This third volume of the first complete recording of the Guerra Manuscript, a recently discovered anthology of seventeenth-century Spanish secular songs, features tonos, works for solo voice and accompanying instruments, by some of the greatest Spanish composers of that time such as Juan Hidalgo and José Marín. + These are framed by instrumental works by other composers of the period to set them in a richer context.

Since ancient times, many cultures have made their homes on the South American continent and have brought with them their customs, religions and their music. It is thought that when the Spanish conquistadors came to the Americas in the early 1600s, they arrived with many unfamiliar musical instruments including an ancestor of the modern guitar. 400 years later we still see the influence of the guitar's roots in the contemporary music of composers from Brazil, Chile and Argentina. Whether influenced by native folk music or simply the cultural diversity of the region, the music included in this boxed set will surely convey the flavor that can only be expressed by the Latin guitar.

This fascinating and wide-ranging program of 20th century works for clarinet and piano begins with the jazz and folk-inspired Two Dances for Andrew Simon by the Romanian composer Serban Nichifor, followed by a selection of works by Joseph Horovitz with whom both artists worked closely prior to this recording. Based on folk-songs from Northern Poland, Lutoslawski's Dance Preludes are the composer's official 'farewell to folklore for an indefinite period,' and the recital concludes with Arnold Cooke's Hindemith-inspired Sonata and Malcolm Arnold's accessible and light-hearted Sonatina.

Frederico de Freitas was one of Portugal's most prolific composers, whose highly successful ballets are inspired by local folklore and romance. The Silly Girl's Dance is a work of exuberant musical vitality about a timid village girl who turns out to be the loveliest of them all. The Wall of Love describes innocent amorous encounters, the Medieval Suite conjures 'the fragrance of medieval Portuguese poetry', while dances, songs and 'fiestas' are evoked in the lively Ribatejo.

Gottlieb Muffat, youngest son of composer and Kapellmeister Georg Muffat, was a keyboard virtuoso whose career was based around the Viennese Imperial Court. Muffat, with his own elegantly ornamented style, absorbing influences from Germany, France and Italy, is remembered as a composer from whom Handel borrowed extensively- a common practice of the period. These premiere recordings represent the remarkable rediscovery of manuscripts sequestered and dispersed after the Second World War. Naoko Akutagawa's previous recordings from Muffat's Componimenti musicali were described by MusicWeb International as 'galvanically virtuosic.' Naoko Akutagawa was born in Hiroshima in 1974, and began playing piano at the age of three. At 16 she switched to the harpsichord, studying first at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, and then at the Hochschule fur Musik Wurzburg, Germany, as a student of Glen Wilson. Her recordings have been broadcast by the BBC and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The request for Haydn to write The Seven Last Words came from a priest in Cádiz to mark Good Friday. + Setting the words of Christ gave Haydn the basis for the construction of seven slow and meditative movements to be played by the orchestra as the Bishop descended from the pulpit to pray. + The following year Haydn arranged the work for string quartet and a version for keyboard was prepared. + To this version, which he did not prepare himself, Haydn gave his wholehearted approval noting that it was ‘very good and made with particular care’. + Hungarian pianist and Liszt Academy, Budapest professor Jenő Jandó has recorded for Naxos all the piano concertos and sonatas of Mozart. + Other recordings for the label include the concertos of Grieg and Schumann as well as Rachmaninov’s Second Concerto and Paganini Rhapsody and the complete piano sonatas of Haydn and Beethoven. + He has performed and recorded a wide repertoire of chamber music, in addition to his recording of the complete piano music of Bartók.

Ana Sokolovic is one of Canada’s leading composers. Her works are wide-ranging, successful, and highly awarded. This recording features on some of her more humorous and poetic works, including Vez (2005), Portrait parle (2006), and Mesh (2004), among others. Three of the works on this release are receiving there world premiere recordings here. Ensemble Transmission is the performing ensemble on this album, and the group produces a dazzling performance.

Art and Music: Masters of the Modern Age, Vol. 1 Description CD with full-color, illustrated, explanatory booklet. Edgar Degas (1834-1917) is remembered as the painter of ballet dancers, but the scope of his genius ranged widely. An acute and witty observer, he depicted his native Paris in it's many diverse aspects, often hinting at a social isolation and unease hidden beneath the colorful surface. On this CD, the world of Degas is given a musical perspective with a carefully chosen selection of pieces by the finest composers of his time. Inside, Hugh Griffith provides explanatory notes on his life and musical environment Disc Two Description Paul C�zanne (1839-1906) received almost no recognition until the last years of his life, but is now widely regarded as one of the key figures in the development of modern art. His structural use of color was the starting point for the Fauve painters; his strongly geometric approach to composition led directly to Cubism. On this CD, the world of C�zanne is given a musical perspective with a carefully chosen selection of pieces by the finest composers of his time. Inside, Hugh Griffith provides explanatory notes on his life and musical environment. Disk Three Description During the past 20 years, Arvo P�rt has consolidated his reputation as one of the most significant contemporary composers with a sequence of magnificent sacred choral works. Dating from between 1990 and 2001, the works on this recording exemplify P�rt's mature idiom at it's most harmonically expressive. If Triodion represents his music at it's starkest and most unadorned, Kanon Pokajanen, the composer's largest work after the 1982 St John Passion (Naxos 8.555860), is music of a dark-hued and intensely felt contemplation. P�rt's emotionally-charged Bogor�ditse Dj�vo, is a vibrant tribute to the Virgin Mary. The Elora Festival Singers' recording of P�rt's Berliner Messe can be heard on Naxos 8.557299.

