The New on Naxos for February 2024 highlights rarely performed opera by Rossini 'Elisabetta regina d'Inghilterra' performed by Kraków Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra. Naxos celebrates the anniversary of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with a new recording by the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic with David Alan Miller, and celebrates three expressive Ukrainian composers on 'Ukrainian Masters' featuring Violin Sonatas performed by Solomiya Ivakhiv and Steven Beck. Naxos Audiovisual shares two new productions: the Deutsche Oper Berlin's Das Rheingold (originally released in a set) and Tchaikovsky's 'None but the Lonely Heart', staged by one of the most internationally sought-after directors of his generation, Christof Loy. Enjoy!
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FEBRUARY 2024
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NEW ON NAXOS | FEBRUARY 2024
8.660538-39 Release Date: 9 Feb 2024
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Antonino Fogliani © Susanne Diesner
Gioachino ROSSINI (1792–1868) Elisabetta regina d’Inghilterra (‘Elizabeth, Queen of England’) Dramma per musica in two acts (1815) Libretto by Giovanni Schmidt (c. 1773–1849) Sung in Italian Serena Farnocchia, Veronica Marini, Sopranos Mara Gaudenzi, Mezzo-soprano Luis Aguilar • Patrick Kabongo, Mert Süngü, Tenors Kraków Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra Antonino Fogliani Rossini’s rarely performed Elisabetta regina d’Inghilterra was his first opera for the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples. With the composer showcasing and indeed recycling some of his best music, it was an enormous success and allowed him to become established as the leading opera composer in Italy. The story revolves around Queen Elizabeth I (Elisabetta), whose romantic attachments expose her to murderous intrigues, and ends with her renouncement of love itself. This fast-moving production under the baton of Antonino Fogliani was described as ‘a colourful, sparkling festival of music’ in Die Deutsche Bühne . About Antonino Fogliani, Conductor Antonino Fogliani ’s debut at the Pesaro Rossini Opera Festival in 2001 was followed by engagements in major opera houses including Teatro La Fenice, Teatro dell’Opera, Teatro di San Carlo, the Opéra Comique and Teatro alla Scala. International engagements have taken him to Monte Carlo, Moscow, Houston and Barcelona, among others. He has conducted countless performances for Deutsche Oper am Rhein and at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, including Macbeth and Il trovatore for the Opernfestspiele. Most recently he led a production of Turandot at the Grand Théâtre in Geneva. He was appointed music director at Rossini in Wildbad in 2011.
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Key Features: •
The annual Rossini in Wildbad Festival has become a pillar of our operatic output, with successes such as Rossini’s Mose in Egitto (8.660220-21) characterising the typically ‘exciting and energetic performance’ ( Fanfare ) that collectors have come to expect from this source. Amongst the out-of-the ordinary versions of neglected masterpieces, Rossini’s Matilde di Shabran (8.660492-94) was released in December 2020. This was also received with great critical acclaim and summed up as ‘well worth anyone’s money’ in MusicWeb International . • Principal Guest Conductor of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein and Music Director of the Festival Rossini in Wildbad, Antonio Fogliani quickly established himself on the international scene as one of the most appreciated musicians of his generation. His numerous acclaimed Rossini recordings on the Naxos label include Maometto II (8.660444-46 also with tenor Mert Süngü ) was admired by Gramophone describing it as ‘a magnificent opera... with some of the most sumptuous yet theatrically pertinent vocal writing Rossini provided for the lyric stage’. • This 2021 Kraków and Rossini in Wildbad production was received warmly by the critics: ‘Once again we heard a passionate rendition of Rossini’s score by the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra , this time under the baton of Antonino Fogliani. As always, his conductor does not excel in details, but he manages to deliver a compelling, dynamic performance, and this enthusiasm clearly reflects on singers, musicians and audiences’ ( Opera Gazet ).
