Classical Music

This release presents 18 arias by Italian authors of the seventeenth and eighteenth century, all taken from the famous Alessandro Pasotti collection and performed on horn and piano. The Pasotti collection Ancient Arias was published for the first time in 1885 and for a very long time has been the main source for the knowledge of operistical music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These were times where musical philology was just at its beginning. The horn player Nilo Caracristi and the pianist Giancarlo Guarino perform eighteen arias chosen by themself with any changes from the original text published by Pasotti showing to the the audience both their cleverness and the exceptional communicative force of this music. This is an enjoyable release from the first to the last note.

Even before Rossini, Giovanni Paisiello was the first composer of the Libretto for The Barber of Seville. It is lovely to compare both versions, however, this release is unique in that it was the work’s first release on any format, and is still regarded as the best. Legendary Italian baritone Ettore Bastianini stars as Figaro. The rest of the cast is also incredible, making this release even more attractive to opera connoisseurs. The production was recorded at the Piccolo Teatro di Musica in March of 1953.

The four works for symphonic wind band composed by Peter Fischer – born in 1956, across the bay from San Francisco, in Martinez, California – are almost textbook examples of American eclecticism, mixing urban vibrancy with a sense of the timeless outdoors, bringing in flavors from jazz and rock and moving easily between vigorous dance-rhythms and sultry nightscapes. Dance, indeed, lies at the heart of most of this music, which gives the mambo, the tango, the tarantella and the waltz a new and spirited twist amid echoes of Stravinsky, Revueltas and Bernstein. In Fischer's Trumpet Concerto, soloist Jens Lindemann plays trumpet, cornet, and flügelhorn.

The legacy of the conductor Sergiu Celidache is honored with a re-release of a 1965 live performance with the Orchestra e Teatro "La Fenice" di Venezia. With a program that included winning performances of Mussorgsky's "Pictures At An Exhibition", along with the not usual inclusion of Cherubini's "Symphony in D" and the then premiere of a work by Swedish composer, Sven Erik Back, the maestro Celidache's reputation as an iconoclast among conductors with his programming choices is evident with this collection. With exception technical and sound quality, this live recording presents a significant opportunity towards a reappreciation of Celidache.

Chamber music played a substantial role in the renewal of Portuguese music that took place during the 20th century. Freitas Branco's kaleidoscopic Trio has an experimental feel, brimming with his typical rhythmic fluidity and sweeping melodic style, while Frederico de Freitas's Preludio, coral e fuga is both colorful and technically impressive. Braga Santos's infectious lyricism is evident in his Trio, and the origins of Delgado's Trio Camoniano as a sequence of songs connects the worlds of classical music and fado. Volume 1 of Trio Pangea's 'superbly played' (MusicWeb International) Portuguese Piano Trios can be heard on Naxos as well.

This recording traverses Canada America and the British isles in music that has helped define the culture of those nations. England is represented by two of its most celebrated composers, Holst and Vaughan Williams, and the iconic Scottish ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is traditionally sung to greet each New Year. Celebrated Canadian songs include Jimmy Rankin’s Juno Award-winning ‘Fare the well love.’ Eric Whitacre’s distinctive harmonic clusters can be heard in ‘Go lovely rose,’ and Gordon Lightfoot counts Bob Dylan among his many fans, Dylan once declaring that when he heard a song such as ‘Pussywillows, cat-tails’ he wished “it would last forever.” The Elora Singers, formerly known as the Elora Festival Singers, founded in 1980 by artistic director Noel Edison, is an all-professional Grammy and twice Juno-nominated chamber choir known for its rich, warm sound and clarity of texture. They are also renowned for their commitment to Canadian repertoire and for their collaborations with other artists from across Canada and around the world.

Signum’s first album with Mexican composer Rodrigo Ruiz combines the composer’s musical and literary passions in performances by world-class soloists Kerenza Peacock, Huw Watkins and Laura van der Heijden. Born in Tijuana, Mexico, Ruiz has attracted commissions from a number of artists, with both the opening Violin Sonata and ‘A riveder le stelle’ commissioned by Kerenza Peacock for this recording. The second work is a duo for violin and piano that is accompanied by poetic quotations from Canto XXXIV of Dante’s Inferno. The booklet notes include an interview with the composer by Jessica Duchen, who describes how the programme “clearly shows Rodrigo´s roots in the traditions of Beethoven and Brahms, but with individual twists that clearly indicate we are in fact on new territory”.

These two works present two sharply contrasting sides of Malcolm Arnold: his limitless resources of knockabout fun, and a sense of existential tragedy. But each score presents its own surprises: the jocularity of the Grand Concerto Gastronomique conceals some seriously good (though not seriously serious) music; and the delicately scored Ninth Symphony, written after five years when its composer had, in his own words, ‘been through hell’, irradiates its emotional restraint and elegiac tone with moments of light and warmth.

