New On Naxos | Consumer: September 2022

New On Naxos | Consumer: September 2022

NEW ON NAXOS The World’s Leading Classical Music Label

SEPTEMBER 2022

This Month’s Other Highlights

© 2022 Naxos Rights US, Inc.

NEW ON NAXOS | SEPTEMBER 2022

The Music of Brazil Artistic roots · Amazing branches

This year marks 200 years since the proclamation of Brazil’s independence, by Dom Pedro I in September 1822. Developed in collaboration with the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The ‘Music of Brazil’ series presents around 100 orchestral, chamber, choral and vocal works from the 19th and 20th centuries and will be recorded by the country’s top orchestras, ensemble and artists.

NEW RELEASES

INCLUDES WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS

8.574404 Release Date: 09 Sep 2022

8.574405 Release Date: 09 Sep 2022

Click to listen to GOMES, C.: Sonata for Strings: I. Allegro animato LISTEN

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PEDRO I of Brazil (1902–1983) Te Deum • Credo Hino da Independência do Brasil Carla Cottini, Soprano • Luisa Francesconi, Mezzo-soprano Cleyton Pulzi, Tenor • Licio Bruno, Bass-baritone Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra • Fabio Mechetti Dom Pedro I was the first Emperor of Brazil, proclaiming its independence from Portugal in 1822. A gifted musician, Pedro I is one of only a few monarchs to have become known as a composer. A performance of his Abertura (‘Overture’) was organised in Paris in 1832 with some in the audience convinced that it had been composed by Rossini, while the Hino da Independência do Brasil (‘Hymn to the Independence of Brazil’) remains one of the country’s best-loved anthems. Operatic in character, the Te Deum celebrated the baptism of Pedro’s first son, and the joyous Credo is one of his most frequently performed works.

Serenata Brazilian Music for Chamber Orchestra GOMES • NEPOMUCENO • BRAGA • MIGUÉZ English Chamber Orchestra • Neil Thomson Brazilian composers in the 19th century often sought state scholarships to enable them to study in Europe where they were to become influenced by the German, Italian and French compositional schools. They also became involved in the vogue for writing suites based on ancient dances, such as Nepomuceno’s delightful Ancient Suite , premiered at Grieg’s home, or Braga’s Madrigal-Pavana which evokes the belle époque ballrooms of Rio de Janeiro. Miguéz’s Suite in the Old Style is polyphonic and lively, while Gomes’ Sonata for Strings is his finest non- operatic work.

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NEW ON NAXOS | SEPTEMBER 2022

FEATURED ARTISTS

Carla Cottini Soprano

Luisa Francesconi Mezzo-soprano

Cleyton Pulzi Tenor

Licio Bruno Bass-baritone

About the Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte Founded by choral conductor Iara Fricke Matte, the Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte made its debut in 2016 with the Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance of Mozart’s Requiem . Its members are all highly qualified professional musicians united by their desire to give historically informed performances of both familiar and less well-known choral and instrumental works from the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical periods, as well as a select contemporary repertoire. About the Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra One of Brazil’s most successful cultural organisations, the Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra has received numerous awards and accolades, including CONCERTO Magazine ’s Grand Prize (2015, 2020). Its discography includes two previous recordings for the ‘Music of Brazil’ series, such as Almeida Prado’s woks for piano and orchestra (8.574225) The English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) has been performing across the UK and globally for over 60 years and is the most recorded chamber orchestra in the world. The ECO celebrates and builds upon its tradition of maintaining the highest international musical standards, nurturing new talent and focusing on the ‘best of British’ music and musicianship. About Fabio Mechetti, Conductor Fabio Mechetti has been artistic director and principal conductor of the Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra since its foundation. Under his leadership, the orchestra has received numerous awards, recorded nine albums, including several for Naxos, and undertaken a tour of South America. About Neil Thomson, Conductor Neil Thomson has been principal conductor and artistic director of the Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra since 2014, leading the orchestra to national prominence with its championing of Brazilian and contemporary repertoire. He also enjoys a busy international career working with all the major UK and Japanese orchestras, among many others. which was nominated for a Latin GRAMMY. About the English Chamber Orchestra