Companion Titles – Rossini in Wildbad productions
8.660444-46 8.660220-21 8.660492-94 8.660417-18
Kraków Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra
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NEW ON NAXOS | FEBRUARY 2024
David Alan Miller © Gary Gold / Albany Symphony
8.559934 Release Date: 9 Feb 2024 George GERSHWIN (1898–1937) Rhapsody in Blue * † Second Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra * † Cuban Overture † Joan TOWER (b. 1938) 1920/2019 Steven STUCKY (1949–2016) Dreamwaltzes Kevin Cole, Piano * National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic David Alan Miller BUY NOW!
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Click to listen to GERSHWIN, G.: Cuban Overture
About David Alan Miller, Conductor David Alan Miller is one of the leading American conductors of his generation. The two-time GRAMMY Award-winning music director of the Albany Symphony has reaffirmed the orchestra’s reputation as the nation’s leading champion of American symphonic music. Miller received GRAMMY Awards in January 2021 for his recording of Christopher Theofanidis’ Viola Concerto , and in 2014 for his Naxos recording of John Corigliano’s Conjurer , with the Albany Symphony and Dame Evelyn Glennie. In addition to his work with the Albany Symphony, Miller currently serves as artistic advisor to the Sarasota Orchestra and the Little Orchestra Society of New York. Key Features: • This is the first recording of Rhapsody in Blue in the Gershwin Critical Edition. It is released in the 2024 centennial of the work’s first performance. •
† WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING OF GERSHWIN CRITICAL EDITION
This album presents three classic Gershwin pieces heard in premiere recordings of the new Gershwin Critical Edition. The edition seeks to create the most accurate representation of the composer’s intentions using all existing manuscripts and other sources, such as piano rolls. In the case of Rhapsody in Blue the edition is based on Ferde Grofé’s symphonic arrangement though 44 measures from the original jazz band version are included. Also featured are the Second Rhapsody and the Cuban Overture , alongside Joan Tower’s propulsive study in rhythm and texture, and Steven Stucky’s ghostly waltz evocations. DIGITAL PRE-RELEASE SINGLE
Pianist Kevin Cole is a leading Gershwin interpreter who has given sold-out performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and appearances with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. In November 2020 he recorded Gershwin’s Concerto in F , coupled with works
Kevin Cole
by Joan Tower and Walter Piston, on 8.559875 with the same accompanists as here, David Alan Miller and the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic . • Fanfare wrote of the release: ‘Kevin Cole’s piano playing is filled with fiery energy, the rhythms clearly articulated and overall perfectly balanced with the transparent opulence of Miller’s orchestra…This is a satisfying release combining the old and the new, showing the diversity of style in American orchestral music’.
George GERSHWIN Cuban Overture * Only available for download and streaming
9.50314 * Release Date: 12 Jan 2024
Companion Titles – David Alan Miller, Conductor
National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic
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NEW ON NAXOS | FEBRUARY 2024
Markus Brück as Alberich © Bernd Uhlig
2.110740 Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Sound format: PCM Stereo Language: German Subtitles: German, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean Region code: 0 (worldwide) No. of disc/s: 1 (DVD 9) Release Date: 9 Feb 2024
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Richard WAGNER (1813–1883) Das Rheingold Annika Schlicht, Mezzo-soprano • Thomas Blondelle, Tenor Markus Brück, Baritone • Derek Welton, Bass-baritone Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin As early as 1851, Wagner wrote, ‘I propose to produce my myth in three complete dramas, preceded by a lengthy Prelude.’ The Prelude was Das Rheingold (‘The Rhine Gold’) the preliminary evening of Wagner’s epic tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen (‘The Ring of the Nibelung’), which received its first complete performance in 1876. The unfolding events of Das Rheingold depict the theft of the Ring forged from the Rhinemaidens’ gold by the Nibelung dwarf Alberich, and his subsequent surrender of it to Wotan, ruler of the Gods, to pay his debt to the giants who constructed Valhalla. Alberich’s curse foreshadows the catastrophe to come. Sir Donald Runnicles conducts an internationally acclaimed cast in this innovative new production of Der Ring by Norwegian director Stefan Herheim. Sir Donald Runnicles, Conductor Stefan Herheim, Stage director
Key Features: •
The acclaimed Deutsche Oper Berlin Ring cycle was released in DVD (2.107001) and Blu-ray (NBD0156VX) sets on Naxos in November 2022. The individual operas are now being made available to buy separately starting with Das Rheingold . • Award-winning director Stefan Herheim is acclaimed as one of the most important directors of the moment, known for his emphasis on the historical contexts of ideas.
