Volume 7 of Rossini’s complete piano music, Péchés de vieillesse (Sins of Old Age), ranges across six of the fourteen albums to include works for both solo piano and for piano and voices. Two of the pieces – Andantino mosso (track 3), recently discovered in manuscript, and La notte di Santo Natale (track 5) receive their first recording. ‘Alessandro Marangoni sounds completely at home… and he presents the music with style, good humour and no mean virtuosity’ (MusicWeb International on 8.573107 / Volume 6).

A native of Luxembourg, Lou Koster was largely self-taught as a composer, flourishing in the interwar period as a pianist whose activities included accompanying silent films. Orchestrated from piano originals, pieces such as Lore-Lore and Moseltr�ume were radio hits in the 1930s, and Koster became renowned for subtle, sensuous light music filled with unexpected turns and emotional nuances.

This second and final volume of Frederic Mompou's complete songs features the cycle Becquerianas, one of his most ambitious and also one of his most diverse, with it's unprecedented fusion of Andalusian folk-music, virtuosic piano writing and vocal opulence. Comptines, by comparison, are joyful and simple traditional children's counting rhymes. Also included are five recently discovered songs: Et sento que v�ns, Ets l'infinit, El testament d'Am�lia, Ave Mar�a and El viaje definitivo. '... an enticing first offering in a welcome series, and the performers are warmly to be applauded' (Fanfare on Volume 1 / 8.573099).

The Scarlatti family was famed across Europe, Alessandro for his operatic compositions and his son, Domenico, for his keyboard works. Employed by several royal families, Domenico moved to Madrid in 1728 following the marriage of his pupil, the Infanta Maria Barbara, to the heir to the Spanish throne. here, largely for her, he wrote a vast number of sonatas that remain amongst the most important of the eighteenth century. Duanduan Hao's previous recording for this series [8.572586 / Volume 14] was acclaimed by Classics Today. com for his 'crisp, well-poised finger work, centered sonority, and superb articulation [which] are ideal for Scarlatti'

The great twentieth-century Russian poet, Mikhail Alexeevich Kuzmin, was for much of his early life also passionately devoted to composition. Masterpieces of the vocal miniature, his Sacred Songs for voice and orchestra are settings of his own words based on studies of ancient Russian music. His incidental music for Masquerade is notable for a heartfelt Romance and a closing chorus which draws upon traditional Russian church music. The Society of Honoured Bell Ringers displays Mahlerian and Mozartian influences whilst greater harmonic complexity can be savored in Kuzmin�s edgier music for Deer deutsche Heinemann.

Vytautas Bacevicius Remained Virtually Unknown As a Composer During His Lifetime, in Contrast to the Fortunes of His Sister Graz?Yna Bacewicz, Who Retained Her Polish Nationality. Rendered Stateless By the Outbreak of WWII While on Tour As a Concert Pianist in Argentina, He Eventually Settled in New York Until His Death in 1970, Giving Acclaimed Piano Recitals, Teaching, and Writing Astoundingly Original Orchestral Scores. He Never Lost His Deep Allegiance to and Nostalgia for Lithuania. This Recording Gives An Eloquent Introduction to His Pianistic Virtuosity and Mystical, Scriabinesque Orchestral Vision.

Composed in 1954 for the 400th anniversary of the founding of S�o Paulo, Amer�ndia is the composer's largest symphony. Effectively a hybrid symphony and oratorio for soloists, chorus and orchestra, it is memorable for it's stylistic variety and breadth, drawing on many different sources of Brazilian music. This recording is based on a newly revised edition made by Editora Criadores do Brasil (the S�o Paulo Symphony Orchestra's publishing house) in collaboration with the Academia Brasileira de M�sica. Born in Brazil in 1934, Isaac Karabtchevsky studied conducting and composition in Germany under Wolfgang Fortner, Pierre Boulez, and Carl Ueter. He has held posts at the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra (OSB), La Fenice in Venice, and the Tonku�nstler in Vienna. He is currently director of the Petrobras Symphony of Rio de Janeiro and the Heliopolis Symphony, an orchestra composed of young musicians, most of them from disadvantaged communities in S�o Paulo.

On its first appearance on the Marco Polo label, this recording was acclaimed as ‘a model of what these things should be’ (Fanfare) and that no release on the label was ‘better or more important than this’ (ClassicsToday.com). It presents a definitive restoration of Korngold’s music for the 1938 Warner Bros.’ production of The Adventures of Robin Hood, starring the ultimate swashbuckler, Errol Flynn, and still one of the most-loved of all motion pictures. Throughout—and to an unprecedented degree—Korngold captures its lavish spectacle, romance, colour, pageantry and humour in his magnificent score. Also included is the Original Theatre Trailer Music, not previously available on CD.

Set to vernacular texts dealing mainly with the theme of love, frottole were short, improvisatory polyphonic songs with instrumental accompaniment that flourished in the Renaissance courts of Italy for some forty years between c. 1480 and 1520. Despite it's apparent simplicity, this completely new genre of song inspired some of Europe's greatest vocal and instrumental musicians. The recent invention of movable type added further to it's popularity. This recording explores a representative selection, including work published by the historically pivotal figure of Ottaviano Petrucci.