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

8.574225

8.574197

8.574403

8.573925

8.574067

8.574402

8.574018

8.574286

8.574310

8.574118

Visit the ‘Music of Brazil’ mini-site for more information

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NEW ON NAXOS | SEPTEMBER 2022

INCLUDES WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING

JoAnn Falletta © David Adam Beloff

8.574378 Release Date: 09 Sep 2022

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William WALTON (1902–1983) The Complete Façades Hila Plitmann, Fred Child and Kevin Deas, Narrators Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Players JoAnn Falletta

Key Features: •

This recording includes not only the refined and polished Façade – An Entertainment as it was left by its creators, but also includes the verses and settings that were re-worked for Façade 2 – A Further Entertainment in the 1970s and other numbers originally conceived for the work and later substituted for other verses, making this recording as complete an edition of the whole piece as anyone could desire. • The team of narrators for this recording is a particularly strong one. Hila Plitmann is a two-time GRAMMY Award- winning soprano and actress, while Kevin Deas has gained international renown as one of America’s leading bass- baritones. Fred Child is the host of APM’s Performance Today , the most-listened- to classical music radio show in the USA. • The Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Players conducted by JoAnn Falletta have recorded Schoenberg’s arrangements of Mahler songs (8.573536) in a release that was an Opera News Critic’s Choice. Their recording of Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale (8.573537) was given a 10/10 score by ClassicsToday.com ,and considered by Gramophone to be ‘a fine performance all round’. Kevin Deas , Hila Plitmann and Fred Child

Edith Sitwell’s invitation to William Walton to collaborate on an innovative, revolutionary new work came at a critical moment in the young composer’s career, and Façade proved to be his first great success. The peerless combination of a peculiarly English dry wit, genuine pathos and superlative technical skill remains an extraordinary achievement. Sitwell’s verses conjure a satirical and poignant world of bourgeois late-Victorian England, while Walton’s settings unfailingly enhance and enrich the texts in a work in which words and music are unquestionably of equal importance. This release includes the first recording of Small Talk (1922) and three numbers first performed in 1977 but subsequently rejected by the composer. About JoAnn Falletta, Conductor GRAMMY Award-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta serves as music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and music director laureate of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. She is also a leading recording artist for Naxos, winning her most recent GRAMMY Award in 2019 as conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra for Kenneth Fuchs’ Spiritualist (8.559824). Her Naxos recording of John Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan (8.559331) received two GRAMMY Awards in 2008. Falletta is a member of the esteemed American Academy of Arts and Sciences, has served as a member of the National Council on the Arts, recipient of many prestigious conducting awards and was named Performance Today ’s Classical Woman of the Year 2019.

Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Players with JoAnn Falletta

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NEW ON NAXOS | SEPTEMBER 2022

INCLUDES WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING

8.574377 Release Date: 23 Sep 2022

Gabriel Schwabe © Studio Monbijou

Russian Ballads PROKOFIEV • SHOSTAKOVICH • KISSIN

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Gabriel Schwabe, Cello Roland Pöntinen, Piano

Key Features: •

About Gabriel Schwabe, Cello Gabriel Schwabe has established himself among the leading cellists of his generation. He is a laureate of numerous national and international competitions, including the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann and the Concours Rostropovich in Paris. In 2009 he won the prestigious Pierre Fournier Award in London. As a soloist, he has worked with orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Malmö and Norrköping Symphony Orchestras and the Royal Northern Sinfonia with conductors including Marek Janowski, Eivind Gullberg Jensen, Dennis Russell Davies, Cornelius Meister, Marc Soustrot, Lars Vogt and Michael Sanderling. The 20th century saw an abundance of notable Russian cellists inspiring an extensive repertoire by Soviet composers. In the cello sonatas by Shostakovich and Prokofiev, both composers explore the rich and emotive timbre of the instrument with expressive subtleties and bittersweet emotions, alongside their typical touches of wit and irony. Internationally acclaimed pianist Evgeny Kissin has recently returned to composing, and his Cello Sonata is akin to a ballad in its restraint and introspection.