In addition to working with the Deutsche Oper Berlin Orchestra , Sir Donald Runnicles is a proven Wagner expert who is currently continuing his Ring interpretations at the opera houses of Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna and San Francisco, and at the BBC Proms in London, the Edinburgh International Festival and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
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• This audiovisual recording features an outstanding cast of world-class performers. Seen and Heard International called this performances of Das Rheingold ‘intense, propulsive and full of dramatic sweep’. ‘Stefan Herheim’s provocative production is intellectually elaborate and emotionally complex… Down in the pit, it’s a straight slam dunk. Donald Runnicles leads pacy yet detailed readings of all four operas, and his orchestra is superb. His conducting abounds in characterful touches, witty gesture and refulgent emotion’ ( Opera News ).
Also available on Blu-ray Video: NBD0157V Picture format: HD 16:9 Sound format: PCM stereo and DTS-HD MA 5.1 Language: German Subtitles: German, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean Region: A, B, C No. of disc/s: 1 (BD 50) Release Date: 9 Feb 2024
Companion Titles – Richard Wagner, Composer
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2.107001 (NBD0156VX)
2.110766-67 (NBD0178-79V)
2.110758 (NBD0170V)
2.110708 (NBD0139V)
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NEW ON NAXOS | FEBRUARY 2024
Olesya Golovneva and Mikołaj Trąbka © Monika Rittershaus
2.110770 Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Sound format: PCM Stereo and DTS 5.1 Language: Russian Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Korean Region code: 0 (worldwide) No. of disc/s: 1 (DVD 9) Release Date: 9 Feb 2024 Christof Loy is one of the most internationally sought-after directors of his generation. He has an intensive and long-standing collaboration with many of the world’s leading opera houses and in 2016, he won the award for Best New Production for his Peter Grimes at the International Opera Awards, where he was also named Director of the Year in 2017. Key Features: •
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Pyotr Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893) None but the Lonely Heart Tchaikovsky songs staged by Christof Loy Olesya Golovneva, Soprano • Kelsey Lauritano, Mezzo-soprano Andrea Carè, Tenor • Vladislav Sulimsky, Mikołaj Trąbka, Baritones Mariusz Kłubczuk, Nikolai Petersen, Pianos Members of the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester Christof Loy, Stage director Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt (‘None but the lonely heart’), probably the best known of Tchaikovsky’s songs, lends its name to an intimate theatrical evening in which Christof Loy has combined songs or ‘romances’ and instrumental music to create a chamber opera of striking beauty and intensity. Tchaikovsky’s songs cover a stylistic diversity unsurpassed by other Russian composers, often setting enigmatic texts in which the unsaid and unsayable create expressive tensions and encapsulate true human emotions. Given a sumptuous period setting, these qualities create a unique drama in which suppressed love is confronted with longed for moments of passion, and sadness over broken relationships leads to withdrawal and loneliness.
The five leading singers cast in this production create all of the atmosphere and emotional intensity demanded of Christof Loy’s vision. First Prize winner at the 2002 International Rimsky- Korsakov Competition in Saint Petersburg and of numerous awards since, Mariinsky Theatre baritone soloist Vladislav Sulimsky is the compellingly tragic central character, with Olesya Golovneva , Kelsey Lauritano , Andrea Carè and Mikołaj Trąbka all delivering powerful performances.