Drawing inspiration from Bach'sChorales and Two Part Inventions andtwo of Schumann's piano cycles, theworks on this recording create fresh andunique sound worlds from a variety ofpercussion and keyboard instrumentssuch as tubular bells, crotales, preparedpiano, celesta and toy piano. "The fivesolo and chamber works collected herespan a period of seven years, from 2006to 2013, and illustrate the significance ofkeyboard and percussion instruments inmy music throughout this period. Theenigmatic reference to 'JSB' (JohannSebastian Bach) and 'RS' (RobertSchumann) underlines the importanceof pre-existent music or 'sourcematerial' in most of my works since themid-1990s." - Chris Paul Harman

My musical passions have always been the Classics and the orchestra and, therefore, to become both a composer and a conductor was a natural progression. However, intrigued by the sounds of the avant-garde, I adhered to the twelve-tone system and then to the Darmstadt school, until I realized that both had led me away from my musical origins, and to a dead end. All the works on this recording, written after I had 'outgrown' my experimental period, are intended, therefore, to address the widest possible audience.' - Alvaro Cassuto.

An English aristocrat with a mixed heritage, Georges Onslow was highly regarded for his musical talents during his lifetime, being praised by Berlioz and Schumann and becoming known as the "French Beethoven". Onslow composed 34 string quintets at a time when the string quartet was dominant and his discovery of the double bass to replace the second cello was transformative. Challenging notions of stringed instruments as being merely lyrical in character, these quintets are striking for their contrasts of warm expressiveness and great dramatic intensity. They are true hidden gems to rival the great composers of chamber music in this era.

Highly respected as an educator, Jacques Hétu was also one of the most frequently performed of all contemporary Canadian composers. His earlier hallmarks of polytonality and harmonic tension were rooted in European influences, and as his work matured it became increasingly lyrical and virtuosic. The First String Quartet sees Hétu’s emerging style combine 20th-century techniques with a neo-romantic harmonic language, while the more personal Second Quartet concludes with a hauntingly beautiful Andante in memory of the composer’s mother. The lyrical Sérénade evokes the tranquility of a starry summer’s night. Hétu’s witty Adagio and Rondo was his first foray into string quartet writing, while the masterful Sextet was his final chamber work for strings.

Opera dominated Italian domestic music-making and eclipsed instrumental writing, which often had to draw on operatic models in the shape of virtuosic paraphrases. The renewal of Italian orchestral and chamber music in the twentieth century, however, led to vibrant native schools of composition, not least for the clarinet. Some composers, such as Giuseppe Ruggiero and Nino Rota, acted as bridges between the past and the present, while others invented new 'effects' and sounds, such as those of Bruno Bettinelli in his Studio da concerto. Berio's Lied reworks and simplifies some of the technical innovations to be found in Sequenza IXa, also written for the clarinet (Naxos 8.557661-63).

J. S. Bach was one of the most renowned keyboardists of his day, and he left a rich legacy of music for harpsichord originally intended for instruction and 'spiritual refreshment'. This recording of mostly lesser-known works includes several early examples which afford fascinating insights into the young composer's experimentation with counterpoint, harmony and form. They are all compelling, emotionally powerful works in their own right, with virtuoso content and an expressive range that easily matches that of Bach's more famous keyboard pieces.

Modern Choral Masters Box set. Disc One Description Modern Choral Masters Box set. Disc One Description Morten Lauridsen is America's preeminent composer of choral music. Characterized by long, arching and highly expressive lines, his works are enjoyed by performers and audiences worldwide. O nata lux, perhaps Lauridsen's most popular work, is a serene evocation of heavenly light, while the searingly intense and technically demanding Madrigali inhabit a more feverish and earthy realm. The refined Les Chansons des Roses employ a design reminiscent of the formal gardens, filled with roses, found in the grounds of the great French ch�teaux. The unforgettable final movement is the now-famous Dirait-on. The Mid-Winter Songs for chorus and piano are a stunning example of compositional virtuosity. O magnum mysterium, for a cappella chorus, is a setting of a Christmas text that has inspired composers from Victoria to Poulenc. Disc Two Description Eric Whitacre's dedication to the beauty of sound, paired with exquisite texts, results in a poetic combination that creates a unique sonic experience. These works are existential choral moments, beautifully crafted, and harmonized to express a compressed moment in time. Such sublime sonorities transcend descriptions such as 'warm', 'glistening' or 'shimmering', although these features of his choral works do suggest affinities with the sound worlds of Arvo P�rt or John Tavener, for instance. However, Whitacre's fluid lines and blossoming harmonies give his music it's own highly personal and irresistible magic. Disk Three Description During the past 20 years, Arvo P�rt has consolidated his reputation as one of the most significant contemporary composers with a sequence of magnificent sacred choral works. Dating from between 1990 and 2001, the works on this recording exemplify P�rt's mature idiom at it's most harmonically expressive. If Triodion represents his music at it's starkest and most unadorned, Kanon Pokajanen, the composer's largest work after the 1982 St John Passion (Naxos 8.555860), is music of a dark-hued and intensely felt contemplation. P�rt's emotionally-charged Bogor�ditse Dj�vo, is a vibrant tribute to the Virgin Mary. The Elora Festival Singers' recording of P�rt's Berliner Messe.