This well-filled programme of Russian cello sonatas has a great deal going for it, by no means the least of which will be the premiere recording of Evgeny Kissin’s Cello Sonata, Op. 2 . The sonatas of Prokofiev and Shostakovich are both well-known and popular but by no means always paired together, and the addition of Prokofiev’s improvisational Ballade and the Adagio, Op. 97b from the ballet Cinderella tip the balance further in favour of this disc when it comes to the programme, let alone the quality of the performances. • This new release joins an already substantial and highly acclaimed catalogue. Brahms’ Cello Sonatas and Songs (8.573489) was admired for Schwabe’s ‘beautifully smooth and sweet tone’ by Fanfare , and his Elgar Cello Concerto (8.574320) was considered ‘hugely impressive, full of finely realised detail, and lacking in bombast’ by The Guardian ( ). • Pianist and composer Roland Pöntinen has performed with major orchestras throughout the world and at prestigious international festivals in Europe and the US. Thanks to an insatiable musical appetite and a stupendous technique he has acquired a vast repertoire ranging from Bach to Ligeti. Pöntinen is one the most widely recorded contemporary pianists with well over 100 titles.

DIGITAL BONUS TRACK

Sergey PROKOFIEV (1891–1953) Sonata for Solo Cello

Left incomplete at the composer’s death, the Sonata for Solo Cello proved to be the last piece that Prokofiev began, in 1952. The Sonata was premiered in Moscow by Natalia Gutman in 1972, in a version elaborated by musicologist Vladimir Blok, but on this recording Gabriel Schwabe plays the piece essentially as Prokofiev left it. Only available for download and streaming

Click to listen to Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 134: I. Andante

9.70340

LISTEN

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NEW ON NAXOS | SEPTEMBER 2022

Marc Mauillon as Orfeo and Luciana Mancini as Euridice © Stefan Brion

Claudio MONTEVERDI (1567–1643) L’Orfeo Favola in musica in five acts and a prologue Libretto by Alessandro Striggio Luciana Mancini, Marianne Beate Kielland, Mezzo-sopranos Sara Mingardo, Contralto • Salvo Vitale, Bass Marc Mauillon, Furio Zanasi, Baritones La Capella Reial de Catalunya • Le Concert des Nations Jordi Savall, Conductor • Pauline Bayle, Stage director Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo was premiered in 1607 and is the oldest opera still performed today. The narrative is based on the Greek legend of Orpheus who, armed only with the weapons of music and love, descends into Hades in an attempt to bring his lost bride Eurydice back to the living world. The opera’s dramatic power is brought to life in this acclaimed production conducted by the great Monteverdi expert and interpreter Jordi Savall. Filmed at the Opéra Comique in Paris L’Orfeo features a virtuoso cast with the service of text and music always at its core. Key Feature: As one of the earliest operas, Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo is considered a milestone in the history of music, the pioneering skill of its composer in expressing human emotions in music giving it a timeless resonance that has held a fascination for audiences for over 600 years. This excellent Opéra Comique production, co-produced with Opéra Royal, Château de Versailles Spectacles, and Opéra Grand Avignon, has been expertly filmed and recorded by director François Roussillon and Radio France.

2.110733 Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Sound format: PCM stereo and DTS 5.1 Language: Italian Subtitles: Italian, English, German, French, Japanese, Korean Region code: 0 (worldwide) No. of disc/s: 1 (DVD 9) Release Date: 09 Sep 2022

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Also available on Blu-ray Video: NBD0152V Picture format: HD 16:9 Sound format: PCM stereo and DTS-MA 5.1 Language: Italian Subtitles: Italian, English, German, French, Japanese, Korean Region code: A, B, C No. of disc/s: 1 (BD 50) Release Date: 09 Sep 2022

Companion Titles – Other audiovisual productions by Opéra Comique

2.110661 (NBD0111V)

2.110709 (NBD0140V)

2.110707 (NBD0138V)

2.110638 (NBD0100V)

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NEW ON NAXOS | SEPTEMBER 2022

Maria José Siri as Adriana Lecouvreur and Ksenia Dudnikova as Princess de Bouillon © Michele Monasta