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Kelsey Lauritano
Companion Titles – Recommended audiovisual recordings staged by Christof Loy • ‘The singers were uniformly excellent, as exciting dramatically as they were vocally. Real Russian flavour was provided by Golovneva and Sulimsky, although Trąbka’s Polish roots made him almost their equal stylistically. Andrea Carè, one of Pavarotti’s last students, was handsome and dashing as the impetuous youngest incarnation of the protagonist. Kelsey Lauritano, a member of the Oper Frankfurt ensemble (as is Trąbka), revealed a rich voice perfectly suited for Tchaikovsky’s melodies. Pianist Mariusz Kłubczuk , who was on stage throughout the performance, played splendidly, as did Nikolai Petersen , a member of Oper Frankfurt ’s conducting staff’ ( Seen and Heard International ). Andrea Carè
Also available on Blu-ray Video: NBD0181V Picture format: HD 16:9 Sound format: PCM stereo and DTS-MA 5.1 Language: Russian Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Korean Region: A, B, C No. of disc/s: 1 (BD 50) Release Date: 9 Feb 2024
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2.110761 (NBD0173V)
2.110759 (NBD0171V)
2.110584-85 (NBD0083V)
2.110751 (NBD0165V)
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NEW ON NAXOS | FEBRUARY 2024
INCLUDES WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING
Ukrainian Masters BORTKIEWICZ • KOSENKO • SKORYK Violin Sonatas Solomiya Ivakhiv, Violin Steven Beck, Piano
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The expressive vitality in this collection of violin sonatas transcends the cultural upheavals from which these three Ukrainian composers emerged. Bortkiewicz’s Violin Sonata in G minor is among the most impressive of his relatively few chamber works, finding his musical language at its most vivid and directly communicative. Kosenko’s Violin Sonata in A minor is notable for the satisfying balance of its two subtly differentiated movements. Skoryk’s Second Violin Sonata is a stylistically diverse chamber work, with pointed allusions to Beethoven, Prokofiev and Gershwin during its compact and always eventful course. Key Features: • Ukrainian born violinist Solomiya Ivakhiv is a highly celebrated soloist, chamber musician and educator. She has made solo appearances with numerous internationally acclaimed orchestras, and has performed at chamber music festivals worldwide. This is her Naxos debut, but her previous recordings have been featured on NPR’s Performance Today and have placed in the top charts on iTunes and Spotify. • A graduate of The Juilliard School, pianist Steven Beck ’s annual Christmas Eve performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variations at Bargemusic has become a New York institution. As an orchestral musician he has appeared with the New York Philharmonic and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He is a Steinway Artist, and is on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
8.579146 Release Date: 23 Feb 2024
Companion Titles – Ukrainian composers
8.579098
8.574123
Click to listen to KOSENKO, V.: Violin Sonata in A minor, Op. 18: I. Allegro
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8.574089
8.503303
INCLUDES WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS
Henry VIEUXTEMPS (1820–1881) Voix intimes Rarities for Violin and Piano Manon Lamaison, Soprano Vilmos Csikos, Violin • Olivier Lechardeur, Piano
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Famed for his profoundly Romantic violin concertos, Henry Vieuxtemps revolutionised violin playing in the 19th century. His loyal student Eugène Ysaÿe pointed out that his teacher’s work was ʻa treasure to be protected at all costs’ and ‘ought to be known in its entirety’. Vieuxtemps’ bicentenary in 2020 provided an ideal opportunity to unearth lost and often unpublished manuscripts passed down through the composer’s family. These rediscovered gems include the world premiere of the Fantasy for Voice, Violin and Orchestra , presented here in a piano reduction, an amazing work in which the voice, evoking the composer’s memories in a wordless vocalise, wraps itself around the notes of the violin. Key Features: •
8.579149 Release Date: 9 Feb 2024
Henry Vieuxtemps’ Violin Concertos have long been available in fine recordings on our Romantic Violin Concertos edition and elsewhere, but the Naxos label has for many years been enthusiastic in its exploration of this composer’s less frequently heard music. Such releases include Music for Viola and Piano (8.555262) heard as ‘excellent performances and… attractive works’ by MusicWeb International , and numerous Variations and other works (8.574363) regarded as ‘Naxos at its best’ in Gramophone . •
Companion Titles – Henry Vieuxtemps, Composer
Vilmos Csikos
Olivier Lechardeur
Vilmos Csikos is a laureate of numerous International violin competitions including First Grand Prize at the Henry Vieuxtemps International Violin Competition in 2020 (Verviers, Belgium), and has appeared as a concert soloist with leading orchestras throughout Europe. Pianist Olivier Lechardeur ’s passion for chamber music has seen him collaborating in performances all over the world, while young soprano Manon Lamaison has already taken numerous leading operatic roles and is a rising star both in major productions both French and international.