Although orchestral music and operettas such as Tom Jones (Naxos 8.660270-71) were Edward German's main focus as composer, he wrote a dozen or so works specifically for violin and piano, mostly during his time at the RAM, London, UK, where he was recognized as a gifted violinist, and the years immediately following. Many of these salon pieces were written for his own use, including his earliest known compositions. From the beguiling charm of the Chanson d'Amour to the haunting Souvenir, these works are exquisitely crafted miniatures, several of which have remained unheard for over a century.

Widely regarded as one of China's leading composers, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Zhou Long writes music that is consistently compelling. The Rhyme of Taigu revives the spirit of Chinese court music from the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), drawing on traditional percussion instruments. Symphony 'Humen 1839', co-composed with Chen Yi, vividly commemorates the public burning of over 1000 tons of opium, an event that was to lead to the First Opium War between Great Britain and China. All three works, written in the first decade of the 21st c., receive here their world premiere recordings. Conducting the New Zealand Symphony is the young, fast rising Singapore-born, Russian and American trained Darrell Ang, who has gained widespread attention for his compelling podium authority and authoritative readings of the core symphonic repertoire - especially the great masterpieces by French and Russian composers, in addition to being one of the foremost interpreters of contemporary Asian symphonic music.

Born in Buenos Aires to French parents, pianist Suzanne Husson now lives in Geneva. She has performed as a soloist on television and radio, at important festivals and in concert throughout Europe, the U.S. and Latin America, and has collaborated with distinguished conductors, orchestras and colleagues. She boasts a vast repertoire comprising both the classics and modern music and her award-winning discography includes recordings on numerous labels, including Naxos. Vol. 39 of Naxos' Complete Piano Music of Liszt features his transcriptions of select Bach works, played by Ms. Husson.

Kenneth Leighton's distinctive gifts as a composer were apparent as early as the premi�re of his Cello Concerto, when he was barely 26. It was an instrument for which he wrote with particular subtlety and often from an inner compulsion. The Elegy, Op. 5 is full of brilliance, lyricism and mystery whilst by the time he wrote the rhapsodic and expressive Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 52, his position as one of Britain's leading composers had long been cemented. The beautiful Alleluia Pascha Nostrum, Op. 85 was first performed by the soloist on this disc, Raphael Wallfisch.

In 2014 Ekachai Jearakul became the first Asian guitarist to win the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition (GFA). Winner of numerous awards and an international artist, he has selected a recital that takes the listener on a journey from the baroque beauties of Weiss through nineteenth-century classics by Mertz and Legnani, concluding with three modern compositions influenced by jazz.

With worldwide acclaim and numerous awards, Xu Shuya is one of the leading composers to emerge from the Chinese 'New Wave'. His fascination with his Chinese heritage is eloquently expressed in pieces such as Insolation, inspired by the heroic myth of Kaufu Chasing the Sun, and Yun, which unites the famous 'Purple Bamboo Melody' with symphonic textures and gestures. Cristal au Soleil Couchant expresses the intensity of light and colours at sundown, while Echos du Vieux Champ conjures nostalgic memories of the composer's homeland. Shaped by spiritual concepts and the Tibetan landscape, Nirvana evokes the 'bittersweet pleasure' of 'faint distant melodies, like tunes from heaven'.

Of Ukrainian origin, Boris Pigovat (b. 1953) is now based in Israel where he has won several distinguished national awards. His Holocaust Requiem received the ACUM (Israeli ASCAP) prize in 1995, and was premi�red at a concert dedicated to the massacre of Jews at Babi Yar. Each movement is named after the Latin Mass text, the emotional symbols of sorrow, suffering and hope expressed purely instrumentally but led by the 'human' voice of the viola. The deliberately Russian Romantic style of Poem of Dawn was especially chosen by the composer for the work's dedicatee, acclaimed violist Anna Serova. "I'm sure that the Holocaust Requiem has a great future. Boris Pigovat's composition is very sophisticated, but it isn't flowery or pretentious. It is simple but not primitive, it is frank and heartfelt, an outstanding work." ('The Day' - Ukrainian daily newspaper)

Hindemith's seven string quartets were produced in different phases of his compositional development, all reflecting the experience of being a distinguished and experienced string player. Influenced both by Brahmsian late-Romanticism and by the catastrophic events of the First World War, the imaginative String Quartet No. 1 reflects his concern to extend but honor traditional forms. Cast in the form of a suite, the by turns tempestuous and beautiful String Quartet No. 4 remains Hindemith's most popular and performed quartet. This is the third and final volume of a highly acclaimed cycle. 'As with the previous release in this series, the performances are all outstanding.