2.110737 Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Sound format: PCM stereo and DTS 5.1 Language: Italian Subtitles: Italian, English, German, French, Japanese, Korean Region code: 0 (worldwide) No. of disc/s: 1 (DVD 9) Release Date: 09 Sep 2022

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Francesco CILEA (1866–1950) Adriana Lecouvreur Opera in four acts Libretto by Arturo Colautti based on Adrienne Lecouvreur

Key Features: •

The operatic style of Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur became unfashionable in the early 20th century with the rise of the ‘Generation of the 80s’ (Pizzetti, Respighi, Malipiero and others), but recent successful revivals and recorded performances with the likes of Tebaldi, Caballé, Scotto and Freni mean that it has become firmly established as Cilea’s best- known and most popular work today. • This superbly filmed and recorded Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino production was the first opera of the 83rd edition of the Maggio Musicale Festival, an event enriched by the presence of renowned conductor Daniel Harding .

by Eugène Scribe and Ernest-Wilfrid Legouvé Maria José Siri, Soprano • Ksenia Dudnikova, Mezzo-soprano Martin Muehle, Paolo Antognetti, Tenors Alessandro Spina, Bass • Nicola Alaimo, Baritone Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Daniel Harding, Conductor • Frederic Wake-Walker, Stage director Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur was inspired by the real-life story of a celebrated actress at the Comédie- Française who was much admired by Voltaire. Hailed as a masterpiece, the opera was triumphantly staged in cities around the world after its premiere in 1902. The dramatically effective narrative is a passionate love triangle filled with intrigue and complicated plot twists set in the gallant 18th century. Its subtle ironies and gorgeous cantabile style of music provide a perfect vehicle for the star cast in this stunning production from the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

The production received wide critical acclaim, with operawire.com commenting ‘ Maria José Siri , who made her role debut as Adriana earlier this year, was the true pearl of the evening. Her first appearance was striking,

•

particularly her ‘Io son l’umile ancella’, and she managed to maintain that wonderful level of excellence throughout the entire night.’

Also available on Blu-ray Video: NBD0153V Picture format: HD 16:9 Sound format: PCM stereo and DTS-MA 5.1 Language: Italian Subtitles: Italian, English, German, French, Japanese, Korean Region code: A, B, C No. of disc/s: 1 (BD 50) Release Date: 09 Sep 2022

Companion Titles – Other releases from Naxos Audiovisual

2.110726-27 (NBD0147V)

2.110728 (NBD0148V)

2.110730 (NBD0149V)

2.110711 (NBD0142V)

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NEW ON NAXOS | SEPTEMBER 2022

WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING

Franz von SUPPÉ (1819–1895) Die Reise um die Erde in 80 Tagen (‘Around the World in 80 Days’) Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra • Dario Salvi

Franz von Suppé became famous all over the world for the easy brilliance of his operetta melodies. He also achieved great success with theatrical stage music, including this version of Jules Verne’s adventure novel Around the World in 80 Days . Verne’s interest in science and new discoveries reflects the optimism of the late 19th century, and Suppé’s music is a perfect reflection of the light and dark in the narrative, evocatively tracking Phileas Fogg’s enterprising and at time dangerous voyage, and taking in the exotic orient and Gold Rush America along the way. Key Feature: Franz von Suppé’s music is best remembered today in numerous operetta overtures, but what is less well known is that he composed a great deal of music for the stage, his facility for vivid description in music making his work prized in 19th-century Viennese theatrical circles.

Companion Titles – Dario Salvi, Conductor 8.574383 | 8.574177 | 8.660476 8.660434-35 | 8.660489-90 8.574396 Release Date: 23 Sep 2022

Click to listen to Vorspiel

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Edward ELGAR (1857–1934) Complete Organ Works Organ Sonatas • Vesper Voluntaries • Nimrod Tom Winpenny, Organ

The organ was a formative part of Edward Elgar’s musical upbringing, and for a time he was organist at St George’s Catholic Church in Worcester. The symphonic scale and distinctive themes of the First Sonata contrast with the more liturgical atmosphere of the Vesper Voluntaries , while the rousing Second Sonata is an arrangement of Elgar’s Severn Suite for brass. This album comprises Elgar’s original works for organ as well as the complete arrangements made by the composer himself and those made by four distinguished contemporary organists. Key Feature: Edward Elgar is probably best known for the ‘Enigma’ Variations and the Pomp and Circumstance Military Marches , both of which are represented in arrangements not always included on recordings of Elgar’s complete organ works.