8.555262
8.574363
Manon Lamaison
8.573993
8.570974
Click to listen to Duo brillant en forme de fantaisie sur des airs hongrois
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NEW ON NAXOS | FEBRUARY 2024
WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS
Antoine BOHRER (1783–1852) Max BOHRER (1785–1867) Grande symphonie militaire 1 Violin Concerto 2 • Cello Concerto 3 Friedemann Eichhorn, Violin 1,2 • Alexander Hülshoff, Cello 1,3 Jena Philharmonic Orchestra • Nicolás Pasquet
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The Bohrer family produced a succession of distinguished musicians of whom the brothers Antoine, a violinist who studied with Rodolphe Kreutzer in Paris, and cellist Max were the most eminent. Their string quartet promoted Beethoven’s works and was much admired by Berlioz, who praised Antoine. They co-composed several works including the imposing Grande symphonie militaire included here, boldly virtuosic and laced with memorable themes. Antoine Bohrer’s Violin Concerto in E minor shares elements familiar from Paganini and is enhanced by Antoine’s sense of lyricism. Max’s Cello Concerto No. 1 , though economically scored, shows how quickly the cello had progressed as a solo instrument in the early 19th century. Key Features: • Violinist Friedemann Eichhorn ’s Naxos recordings of Pierre Rode’s violin concertos with conductor Nicolás Pasquet have received high critical praise. ‘Friedemann Eichhorn deserves much credit and gratitude for having taken on a project that no other violinist has been willing to touch, and to acquit himself with such glory in works that test the player to the limits. What amazes me about these performances is not that Eichhorn manages to play all of the notes at tempo, in time, and in tune, but that he does so with exceptional beauty of tone’ ( Fanfare on 8.573474). • He has also recorded Friedrich Valentin Hermann’s violin works on 8.572066. This album also contained works by Johann Paul Eichhorn where the violinist is joined by the cellist on the current album, Alexander Hülshoff . Of this album: ‘Naxos’ vividly recorded (close, with a minimum of obscuring reverberation) programme should appeal to those who delight in surfing the violin’s repertoire, to those who enjoy this kind of predominantly lightweight fare, and to those who simply wish to be astonished. Strongly recommended to them, but generally recommended to everyone else as well’ ( Fanfare ). • Eichhorn and Hülshoff also star in a violin-cello disc of music by Servais and other French works on 8.572188; this won a Fanfare Want List accolade: ‘Hülshoff and Eichhorn brilliantly capture this notion with their impeccable sense of balance, pristine and polished intonation… Their performance together is one that listeners will undoubtedly enjoy for both technical and musical merits’ ( AllMusic.com ).
