The December New On Naxos highlights a new world premiere recording of Giovanni Sgambati's Piano Concerto in G minor, featuring pianist Massimiliano Damerini. Other highlights include the audio version of Cavalli's Il Xerse, new arrangements of Mozart's Piano Concertos by the Fine Arts Quartet, and a new production of Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, staged by Stefan Herheim and featuring the Arnold Schoenberg Chor and Wiener Symphoniker. Enjoy!
NEW ON NAXOS The World’s Leading Classical Music Label
DECEMBER 2023
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NEW ON NAXOS | DECEMBER 2023
INCLUDES A WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING
8.573272 Release Date: 1 Dec 2023
Francesco La Vecchia
Giovanni SGAMBATI (1841–1914) Piano Concerto in G minor * Sinfonia festiva † † WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING Massimiliano Damerini, Piano * Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma • Francesco La Vecchia
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Click to listen to Piano Concerto in G minor, Op. 15: I. Moderato maestoso
Giovanni Sgambati led the revival of Italian orchestral music during the late 19th century. He was a favourite student of Liszt, admired by Wagner, and a pivotal figure in the emancipation of his country’s music from the dominance of bel canto opera. The Piano Concerto in G minor is a stirring and inventive work signalling a new beginning for Italian piano music on the international stage. It offers a synthesis of the possibilities of the genre, evoking Liszt, Brahms and Tchaikovsky, as Sgambati constantly transforms his thematic material to heroic effect. Sinfonia festiva is a short, confidently written work inspired by the dance-like character of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony . Francesco La Vecchia and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma are Naxos’ specialists in late 19th/20th-century Italian orchestral music. • Key Features: • Their recording of Sgambati’s Symphony No. 1 (8.573007) received splendid reviews: ‘these performances by Francesco La Vecchia and the Symphony Orchestra of Rome are nothing short of magnificent…’ ( Fanfare ). • Symphony No. 2 can be heard on 8.572686: ‘The Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma under its artistic director, Italian conductor Francesco La Vecchia gives superb performances of both selections’ ( Classical Lost and Found ). • The same forces have recorded Alfredo Casella’s Symphony No. 3 (8.572415) commended by ClassicsToday.com ; ‘the performances are wholly convincing, well-played and recorded’.
About Francesco La Vecchia, Conductor In 2002 Francesco La Vecchia took up the position of artistic director and resident conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma. Under his leadership the orchestra rapidly achieved success in highly successful visits to St Petersburg, Madrid, Belgrade, Brussels, Rio de Janeiro, London, Athens, Berlin, Beijing and Vienna. La Vecchia has also conducted at many prestigious venues, including the Kennedy Center, Washington and Carnegie Hall among many others. The ‘Maestro’ series of recordings, named after him, was first released in 1999.
Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma
Companion Titles – Francesco La Vecchia and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma
8.573007
8.572686
8.572415
8.573006
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NEW ON NAXOS | DECEMBER 2023
Dshamilja Kaiser as Amahl’s mother and Tempu Ishijima as Amahl © Monika and Karl Forster
Gian Carlo MENOTTI (1911–2007) Amahl and the Night Visitors Opera in one act (1951) Libretto by the composer Sung in a German translation by Kurt Honolka Tempu Ishijima, Boy Soprano • Dshamilja Kaiser, Mezzo-soprano Paul Schweinester, Tenor • Nikolay Borchev, Bass-baritone Wilhelm Schwinghammer, Bass Arnold Schoenberg Chor • Wiener Symphoniker Premiered in 1951, Amahl and the Night Visitors was the first opera specifically composed for television, though Gian Carlo Menotti admitted that he had conceived it for the stage. The magical story tells of Amahl, a disabled boy who befriends the Three Kings when they stop at his house on their journey to see the newborn Jesus. Amahl decides to give his crutch to Jesus, at which point his leg is miraculously healed. Long a Christmas favourite, this new Viennese production, sung in German, boldly re- examines the story finding its key elements to be fantasy, empathy and the enduring power of love. Magnus Loddgard, Conductor Stefan Herheim, Stage director