8.574366 Release Date: 23 Sep 2022

Companion Titles – Organ Encyclopedia 8.574252-53 | 8.572169 | 8.574251 | 8.572687

Click to listen to Organ Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 28: I. Allegro maestoso

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Ron GOODWIN (1925–2003) British Light Music, Vol. 11 Drake 400 Suite • 633 Squadron: Theme • New Zealand Suite New Zealand Symphony Orchestra • Ron Goodwin

Ron Goodwin is famous for several iconic film scores such as the rousing 633 Squadron . His was an instantly recognisable musical voice, combining an innate ability to write both memorable tunes and to evoke the many moods demanded by film directors, qualities that extend into the gloriously evocative Drake 400 and New Zealand Suites . Goodwin’s long and distinguished career earned him multiple Ivor Novello Awards and a Golden Globe Award among many other accolades. Conducted by the composer, this recording represents the best of a true leader in the field of popular music. Key Feature: We are currently re-releasing our edition of popular and collectable British Light Music albums that originally appeared on the Marco Polo label, and this excellent recording of some of Ron Goodwin ’s most memorable scores first appeared in 1996 (8.223518).

8.555193 Release Date: 23 Sep 2022

Companion Titles – British Light Music series 8.555171 | 8.574323 | 8.555192 | 8.574322

Click to listen to 633 Squadron – Main Title Theme

LISTEN

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NEW ON NAXOS | SEPTEMBER 2022

INCLUDES WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS

Henri TOMASI (1901–1971) Complete Violin Works Violin Concerto ‘Périple d’Ulysse’ • Capriccio Stéphanie Moraly, Violin • Romain David, Piano Orchestre de la Garde républicaine • Sébastien Billard

Henri Tomasi’s violin works are little known but they offer a compact insight into the direction of French 20th-century composition. The Violin Concerto ‘Périple d’Ulysse’ is a late work, by turns alluring, tragic and violent, conveyed through rhapsodic virtuosity and a rich sense of colour. The Capriccio is full of elegance and refinement with emotional intensity in its slow movement and brilliance in its finale. Chant hébraïque conjures up oriental motifs while the sequence of early works for violin and piano reference Tomasi’s Corsican heritage and evoke quasi-cinematic exoticism. Key Feature: Violinist Stéphanie Morally began studies at the Paris Conservatoire at 16, and was awarded a Premier Prix at the age of 19. She currently performs as part of Duo Moraly-David with pianist Romain David, and is also first violin of the Quintette Syntonia. Click to listen to Violin Concerto ‘Périple d’Ulysse’ (‘Ulysses’ Journey’): I. Pesante marcato e sostenuto – Vivo LISTEN

8.579091 Release Date: 09 Sep 2022

Companion Titles – 20th-Century French Music 8.573746 | 8.573858 | 8.573739 | 8.573572

INCLUDES WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS

Peter BREINER (b. 1957) Calm Romantic Piano Music, Vol. 3 Mornings, Evenings and Late Nights Peter Breiner, Piano

Peter Breiner is one of the world’s most recorded musicians with over 200 releases and more than two million albums sold, of which his Beatles Go Baroque (8.555010) alone reached sales of a quarter of a million copies. In addition to being a multifaceted composer, arranger and conductor, Breiner is also a pianist, and the third of his Calm Romantic Piano Music series melds melodic substance with delicate musical expressiveness. The original and descriptive miniatures heard on this album present music of touching tranquillity and beauty. Previous releases in the series comprise Volume 1 (8.574256) and Volume 2 (8.574257). Key Feature: One of the world’s most performed composer/arrangers and described as ‘a personification of music’ in the Slovak Spectator , this new release follows Peter Breiner ’s Caressing Your Soul (8.574256) and A Journey (8.574547). Of the former, American Record Guide stated that ‘Breiner’s goal of recording calming music was achieved.’