8.574048 Release Date: 23 Feb 2024
Companion Titles – Other recordings featuring Friedemann Eichhorn and Nicolás Pasquet
8.573474
8.573054
8.572755
8.570767
Click to listen to Grande symphonie militaire
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Béla BARTÓK (1881–1945) Piano Music, Vol. 9 Piano Sonata, Op. 19 Béla BARTÓK Sándor RESCHOFSKY (1887–1972) Zongoraiskola (‘Piano Method’) Goran Filipec, Piano
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Two important works dominate volume nine of this series. The first is Bartók’s substantial and ambitious late- Romantic Piano Sonata, Op. 19 , a very early work, composed when he was around 17 before his studies in Budapest. It was long considered lost and is heard in Goran Filipec’s performing edition, prepared from the manuscript. Zongoraiskola or ‘Piano Method’ was devised in collaboration with composer, pianist and teacher Sándor Reschofsky who contributed the exercises. Bartók’s 48 original pieces are perfectly formed and charmingly refined, allowing him an opportunity to explore his ideas of piano pedagogy. Key Features: • The performer on this volume is Goran Filipec whose album Paganini Studies (8.573458) was awarded the International Grand Prix du Disque F. Liszt by the Ferenc Liszt Society of Budapest. • He is well-known for his Grand Piano recordings: ‘Filipec is an exciting prospect and his programme is most valuable. What a pleasant change from the Brahms Variations are the Hambourg and Friedman Variations on the ubiquitous A minor Caprice’ ( Gramophone on GP769). • He has recorded four volumes in the Liszt Complete Piano Music series for Naxos. He has also recorded List’s Hungarian Rhapsody in his own performing edition on 8.573866: ‘Filipec’s up-tempo performances of the barn-burners – the Fantasia , the Rhapsodie espagnole , and Totentanz – have all the fire that the music calls for (glissandos, which Liszt hardly underutilises in this repertoire, are especially searing)’ ( Fanfare ). • The first seven volumes in this series were played by the late Jenő Jandó, one of the world’s most recorded and admired pianists. Volume 8 was played by Fülöp Ránki.
8.574420 Release Date: 23 Feb 2024
Companion Titles – Previous releases in the series
8.574340
8.573224
8.572376
8.557821-22
Click to listen to Piano Sonata, Op. 19, BB12 /DD 51: III. Presto
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NEW ON NAXOS | FEBRUARY 2024
INCLUDES A WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING
Carl CZERNY (1791–1857) Nocturnes Roberte Mamou, Piano
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Czerny is remembered as Beethoven’s favoured interpreter of his own piano works and is well known as Liszt’s teacher, but it is for his pedagogic works, still in use to this day, that he continues to enjoy renown. The Nocturnes offer a less familiar view of Czerny. These sensitively shaped, small-scale Biedermeier compositions offered domestic households the opportunity to savour their sense of delicacy and enigmatic mood changes. The Op. 604 set is rather more robust than Op. 368 , which is exquisitely sensitive, but equally convincing in characterisation and scope. Key Features: • Steinway Artist Roberte Mamou received a Diapason d’Or award for her recording of music by Cimarosa, where she was described as a ‘Poetess of Sound’. She has appeared as a soloist with the Berlin Symphony, the Dresden Philharmonic, the Moscow Soloists, the Collegium Instrumentale in Bruges, and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Lille. Mamou was nominated for Opus Klassik 2022 (Berlin) for her album Viennese Variations , in the instrumentalist of the year category. • Czerny’s Piano Concertinos can be heard on 8.574458: ‘Rosemary Tuck is a fine player with a delicately flexible touch, and in the second Concertino … she copes gracefully with every virtuoso challenge the score throws at her’ ( BBC Music Magazine ). His Romantic Piano Fantasies on Sir Walter Scott’s Novels was an American Record Guide Critic’s Choice, and was described as ‘exciting and brilliant with moments of true beauty’ ( American Record Guide ).
