…this is a brilliant recording of some rarely heard Liszt all played splendidly by Christopher Williams. I have to say that I’d not heard any of his other recordings but now I feel the need to go out and buy them’ ( MusicWeb International ).

Playing time: 73:26 Release date: 28 Aug 2026

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Listen to an excerpt from Ungarischer Geschwindmarsch (Magyar Gyors induló), S233/R56 LISTEN

Tracklist

1 Goethe-Festmarsch, S521/R48b 2 Marche funèbre, S226a 3 Seconde marche hongroise (Ungarischer Sturmmarsch), S524/R54b 4 Marche hongroise, S233b 5 Ungarischer Geschwindmarsch (Magyar Gyors induló), S233/R56 6 Heroischer Marsch im ungarischen Styl, S231/R53 7 Vom Fels zum Meer (Deutscher Siegesmarsch), S229/R50

8 Bülow-Marsch, S230/R52 9 Ungarischer Marsch, S229a 0 Siegesmarsch-Marche triomphale, S233a/R56a ! Seconde marche hongroise (Ungarischer Sturmmarsch), S232/R54a @ Huldigungsmarsch, S228/R49 # Ungarischer Marsch zur Krönungsfeier in Ofen-Pest am 8ten Juni 1867, S523/R55 $ Festmarsch zur Säkularfeier von Goethes Geburtstag, S227/R48a

AUGUST 2026 NEW ON NAXOS

About Christopher Williams, Piano Born in Wales, Christopher Williams leads a busy and varied professional life as a pianist, composer, conductor, teacher and arranger. He is currently a staff pianist at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, piano tutor at Cardiff University, and pianist for both the BBC National Chorus of Wales and BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Influenced by his teacher and mentor Walter Ryan, Williams developed a keen interest in the performance and recording of works by undeservedly neglected composers, culminating in the release of three albums of world premiere recordings by the composer Semyon Barmotin.

Previous releases from the series

JUN 2026

APR 2026

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‘Williamson’s genius is that he plays these arrangements of mostly orchestral pieces as if they were always piano pieces – that is, he’s always pianistic, not symphonic, and he rarely emulates the orchestra. …This is a master class in Lisztian piano style and another winner for Naxos’s venerable series now entering its 30th year.’ – American Record Guide ‘[Scherbakov] can negotiate the most demanding passagework evenly with clarity and precision, he balances competing voices appropriately, and he plays with great élan.’ – Fanfare

‘[Williams] plays superlatively, negotiating the many difficulties with ease …this is a brilliant recording of some rarely heard Liszt all played splendidly by Christopher Williams. I have to say that I’d not heard any of his other recordings but now I feel the need to go out and buy them.’ – MusicWeb International Sergio Gallo undoubtedly knows and masters even the well-known repertoire pieces perfectly. His playing seems tailor-made for Liszt; virtuosic, yes, but above all enthusiastic, passionate, and emotional, yet never uncontrolled… Gallo’s vibrant and technically demanding playing makes this recording well worth listening to. A clear recommendation.’ – Deutsche Liszt-Gesellschaft

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