8.574474 Release Date: 23 Sep 2022

Companion Titles – Calm Romantic Piano Music series 8.574256 | 8.574257 Companion Titles – Other recordings by Peter Breiner 8.555010 | 8.574078 | 8.574184-85 | 8.553510

Peter Breiner’s Calm Romantic Piano Music Series

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Alchemy New Music for Trumpet and Orchestra CERVO • ROBERTO • TESCARI • ZUR

WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS

Fábio Brum, Trumpets, Cornets, Flugelhorn, Horn • Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla • Noam Zur Like alchemists of old, attempting to recombine the four elements, here Fábio Brum presents four distinct musical languages in a programme forged during lockdown. Gabriele Roberto’s Tokyo Suite charts the astonishment of a traveller dazzled by the vast megapolis, whereas Dimitri Cervo’s The Brazilian Four Seasons offers a colourful, energetic panorama of the natural and human worlds. Fábio Brum’s very personal musical journey is highlighted by the contrast between the Talmudic contemplation of Menachem Zur’s De Profundis and the abstract ruminations of Nicola Tescari’s Trumpet Concerto ‘Nine Moods’ . Key Feature: These are world premiere recordings and part of Fábio Brum ’s mission to bring new music for trumpet, much dedicated to him, to the general public.

8.579119 Release Date: 23 Sep 2022

Companion Titles – Fábio Brum, Trumpet 8.579118 | 8.574204 Companion Titles – Contemporary Trumpet Music 8.573995 | 8.574129

Click to listen to ROBERTO, G.: Solaria

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NEW ON NAXOS | SEPTEMBER 2022

INCLUDES WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS

Erich ZEISL (1905–1959) Lieder

Weich küsst die Zweige der weiße Mond Ulf Bästlein, Baritone • Charles Spencer, Piano

‘Melody is the heart of music – and you can’t construct melodies. They are the essence of a musical gift’. This was the firm belief of Erich Zeisl, who in the 1930s was considered one of the most promising musical talents in Austria. Zeisl mastered the most disparate of musical styles, and although his output was firmly rooted in the Romantic idiom, he permanently pushed its harmonic boundaries. Central to Zeisl’s output was the lied, but having been silenced by the Nazis in 1938 he composed no more lieder in exile in America. It is shameful that these works which have such an important place in the history of music and ideas are only now made accessible to a wider public (20 world premiere recordings). Key Feature: Ulf Bästlein is a Lieder specialist as well as an oratorio singer; he has recorded for many labels including Naxos, Capriccio and Orfeo. His previous release featured to ballads, songs and legends of Martin Plüddemann (8.551460-61). Click to listen to Go down Moses (Spiritual) LISTEN

8.551459 Release Date: 09 Sep 2022

Companion Titles – Ulf Bästlein, Baritone 8.551422 | 8.551460-61 Companion Titles – Viennese Songs 8.554665 | 8.570219

Richard DANIELPOUR (b. 1956) Twelve Études for Piano Piano Fantasy • Lullaby • Song Without Words Stefano Greco, Piano