8.574581 Release Date: 9 Feb 2024
Companion Titles – Carl Czerny, Composer
8.573254
8.573417
Click to listen to Huit Nocturnes, Op. 368: No. 1 in E major
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8.573848
8.579099
Eduard STRAUSS I (1835–1916) A Centenary Celebration, Vol. 3 Glühlichter • Pegasus-Sprünge • Widmungsblätter Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice Marek Štilec
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INCLUDES WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS FOR FULL ORCHESTRA IN THE ORIGINAL ORCHESTRATIONS
Though he is much less well remembered than his more famous brothers, Johann II and Josef, Eduard Strauss was the master of the quick polka and the galop with a succession of distinctive and beguiling melodies and a genius for orchestration. This latest release continues the rediscovery of his music with a succession of pieces, all of which are receiving their first commercial recordings. His music was performed at some of Vienna’s most glittering balls and carnival festivities with Eduard offering such à la mode pieces as the Electric Lights waltz and the ingenious equine polka, Leaps of Pegasus . Key Features: • Czech conductor Marek Štilec takes over for Vol. 3. He is a notable Czech music specialist and has finely reviewed recordings to his name on Naxos including works of Novák, Foerster, Fibich, Koželuch, Beck, Beethoven and also his multi-volume Wranitzky albums. • Vol. 1 of the series is conducted by the late John Georgiadis: ‘The selections on this recording are primarily waltzes, fast polkas, and galops, which were Eduard’s specialties. The performances are all energetic and beautiful’ ( American Record Guide on 8.225369). Vol. 2 is on 8.225371: ‘Georgiadis and his Czech forces once again have everything well in hand, providing over an hour’s carefree delight in fine sound. If you fancy Viennese waltzes, add this to your stash’ ( Fanfare ). • Eduard Strauss’ older brother, Johann II, is well-represented on Naxos. Recent recording include his operetta Waldmeister on 8.660489-90. ‘Waldmeister is a wonderfully melodious score, and stage productions and alternative recordings are clearly well overdue. Which is not to say that this wholehearted (and necessary) venture from Naxos is anything other than very welcome indeed’ ( Gramophone ).
8.225382 Release Date: 23 Feb 2024
Companion Titles – Previous volumes in the series
8.225369
8.225371
Click to listen to Herz und Welt. Polka-Mazur, Op. 131
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NEW ON NAXOS | FEBRUARY 2024
Johannes BRAHMS (1833–1897) Complete Songs, Vol. 5 Opp. 70, 71, 95, 97 and 107 Fünf Ophelia-Lieder, WoO 22 Alina Wunderlin, Soprano • Kieran Carrel, Tenor • Ulrich Eisenlohr, Piano
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In grouping his Lieder into sets with opus numbers, Brahms was concerned with thematic unity and poetic contrasts. The theme of Op. 71 is love, whether ardent, ironic or courtly, and contains one of his best-loved songs, Minnelied . In Op. 70 the connections are more subtle: past, present and future create the thematic framework. The serenity of Op. 95 is heightened through the use of Serbian folk songs, and for the Op. 107 set Brahms once again illuminates love in all its intensity and humour. Key Features: • Alina Wunderlin has been called a singer ‘with radiantly bright top notes and clear, never glaringly sparkling coloratura’. On Vol. 3, Classical Explorer described her as ‘a wonderfully pure-voiced soprano…’ • Anglo-German tenor Kieran Carrel ‘sang six of Haydn’s English-language canzonettas with a voice as clear and sweet as an Austrian Eiswein’, wrote The Spectator of his appearance with Sir András Schiff at Wigmore Hall in London. • Vol. 1 can be heard on 8.574268. It received huge acclaim: ‘The artists field a terrifically compelling start with two of Brahms’ best-known and most moving songs, “ Von ewiger Liebe ” and “ Die Mainacht ”.’ This sixty-five minutes of music makes an auspicious start to Eisenlohr’s latest endeavour’ ( Opera News ). It also won Opera News ’ Critics’ Choice accolade.
8.574490 Release Date: 23 Feb 2024
Companion Titles – Previous releases in the series 8.574489 NEW | 8.574268 8.574345 | 8.574346
VISIT THE SERIES MINI-SITE
Click to listen to Fünf Gesänge, Op. 71: No. 4. Willst du, dass ich geh?
