New On Naxos | Issue: November 2022

NEW ON NAXOS | NOVEMBER 2022

INCLUDES WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS

Claudio SANTORO (1919–1989) Symphonies Nos. 11 and 12 Concerto Grosso Three Fragments on BACH Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra • Neil Thomson

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Claudio Santoro’s prolific output includes a cycle of 14 symphonies that is widely recognised as the most significant of its kind from Brazil. All of the works in this programme come from Santoro’s remarkable final decade, in which he allied more traditional and eclectic styles to his earlier experiments. Both the Concerto Grosso and the Three Fragments on BACH were written for student orchestras, but are nonetheless substantial pieces which show his command of writing for strings. The Eleventh Symphony is one of the densest and most dramatic of the cycle, its finale exploding into an evocation of the opening of Brahms’ First Symphony , while the Twelfth Symphony is an unusual ‘sinfonia concertante’ for nine soloists and orchestra. Key Features: •

8.574406 Release Date: 11 Nov 2022

Cláudio Santoro has yet to become a household name outside his native Brazil, but he is internationally recognised as one of that country’s most eminent and influential composers. These world premiere recordings of the Eleventh and Twelfth Symphonies is part of a first complete edition of Santoro’s cycle of 14 symphonies. This release follows on from the recording of Santoro’s Symphonies No. 5 and 7, also with the Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Neil Thomson (8.574402) and released in March 2022. •

Companion Titles – Previous releases in the ‘Music of Brazil’ series

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Neil Thomson

The previous album has already received much admiration in the press: ‘The performances by the Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra under its principal conductor Neil Thomson are first-class, as is the quality of the recording’ ( Gramophone ). These world premiere symphonic recordings are supplemented here with two further significant works. The Concerto Grosso for string quartet

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and string orchestra blends attractive lyricism with the use of tone clusters and aleatoric elements reminiscent of Santoro’s earlier works, while the Three Fragments on BACH was written to celebrate J.S. Bach’s 300th anniversary in 1985, integrating Bach’s own famous B-A-C-H motif throughout the entire piece. This work’s approachability can be accounted for by its origins as a commission for youth orchestra, but of its kind it is an unusually intricate and sophisticated piece. The Twelfth Symphony is based on another work, Fantasias Sul América , which will be included in a future volume of the series.

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Click to listen to Concerto Grosso: III. Allegro vivo – Finale

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Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835–1921) Dances and Ballet Music Étienne Marcel • Henry VIII Airs de ballet de Parysatis • Samson et Dalila Residentie Orkest The Hague • Jun Märkl

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This album presents a selection of Saint-Saëns’ incidental music and music from his operas. From Samson et Dalila – the only one of Saint-Saëns’ operas to remain in the repertory – we hear two memorable and adrenalin-fuelled dances including the famous Bacchanale . Henry VIII drew from the composer music of regal solemnity with plenty of colourful scoring, praised by Gounod. The lukewarm reception to Étienne Marcel came as a bitter disappointment to Saint-Saëns but the customary ballet includes a strong element of delightful 14th-century pastiche. The incidental music to the play Parysatis received tumultuous acclaim at its premiere in 1902 and includes the delightful Airs de ballet flecked by the use of crotales (antique Jun Märkl is known for his refined and idiomatic explorations of French orchestral music. His Naxos discography include the 9-disc Debussy set on 8.509002, a MusicWeb International nominee for Recording of the Year. International Record Review commented: ‘It’s a fascinating and extensive collection that I recommend both to collectors who want to explore some of the rarities and also to anyone wanting to hear Märkl’s impressively plated and imaginatively conducted performances of the major works.’ • The album is latest in Märkl’s cycle of Saint-Saëns’ orchestral works, that started with the Symphonic Poems on Naxos 8.573745: ‘Jun Märkl has led another excellent performance of French music … All the performances are taut, vivid, full of energy and colour, and played with enthusiasm.’ ( American Record Guide ) • finger-cymbals). Key Features: • Succeeding volumes include the Suite algérienne and Suite in D minor, Op. 16bis (with cellist Guillermo Pastrana) on Naxos 8.573732, and the rarely performed ballet from Ascanio and other overtures (8.574033), the latter being an AllMusic.com Editor’s Choice: ‘Märkl delivers so well that the listener’s mind may well conjure dancers cascading across the stage.’ Saint-Saëns’ music for wind ensemble is available on Naxos 8.574234.

8.574463 Release Date: 11 Nov 2022

Companion Titles – Jun Märkl, Conductor

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Click to listen to Samson et Dalila, Op. 47: Act III: Bacchanale

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