REVIEW:

Overall, this is a typically excellent disc from Toccata; first rate music receiving effective performances presented in an informative and valuable package. Even the rather sombre, indeed haunted, image of Arnold that stares bleakly from the booklet cover is well-chosen and apt. Given that it is two decades since we have had a new survey of Arnold’s magnificent symphonies, I hope that this will prove to be just the beginning of a new cycle – a warmly welcomed disc.

-- MusicWeb International

Listen to the Naxos Podcast to learn more about this release

Great fun! A new full-length ballet, especially one as tuneful as this, with an exciting story, is always a welcome addition to both the ballet repertoire and to recorded music.

José Luis Domínguez, who also conducts on this set, is a significant figure in Chilean music as a conductor. This ballet is his first large-scale symphonic work. It is little surprise that, like many conductor-composers, he has such a sure sense of orchestral balance and capability, something evident throughout this work.

The ballet tells a simple story – with plenty of action, set in California – of Joaquín Murieta, a nineteenth century brigand, perhaps the inspiration for Zorro. His origins are obscure, but he has been adopted as something of a folk hero in Chile from where he might have originated. Pablo Neruda wrote a play about him, later turned into an opera by Sergio Ortega. Those works end with a gruesome finale as Murieta is shot and beheaded.

Domínguez ignores that, instead creating a tale set during the Gold Rush, in which Murieta and his men come to the rescue of a town under threat from the villainous Galgos. There is no decapitation but rather the happy outcome of reunion with the beloved Teresa. Think of this as a blend between Robin Hood and The Magnificent Seven.

The comparison is apposite, as Domínguez is quite specific that his music is inspired by symphonic soundtracks of composers such as Korngold, Herrmann and Williams. That is a clue not only to its style, but also to his idea that it should work as a stand-alone piece. This recording is a must for anyone who enjoys the great film-scores: all the virtues of sweeping themes, varied instrumentation and memorable tunes are here.

Performances are committed and in the best Hollywood tradition, with good recorded quality.

If a great ballet company such as the Royal Ballet were to take this into their repertory, one could imagine it quickly becoming a popular hit, rather in the manner of Khachaturian’s Spartacus. A fine ballet conductor, like Barry Wordsworth, would relish this score.

– MusicWeb International (Michael Wilkinson)

Track Listing

Act I

Prologue [4.26]
The town’s people [3.53]
Teresa [7.12]
The Galgos’ Entrance (The imprisonment of the innocent) [3.17]
Joaquín Murieta’s entrance [3.20]
Teresa and Joaquín (pas de deux) [4.48]
Tresdedos [1.50]
Exit of the town’s people [1.30]
El Caballero Tramposo (The drunk variation) [2.04]
Murieta’s entrance (The freeing of the prisoners – The battle) [6.27]
Murieta and Tresdedos [3.25]
The leader of the Galgos interrogates the disguised Murieta [2.37]
The bustling town [2.04]
The women’s entrance (Variation) [4.40]
The leader of the Galgos flirts with one of the wives [6.07]
Interlude (Teresa’s Song) [3.48]
The town’s festivities and the Nobleman’s Spanish Dance [5.07]
The toast and the people’s dance [4.26]
The disguised Murieta’s intrusion [4.36]
Entrance of Murieta’s men and battle [6.15]
Teresa and Joaquín’s reunion (Pas de deux) [11.17]
Epilogue [2.31]

Estonian violinist Kerem (b. 1981) is both a performer and composer, with over 100 works to his credit, 3 symphonies among them. (Toccata)

Canadian-born Joel Hastings was the winner of the 2006 8th International Web Concert Hall Competition and the 1993 International Bach Competition at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He won particular acclaim for his performance at the 10th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. Reviewers described his playing as passionate, mesmerizing, hypnotic, and transcendental. A Steinway Artist, he performed solo recitals and orchestral engagements across Canada, the United States, and in Europe. His discography includes live recordings of Liszt’s song and operatic transcriptions and Chopin’s 24 Etudes. His recordings received Canadian critics’ awards, and were praised in publications such as American Record Guide, Limelight magazine, and Musicweb International. His playing was featured on CBC national radio and numerous stations throughout the United States. In August 2014, Naxos released his recording of solo piano music by the American composer Carter Pann to much critical acclaim (8.559751). Joel Hastings died in 2016 at the early age of 46.

Spanish music has been enriched in recent years by a series of striking and exciting double concertos featuring the country’s emblematic instrument, the guitar. Leading composer Anton Garcia Abril has written prolifically for the guitar and Concierto de Gibralfaro offers three evocative vignettes for two guitars. Mistral by David del Puerto is written for the highly unusual combination of guitar and accordion, a single movement concerto of great color and dynamic palette. Guerena’s Concierto ecuanime, for guitar and vibraphone, embraces the rhythmic influence of jazz while employing the tuning used in the rodena form of flamenco. Miguel Trápaga was born in Cantabria, Spain. He studied at the Ataulfo Argenta Conservatory, and at Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid with Javier Canduela and Demetrio Ballesteros, respectively. He also received lessons from Jose Tomas, Miguel Angel Girollet, Manuel Estevez, and others. He has won top prizes in several international competitions, and has performed in broadcasts for Spanish National Radio, BBC, and others.