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WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS
Luxembourg Contemporary Music, Vol. 3 DARTEVELLE • GRETHEN HAMMES • KONTZ • WALTZING Ernie Hammes Group • Solistes Européens, Luxembourg Christoph König
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As both previous volumes in this series have shown, Luxembourg has a wealth of composers writing vibrant new orchestral scores. Featured on this third volume, Luc Grethen’s Upswing is a crescendo of energy, while Ernie Hammes’ Concertino No. 1 fuses jazz modes with classical patterns, and his West End Avenue evokes the atmosphere of an afternoon in New York. Catherine Kontz explores feminist ideas in The Waves , while Gast Waltzing allows his music to ‘speak for itself’. Volume 1 (8.579059) was acclaimed as ‘an outstanding disc’ by Fanfare , and Volume 2 (8.579116) showcases the music of Marco Pütz. Key Feature: Christoph König has been principal conductor and music director of the Solistes Européens, Luxembourg since 2010. He is a frequent guest of orchestras like the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh Symphony and many other leading world orchestras.
8.579138 Release Date: 23 Feb 2024
Companion Titles – Other volumes in the series 8.579059 | 8.579116
Click to listen to Tuna Melt
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BREAKING NEW MOULDS. SHAPING NEW SOUNDS.
RETURN HOME
NXN2013 Release Date: 9 Feb 2024
NXN2020 Release Date: 23 Feb 2024
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Click to listen to the album
Click to listen to the album
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MH3 Martin Högberg Trio
Fremtidsfabler Sebastian Haugen, Bass
Fremtidsfabler is the second album by composer and bassist Sebastian Haugens in his own name. The band leader and fellow musicians mix the Nordic improvisational tradition with American groove and riff-based music. The instrumentation on the record is both electric and acoustic, and the soundscape bears the stamp of the composer’s fascination with the raw and unpolished sound ideal from the 1970s. The composer also gives the musicians a lot of freedom to influence the musical expression, which contributes to a unique sound where the compositions are largely colored by the performers. The compositions depict interpersonal relationships, important events, and feelings that have characterized various eras in the composer’s life so far. The idea behind the title “Fremtidsfabler” (Future Fables) is based on the recognition that one does not know what will happen in the future and, seen in retrospect, what one would have done differently if one had known. TRACKLIST: 1 Fremtidsfabler 2 Jeff
Together with his Norwegian band colleagues Aksel Jensen on bass and Håkon Mjåset Johansen on drums, guitarist Martin Högberg creates a beautiful and melodic trio landscape with air and space for everyone to shine. The fine melody plays an important role in Högberg’s compositions, and he has developed a clean and clear signature tone on the guitar. With a listening and engaged rhythm section, this trio creates wonderful melodic and rhythmic dialogues. TRACKLIST: 1 Juke City 2 Dark Highway 3 Groove Orchard 4 (You Look) Just Like Him 5 Neon Lights 6 Follow 7 Night Wire 8 Ides of March 9 Still Waters About Martin Högberg, Guitarist, Composer and Bandleader
3 Takksom 4 Vimsene 5 Heidrun 6 Marimi 7 Festival Anonymous 8 William
Guitarist, composer, and bandleader Martin Högberg , originally from Västra Götaland in Sweden, moved to Trondheim and studied at the renowned jazz program at NTNU for several years. He currently
About Sebastian Haugen, Composer and Bass Sebastian Haugen (b. 1983) is an educated jazz bassist and pedagogue at the Norwegian Academy of Music. He has worked freelance since 2003 and has participated as a musician, band leader,
resides in Bodø, located in the far north of Norway. He is mostly active in rhythmical music such as jazz, blues, rock and related genres, However, he possesses an open mind and a fondness for classical music, contemporary music, folk music from around the world, and more. Throughout his career, He has performed with musicians including Michal Urbaniak, Ståle Storløkken, Martin Taylor, Lina Nyberg, Ann-Helen Moen, Robert Wells, and others. Additionally, he has collaborated with ensembles such as the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, the Norwegian Air Force Band, and the Helgeland Sinfonietta, among others.
and composer in several projects. Sebastian has been involved in several releases, including two Spellemann (Norwegian GRAMMY) nominations, and has toured Europe and the USA with various bands and artists. He was also part of the orchestra at the Oslo Theater during the performances of Matilda , Mamma Mia , and Moulin Rouge at Chateau Neuf in autumn 2023. In 2012, he started his own band, which released their debut album Skarvesteinen in 2017.
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