2.110763 Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Sound format: PCM Stereo and DTS Surround 5.1 Language: German Subtitles: German, English, Japanese, Korean Region code: 0 (worldwide) No. of disc/s: 1 (DVD 5) Release Date: 1 Dec 2023
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Key Features: •
Companion Titles – Other recommended operas on Naxos Audiovisual Conductor Magnus Loddgard has worked with Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, The Norwegian State Opera, The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and the Oslo Sinfonietta. Since 2008 he has been conductor of Ensemble neoN, a new music ensemble based in Oslo. They received a Norwegian GRAMMY (Spellemannprisen) for their 2013 album The Forester with Susanna & Ensemble neoN. Bachtrack wrote of this production that ‘There was magic aplenty in director Stefan Herheim ’s bold recontextualisation of the tale. Magically and skilfully done... Musically there is not a complaint to be had [and] the Wiener Symphoniker played beautifully’. •
Also available on Blu-ray Video: NBD0175V Picture format: HD 16:9 Sound format: PCM stereo and DTS-MA 5.1 Language: German Subtitles: German, English, Japanese, Korean Region: A, B, C No. of disc/s: 1 (BD 25) Release Date: 1 Dec 2023
2.110738 (NBD0154V)
2.110752 (NBD0166V)
2.110750 (NBD0161V)
2.110733 (NBD0152V)
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NEW ON NAXOS | DECEMBER 2023
Francesco CAVALLI (1602–1676) Il Xerse Dramma per musica in a prologue and three acts (1655) Libretto by Nicolò Minato (c. 1627–1698) Critical edition by Sara Elisa Stangalino and Hendrik Schulze (2019) – abridged version Sung in Italian Dioklea Hoxha, Carolina Lippo, Ekaterina Protsenko, Sopranos • Gaia Petrone, Mezzo-soprano Carlo Vistoli, Countertenor • Orchestra Barocca Modo Antiquo • Federico Maria Sardelli Francesco Cavalli was successor to Monteverdi and the most influential opera composer in Venice during the mid-17th century. His dramma per musica , Il Xerse , was innovative for the period, with a tangled plot of affections and relationships based on history rather than mythology. Its enormous success was due in no small part to Xerse’s bizarre and overblown character and his famous declaration of love for a tree, ‘Ombra mai fu’. Cavalli’s Il Xerse is commedia dell’arte theatre that creates an exotic world aimed at inspiring awe in its audiences, enhanced with music that conveys an avalanche of emotions. Key Features: • The audiovisual premiere performance of this release has previously been available from the Dynamic label (DYN-37983/DYN-57983) released in June. • The strong cast for this production is led by countertenor Carlo Vistoli (Xerse) who has worked closely with conductors such as William Christie and John Eliot Gardiner. • Award-winning Italian mezzo-soprano Gaia Petrone (Arsamene) graduated magna cum laude in singing at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome and has performed widely as a soloist in numerous leading roles. • Soprano Carolina Lippo (Romilda) has worked in numerous renowned Italian and international theatres and festivals, and recorded a variety of roles for record and audio-visual labels.
8.660536-37 Release Date: 1 Dec 2023
Companion Titles – Italian baroque opera
NEW
8.660187-88 8.660529-30
8.554094-95 8.557746
Click to listen to Act I: Sinfonia –
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WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756–1791) Piano Concertos Nos. 19 and 25 (arr. Ignaz Lachner) Alon Goldstein, Piano • Fine Arts Quartet
Mozart’s return to Vienna in 1781 initiated a remarkable period of inventiveness and productivity. In late 1784 he wrote the Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major , a work Mozart performed in Frankfurt on the occasion of Leopold II’s election as Holy Roman Emperor and which is notable for its rhythmic vivacity and sense of colour. In 1786 he wrote the Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major – a work that stretched the concerto genre considerably with its operatic qualities and dramatic dialogue. Ignaz Lachner’s ingenious transcriptions show a complete grasp of Mozart’s idiom, incorporating much instrumental detail and reinventing the music’s underlying dramatic scheme within a chamber context. Key Feature: Pianist Alon Goldstein performs on Volume 24 of the complete Scarlatti keyboard edition which can be heard on 8.574196. Crescendo (France) wrote, ‘The ornamentation is precise, the accents are deliberately striking, even provocative, the beautiful overall architecture well thought out. We ask for more Scarlatti to be played like this!’