Francesco Morlacchi was a native of Perugia, but early success led him to become music director of the Dresden Opera where he remained for the rest of his life despite having an opportunity to succeed Rossini in Naples in 1822. He did make tours to Italy however, and Tebaldo e Isolina received its triumphant premiere in Venice, becoming the most successful of all his operas. Morlacchi’s gifts as a lyricist and for characterization are heard here at their best, with showpiece arias and duets in a version of the Romeo and Juliet story that ends in happiness and the victory of reason over vengeance.

The dignified bearing and quiet wisdom of Nikolai Myaskovsky (1881-1950) gained him the sobriquet "the conscience of Russian music," and those qualities are reflected in the unemphatic strength of his music. His orchestral, chamber and instrumental works are regaining the currency they once enjoyed, but his large corpus of songs, many of them understated masterpieces, has yet to attract systematic attention – a situation that this series hopes to remedy. The pairing here of his late Violin Sonata with his last two song-cycles for soprano and piano mirrors the Moscow concert in 1947 when all three were given their first performances.

REVIEW:

This disc can be recommended just for the vocal works. The late Violin Sonata is a bonus, especially in its final revised version – the work underwent two revisions after its 1947 premiere by David Oistrakh and Lev Oborin. Just a few years ago, there were no recordings of the piece.

The 28-page booklet contains very well translated informative notes and full song text translations from Russian into English. This outstanding release is highly recommended. For me, it is one of the finest discs of 2021.

-- MusicWeb International

Originally written as a set of piano pieces, Mussorgsky's splendid Pictures at an Exhibition translates the artistry of the composer's friend Victor Hartmann into unforgettable music. Peter Breiner's new orchestration creates a showpiece for our times, achieving contemporary sounds through unusual instrumental combinations, and right up to a spectacular Great Gate of Kiev performed by 104 musicians. Mussorgsky's remarkable song cycles contrast encounters with death against the often uneasy world of children in the Nursery.

Multi-award-winning composer Paul Reale has a distinctly American voice, enriched and given touches of familiarity through references to folk idiom and musical ancestors such as Bartok and Kodaly. This program brings together Reale's works for cello and piano. His earliest, S�ance, is a haunting combination of modernist sounds and Baroque melodies. The operatic Cello Sonata No. 1 daringly uses 'What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor' as the backbone of it's finale, and the recent 'Chopin's Ghost' explores the Romantic composer's long, weaving lines and evokes his poetic spirit. This is the world premiere recording of the aforementioned work.

Classical Music

The composer that Casella most resembles in his chameleon-like musical personality is probably Martinu, and this is nowhere more true than in the Partita for piano and small orchestra. Scored for the distinctive combination of oboe, two clarinets, bass clarinet, three trumpets, timpani and strings, the work is an unalloyed delight. Listen to the end of the first movement recapitulation, and you’ll be hooked. Like Martinu’s Sinfonietta giocosa, the lightweight title in fact conceals a work of genuine substance, lasting (in this case) just over half an hour. The central Passacaglia (a form much exploited by Casella) is profoundly beautiful, and its evocative use of trills reveals that Casella learned a trick or two from the first Nachtmusik of Mahler’s Seventh, which he arranged for piano four-hands.

The Introduzione, aria e toccata again recalls (or foreshadows) Martinu–in this case the Toccata e due canzone. Like that piece, this is a substantial, at times brooding work brimming with memorable invention. The music’s stylized, neo-Baroque idiom couldn’t be farther removed from the nearly contemporary orchestral fragments from Casella’s only opera, La donna serpente (The Snake Woman), after a play by Gozzi. These “fragments” are actually pretty extensive, lasting a full half an hour, and if they pay homage to anyone I’d have to mention Rimsky-Korsakov. The Military March that ends the first suite evokes a fairytale atmosphere similar to that of The Golden Cockerel or Tsar Sultan, but there’s nothing Russian about the melodic material, which is completely personal.

This disc marks the conclusion of Naxos’ Casella series, and it has been a wonderful journey. As with the other discs, the performances are excellent. Sun Hee You does a wonderful job in the Partita, offering effortless virtuosity and an aptly light touch. There’s only one other recording available, featuring the very good Joshua Pierce, coupled to concertante works by Respighi and Rachmaninov, but conductor Franceso La Vecchia proves himself more imaginative an accompanist the Anton Nanut, and he also has the better orchestra and engineering. Casella truly was a great composer. The evidence on this disc is incontestable.

– David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Rossini's ceaseless wit and invention are best exemplified in his series of operas. His colorful orchestration and command of both comic and tragic elements can be savored in this second of four volumes of the complete symphonic overtures. Guillaume Tell, with it's overture in four movements, includes a scene for five solo cellos. La scala di seta (The Silken Ladder), one of his most popular pieces, opens with an overture of charm and elan. Volume 1 (8.570933) was described by MusicWeb Internationals "an admirable start to what looks like being a very desirable series".