Solo piano transcriptions of music from the operas of composer Giacomo Meyerbeer form the focus of Vol. 40 in the Naxos Complete Piano Music of Franz Liszt project. Sergio Gallo takes on the herculean task of playing the three-part Illustrations du Prophète, S414/R223, a work lasting nearly three-quarters of an hour, in addition to the 20-minute plus Illustrations de L’Africaine, S415/R224 and two briefer examples of Lisztian transcription fireworks embedded between these two knuckle busters. Mr. Gallo currently teaches at two US institutions, one being Georgia State University in Atlanta.

In an era when Italian composers tended to gravitate toward opera, the works of Giuseppe Martucci (1856-1909) are thoroughly marked by German Romanticism. The passionate dynamic surges and skillfully-honed contrapuntal writing characterizing the Second Trio’s opening movement are brilliantly cut from Brahmsian cloth, although the second movement’s obsessive rhythms and exciting harmonic clashes reveal a more playfully searching side of Martucci’s personality. I’m especially taken with the finale’s motoric accompaniment upon which seemingly innocent melodies take quirky twists and turns.

The First Trio’s Allegro adapts Brahms’ patented “three-against-two” phrase groupings, yet also contains a development section characterized by recitative-like solos. The Scherzo’s carefree interplay between musicians and rapid-fire pizzicato writing is nothing less than masterful.

Since the Mezzena-Bonucci’s 1996 recordings of both trios on the Dynamic label are not easily sourced, Trio Vega’s superb performances have no real competition. Their full-bodied yet carefully balanced interpretations take the specificity of the composer’s dynamic and expressive markings on faith, while leaving plenty of room for personal nuance, such as in cellist Orfilia Saiz Vega’s rich-toned solo work in both trios’ slow movements. One also should mention violinist Marc Paquin’s discreetly varied vibrato and Domenico Codispoti’s adroit handling of Martucci’s often demanding piano parts.

Naxos’ ample and detailed sonics may seem a bit dry and close-up for some tastes, but that’s not even a complaint. Fine annotations from Katy Hamilton provide welcome contextual information about the works and Martucci’s sadly brief yet productive musical life. Needless to say, Trio Vega’s splendid advocacy of these obscure yet unquestionably first-rate works warrants an enthusiastic recommendation.

– Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com

To make Mozart’s Piano Concertos K. 466 and K. 467 more accessible to the public, the 19th c. composer Ignaz Lachner left the piano parts untouched and made splendid string quartet transcriptions of the orchestra parts with added bass. These chamber versions of two of Mozart’s greatest and most popular concertos sound almost as natural as if Mozart had transcribed them himself. Admired for his musical intelligence, dynamic personality, artistic vision and innovative programming, the NY Times called out pianist Alon Goldstein’s “brilliance and imagination” following a recent live recital.

Although biographical details of his life remain sketchy, Luys Milán’s Libro de música de vihuela de mano intitulado El Maestro is certainly the oldest surviving printed collection of vihuela music. Tuned like the contemporary Renaissance lute, the Spanish vihuela is a guitar-shaped instrument and for it Milán wrote a series of compelling works including fantasias and pavans that maturely fused improvisatory and polyphonic elements. This recording presents all the solo vihuela pieces from the first book of El Maestro in the order in which they appear.

Musical transcription has a long and auspicious history, and Michele Mangani’s arrangements follow a tradition of recreating popular operatic tunes for small groups of oboes, clarinets, flutes and horns, supplemented on this recording by double bass. These works span some 77 years of Italian opera, from Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri to Puccini’s Tosca, taking in the verismo of Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana and the bel canto tragedy of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor on the way.

Conan the Barbarian is a 1982 adventure film, directed and co-written by John Milius. It was his intention to create an opera in the form of a film. Since the opera contains very little dialogue, he used the music to support the story line. The music composed by Basil Poledouris (1945-2006) conveys a sense of power and energy but also expresses many tender moments. The superb Glatter-G�tz/Rosales organ in Claremont, California was designed to inspire creativity and innovation, and Philipp Pelster's vision in making a complete film-score transcription especially for the unique possibilities of this instrument transforms the orchestral colors of the original to generate a completely new and richly rewarding musical experience.

Gordon Chin is one of Taiwan’s leading composers, and increasingly honored by commissions and performances from major ensembles in North America, Asia and Europe. Featuring an array of exotic Chinese percussion instruments, Symphony No. 3 ‘Taiwan’ is a dramatically powerful work cast in three movements that explore his native country’s turbulent history. Specific literary quotations from Shakespeare, Blaise Pascal and Samuel Johnson elucidate the expressive moods of the three-movement Cello Concerto No. 1.

Beethoven’s letters show an extensive and prolonged correspondence with Scottish publisher and keen amateur musician George Thomson, who made it his task to collect and publish folk song settings, commissioning the likes of Pleyel, Koželuch and Haydn. The Opp. 105 and 107 collections, written for piano with optional flute or violin parts, are filled with delightfully decorative but virtuoso writing. This recording offers versions with improvisation and ornamentation by flutist, conductor and former Rampal student Patrick Gallois, based on the performance practices of the early 18th c.