8.574477 Release Date: 1 Dec 2023
Companion Titles – Previous releases in Mozart’s Piano Concertos series
Click to listen to Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major, K. 459: III. Allegro assai (cadenza by Mozart)
8.574164
8.573398
8.573736
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NEW ON NAXOS | DECEMBER 2023
INCLUDES WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS
Piccolo Concertos BAKSA • HIDAS • KREK • PAPANDOPULO Francesco Viola, Piccolo • Nationaltheater-Orchester Mannheim • Salvatore Percacciolo The idea of a piccolo concerto might have seemed far-fetched at the beginning of the 20th century, but numerous composers have now expanded its role as the highest instrument of the orchestra into a true solo voice. With this recording Francesco Viola has brought together four unknown works by Eastern European composers – the Romanian Andreas Baksa; Slovenian composer Uroš Krek; German-Croatian composer Boris Papandopulo; and Hungarian composer Frigyes Hidas whose Oboe Concerto is recorded here in Francesco Viola’s transcription for piccolo. All of these concertos are filled with atmosphere, passion and high spirits. Key Feature: Francesco Viola is piccolo soloist of the Nationaltheater-Orchester Mannheim and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence. He has collaborated with many of Europe’s leading orchestras and worked with numerous internationally acclaimed conductors. As a piccolo specialist he is regularly invited to conservatories, music universities and international flute festivals to give masterclasses and recitals. In 2015 he was first prize winner at the ‘Severino Gazzelloni’ Competition for the Piccolo category.
8.579132 Release Date: 1 Dec 2023
Companion Titles – Other recordings for wind instruments 8.551419 | 8.579111 | 8.579094 | 8.579083
Click to listen to BAKSA, A.: Grande concerto piccolo, Op. 54: III. Allegro vivace
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Johannes BRAHMS (1833–1897) Complete Songs, Vol. 4 Opp. 6, 14, 19 and 48 Alina Wunderlin, Soprano • Kieran Carrel, Tenor • Ulrich Eisenlohr, Piano
Brahms’ early songs express an exuberance that may surprise those who are unfamiliar with this element of his music making. The Op. 6 set includes a Mediterranean-flavoured song in bolero rhythm and songs of hope and joy, displaying an apparent simplicity that was hard-won and the product of constant refinement. Based on folk songs, the Op. 14 collection is astonishingly varied, ranging from folk melodies to medieval harmonies and Baroque-styled richness. Elsewhere Brahms charts more melodious, elegiac settings in the Op. 19 set and confronts melancholy and loss in Op. 48 . Key Feature: The first volume in the series 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 Ulrich Eisenlohr ’s latest endeavour’ ( Opera News ). It also won Opera News ’ Critics’ Choice accolade.
8.574489 Release Date: 1 Dec 2023
Companion Titles – Previous releases in the series 8.574268 | 8.574345 | 8.574346 Other German Lieder 8.574119 | 8.557076 | 8.574142 | 8.503801
Click to listen to Sechs Gesänge, Op. 6: No. 1. Spanisches Lied
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INCLUDES A WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING
Angel Stanislav Wang Piano Laureate Recital Winner, 2022 Jaén Prize International Piano Competition LISZT • SHOSTAKOVICH • GRANADOS • VEGA Angel Stanislav Wang, Piano • Bretón String Quartet
Angel Stanislav Wang, winner of the 63rd Jaén Prize International Piano Competition in 2022, presents his Naxos debut recital with a selection of works he performed during the competition. Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor is an undisputed masterpiece of the Romantic era, while Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in G minor is one of the most intense and eloquent chamber works of the 20th century. Spanish music is always present at Jaén and is represented here by a selection from Granados’s Goyescas , and by Laura Vega’s competition commission Poema a un amor eterno – a work of intense emotion, calling upon the pianist to be more of a poet or rhapsodist than a virtuoso.