Richard Danielpour is one of the most decorated, frequently performed and recorded composers of his generation. His commissions include works for some of the most celebrated artists of our day. Each of the Twelve Études is dedicated to a particular pianist with its own substantial technical demands, but all are conceived as concert pieces with a self-contained narrative. The variations in the Piano Fantasy are based on the final chorale of Bach’s St Matthew Passion . All of these world premiere recordings were made in close collaboration between the composer and acclaimed pianist Stefano Greco. Key Feature: Richard Danielpour ’s Naxos catalogue boasts critical acclaim, including a Best Choral Performance GRAMMY for The Passion of Yeshua (8.559885-86), recorded by the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra, and UCLA Chamber Singers, conducted by JoAnn Falletta. Choir & Organ declared it ‘a fine recording of a substantial and powerful work’. ( ) Click to listen to Twelve Études for Piano: Étude No. 3 (Full Sounding Chords) LISTEN Patrick Yim, Violin • Kiu Tung Poon, Piano • Sebastian Currier, Pre-recorded sound samples This recording represents a survey of American music composed for violin and piano between 1980 and 2010. These masterpieces are by four American composers distinguished by the highest honors of their profession, and whose international careers and creative voices have been shaped by major political, social, and cultural events during the last 50 years. From the ethereal electronic sounds that surround the players in Sebastian Currier’s Digital Mist to the Chinese evocations in the complete violin and piano works of Chen Yi, this collection has been made in close collaboration with the composers and includes three world premiere recordings. Key Feature: Digital Mist – Works for Violin and Piano CHEN YI • N. CURRIER • S. CURRIER • TSONTAKIS Praised for his ‘superb performances’ ( Fanfare Magazine ), Honolulu-born violinist Patrick Yim has performed all over the world in the most prestigious venues and with distinguished orchestras and conductors. His debut disc, Memory , released in 2020 on Navona Records features world premiere recordings of works by Chen Yi, Michael-Thomas Foumai, Austin Yip, Kai- Young Chan and Yao Chen, and has been broadcast internationally. Click to listen to TSONTAKIS, G.: Three Sighs, Three Variations: Variation 3: Largo – With chaotic energy – Dream-like, as if slow-motion LISTEN

WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS

8.559922 Release Date: 09 Sep 2022

Companion Titles – Richard Danielpour, Composer 8.559669 | 8.559845 | 8.559792 | 8.559885-86

INCLUDES WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS

8.559903 Release Date: 09 Sep 2022

Companion Titles – American Classics series 8.559150 | 8.559119 | 8.559306 | 8.559725

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NEW ON NAXOS | SEPTEMBER 2022

8.206006 [6-Disc Boxed Set] Release Date: 09 Sep 2022

Villa-Lobos embracing his guitar (1950s) © Museu Villa-Lobos

Heitor VILLA-LOBOS (1887–1959) Complete String Quartets Danubius Quartet

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Key Features: •

About the Danubius Quartet The Danubius Quartet has won considerable acclaim since its founding in 1983. With the violinists Judit Tóth and Adél Miklós, violist Cecilia Bodolai and cellist Ilona Wibli, and the artistic direction of the distinguished violinist Vilmos Tátrai, the quartet won awards at Trapani, Evian and Graz in its earlier years, and has recorded for the Hungaroton label as well as this edition of the Complete String Quartets of Villa- Lobos for Marco Polo. Their performance on disc 3 was praised by Los Angeles Times commenting ‘The Danubius Quartet plays with great poise and gentle warmth.’ Heitor Villa-Lobos once confessed that he loved to write string quartets, stating ‘one could say that it is a mania’. His 17 quartets form a substantial part of his chamber music output, covering a long career that embraced national pride and musical experimentation leading to the rarefied atmosphere of the final masterpieces. Often drawing on the musical folklore of Brazil, these quartets are an outpouring of spontaneous and daring invention. Ranging from austere polyphony to compelling expressiveness and virtuosity, they represent one of the most distinctive bodies of chamber works in 20th-century music.

Villa-Lobos is best known for his orchestral works, and this Marco Polo edition of the complete String Quartets seeks to redress the balance towards his substantial chamber music output while joining our highly collectable Naxos editions of the Complete Symphonies (8.506039), and the Bachianas Brasileiras (8.557460-62). Pianist Sonia Rubinsky won a Latin GRAMMY for her recordings of the solo piano music (8.508013). • These recordings were much admired on their original appearances, with The Washington Post commented on discs 1 and 2: ‘The music is imaginative, rhythmically alert, sometimes reminiscent of Brazilian folk music and expertly performed.’ • Also available are three instalments in the critically acclaimed Music of Brazil series. The Guitar and Harmonica Concertos disc featuring the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (8.574018) received a perfect 10/10 score from ClassicsToday.com : ‘The uniformly first-rate performances…[makes] the whole disc a joy from start to finish – a true voyage of discovery and delight.’

Companion Titles – Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer

8.506039

8.508013

8.503289

8.557460-62

8.574018

8.574310

8.574286

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