8.574569 Release Date: 1 Dec 2023
Click to listen to GRANADOS, E.: Goyescas, Book 1 – III. El fandango de candil (‘The Oil Lamp Fandango’)
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Companion Titles – Piano Laureate series 8.574468 | 8.574280 | 8.574232 | 8.573945
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NEW ON NAXOS | DECEMBER 2023
INCLUDES WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS
Catalan Cello Works CASABLANCAS • CASALS • CASSADÓ • GRANADOS • MOMPOU Dmitry Yablonsky, Cello • Laia Martín, Piano The cello was a vital part of Catalan musical expression in the first half of the 20th century. Pablo Casals as composer and cello virtuoso was its revolutionary force, and his student Gaspar Cassadó joined him in writing superb transcriptions and expressive original works with a strong sense of tradition and national melodic flavour. Casablancas’ Cant per a Frederic Mompou ‘Remembrança’ pays homage to another great friend and colleague, while Enrique Granados’s soulful Madrigal is accompanied by delectable arrangements of piano works with cello such as the Goyescas . A digital single featuring more pieces by Casals, Cassadó and Mompou is available on 9.70354.
Click to listen to CASSADÓ, G.: Sonata nello stile antico spagnuolo: III. Danza con variazioni
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8.579097 Release Date: 1 Dec 2023
DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
Catalan Cello Works CASALS • CASSADÓ • MOMPOU * Only available for download and streaming
Companion Titles – Other Catalan music releases 8.570457 | 8.570533 | 8.573547 | 8.573602
9.70354 * Release Date: 1 Dec 2023
Zygmunt NOSKOWSKI (1846–1909) Władysław ŻELEŃSKI (1837–1921) Violin Sonatas Laurence Kayaleh, Violin • Bernadene Blaha, Piano
Both Zygmunt Noskowski and Władysław Żeleński were leading exponents of Polish nationalism in the period from the last quarter of the 19th century. Noskowski is best remembered as a symphonist but his large-scale Violin Sonata in A minor is an imposing work that suggests the influence both of Beethoven’s ‘Kreutzer’ Sonata and of Brahms. Żeleński was as eminent a teacher as he was a composer, seeking to broaden Poland’s provincial outlook through works such his opera Janek (Naxos 8.660521-22). His Violin Sonata in F major typifies the essentially conservative idiom that Żeleński pursued in his maturity.
8.574220 Release Date: 1 Dec 2023
Click to listen to NOSKOWSKI, Z.: Violin Sonata in A minor: I. Allegro con brio
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Companion Titles – Laurence Kayaleh, Violin 8.573345 | 8.572192 | 8.570298 | 8.573841
IN THE STUDIO: ZYGMUNT NOSKOWSKI & WŁADYSŁAW ELE SKI VIOLIN SONATAS
WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS
Billy ARCILA (b. 1968) ARDILA • BECERRA • BIGNEY • OROZCO • SUPA Same River Twice Works for Guitar Billy Arcila, Guitar • Somnuek Saeng-arun, Khlui
Billy Arcila, raised in Medellín, Colombia, has lived in the United States for over 40 years, where he teaches and performs as one of California’s foremost guitarists. This album, the first to be made of Arcila’s music, contains works ranging across his entire compositional life, from his first published work to the most recent. Interspersed with the music of other admired composers which exploit nationalist elements, such as the bambuco and pasillo rhythms, Arcila’s autobiographical guitar music embraces the nostalgic, the verdant and the vibrant.
8.574488 Release Date: 1 Dec 2023
Click to listen to OROZCO, F.S.: Luna de Cristal (Bambuco)
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Companion Titles – Latin American Guitar Music 8.573059 | 8.574016 | 8.573631 | 8.573674
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