World premiere recordings of three new important choral works by American composers Richard Einhorn, Gilda Lyons and Joseph Turrin. The Musica Viva NY Choir and Orchestra make their Naxos debut with these recordings, conducted by their artistic director Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez.

Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake takes a special place in Ahronovitch's life. The conductor was just five years old when he visited a performance of the ballet at the Kirov Theater. He was so fascinated that he announced to his parents his decision to become a conductor himself. In the midst of the turmoil of war, he did indeed studied at the conservatory and graduated with honors in 1954. In the course of his career, he was chief conductor of the Gurzenich Orchestra (as successor of Gunther Wand) and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and also conducted numerous important orchestras around the world. On Swedish television, Ahronovitch once made the following statement that is so characteristic of him: "I was never the conductor of the orchestra, I was always a colleague, a friend and a partner." This humanistic approach combined with a laid-back unaffectedness and a self-evident demand for perfection characterized his conducting style. Tchaikovsky composed the Orchestral Suite No. 4, usually referred to as "Mozartiana", for the centenary of Don Giovanni: Four orchestrated movements based on original Mozart works, although none of them directly related to the well-known opera. Tchaikovsky ends with the variations KV 455, "Unser dummer Pobel meint", based on a theme by Christoph Willibald Gluck. In these 15 minutes, Yuri Ahronovitch shows how melancholy and cheerfulness, dark, earthy colors and shimmering, bright moments come together.

Learn more about the VOX Label, the Elite Recordings production team, and the reissuing of these classic Utah Symphony recordings on the Naxos Classical Spotlight Podcast!

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony is paired here with his ‘noisy festival piece’, the 1812 Overture. These Vox Audiophile Edition recordings were originally released in 1974 as quadraphonic LPs and also appeared in 2001 as part of a complete Tchaikovsky symphonic edition on the Vox label. The Elite Recordings for Vox are considered by audiophiles to be among the finest sounding examples of orchestral recordings.

REVIEW:

Abravanel brings a startlingly fresh and very American tone to the climaxes of the first movement. The string sound is well defined and powerful, and the brass playing in the return of the ‘fate motif’ of the second movement is exhilarating. In fact, the articulation of the opening is markedly more exacting than many other discs; more than anything, it is the intensity of the high points that give this recording such an energetic character. The companion piece, 1812 Overture, is performed with appropriate gusto here, but the real highlight of this disc is the impassioned string playing and vibrant conducting.

-- Classical Music Daily

Nominated for a GRAMMY® Award!

Karina Canellakis offers the first fruit of her exclusive Pentatone collaboration with a recording of Bartók’s 4 Orchestral Pieces and Concerto for Orchestra, together with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, of which she is the Chief Conductor. The 4 Orchestral Pieces have a strong affinity with the stage works Duke Bluebeard’s Castle and The Wooden Prince, conceived in the same period. The Concerto for Orchestra is one of Bartóks final works, full of folk tunes, and utterly colourful and virtuosic for all the instruments. As such, it’s an ideal piece to showcase the congeniality between the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and its star Chief Conductor. Internationally acclaimed for her emotionally charged performances, technical command and interpretive depth, Karina Canellakis has become one of the most in- demand conductors of her generation. She makes her Pentatone debut as Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra that returns to the label after its participation in Gordon Getty’s Beauty Comes Dancing (2018).

Learn more about the VOX Label, the Elite Recordings production team, and the reissuing of these classic Utah Symphony recordings on the Naxos Classical Spotlight Podcast!

Vox Audiophile Edition. Symphony No. 6 in B minor ‘Pathétique’ is the culmination of Tchaikovsky’s symphonic canon. The fantasy-overture after Shakespeare’s Hamlet is an insightful character study. These Vox recordings by the Utah Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maurice Abravanel were originally released in 1974 as quadraphonic LPs (QSVBX 5129 and QSVBX 5131) and also appeared in 2001 as part of a complete Tchaikovsky symphonic edition on the Vox label (CD5X 3603). The Elite Recordings for Vox by legendary producers Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz are considered by audiophiles to be among the finest sounding examples of orchestral recordings. Remastered in high definition from the original source tapes.

REVIEW:

Along with a convincing performance of the symphony, Maurice Abravanel delivers a Hamlet that is lively and entertaining, with plenty of drama and flair. This is simply a very good, straightforward, well-played, excellently recorded example of the conductor's way with this music.

-- Classical Candor

For the seventh volume in this collection devoted to Mozart by the younger generation of soloists, the award-winning Austrian pianist Aaron Pilsan records the concerto K.459 with the ORF Radio Symphonieorchester in Vienna. French horn player Nicolas Ramez records one of his favourite concertos, the first of Mozart's four horn concertos. Finally, the young flutist Diren Duran performs the Andante for flute and orchestra K.315 before accompanying the harpist Elisabeth Plank for the divine concerto for flute, harp and orchestra K.299. The Orpheum Foundation, which has been supporting young musicians for over thirty years, has teamed up with Alpha Classics for a series of recordings devoted to Mozart's concertos on all instruments. The best soloists of the younger generation have been selected under the artistic direction of Howard Griffiths, a renowned Mozart conductor who believes that playing his music is like "looking in a mirror: you hear whether everything is in place, musicality, intonation, rhythm, phrasing" …

Award-winning composer Gabriel Erkoreka (b. 1969) is one of the leading composers of contemporary music from the Iberian Peninsula. This new album by the Basque National Orchestra conducted by Juanjo Mena is dedicated to his orchestral works. Erkoreka studied composition with Michael Finnissy at the Royal Academy of Music in London and after graduating, his works have been performed in important festivals across the globe. In 2021 Gabriel Erkoreka received the National Music Award given by the Spanish Ministry of Culture.

This second volume of George Walker's piano music joins its predecessor on Naxos 8.559916 (April 2024), together forming a unique complete piano works edition. On this new release, Steinway Artist Alexandre Dossin performs the cyclical Fourth Piano Sonata, which alternates between sections of virtuoso muscularity and lyrical repose, and the Piano Concerto, which integrates expansive Classical forms with inspiration derived from songs by Duke Ellington, something also cleverly hidden in Guido's Hand. The album closes with Walker's passionate Fifth Piano Sonata.

REVIEW:

Dossin makes much of the alternately moody and energetic first movement of the Piano Sonata No. 4. His ability to grasp the long line of Walker’s music is a really big factor in one’s enjoyment of his performances. The pianist's ability to use “space” in his interpretations makes these performances fascinating and ultimately rewarding.

— Art Music Lounge

Benedict Kloeckner, one of the most remarkable cellists of his generation and winner of the OPUS Klassik 2021, is set to release a new album featuring the beloved Dvorak Cello Concerto. Recorded in collaboration with the SWR, accompanied by the Romanian Chamber Orchestra, which is led by conductor Cristian Macelaru. This album highlights Kloeckner's exceptional sense of melodic expressiveness and lesser known chamber works for cello and piano by Dvorak. The pieces for cello and piano by Dvorak, some of which are thematically connected to the concerto, showcase the deep musical synergy between Kloeckner and his accompanist, the acclaimed pianist Danae Dorken.

Concerto Copenhagen, the renowned baroque ensemble, is set to release their third album on Berlin Classics, featuring a fresh exploration of Haydn symphonies. The album highlights Haydn's Symphonies No. 47 "Palindrome," No. 44 "Trauer," and No. 43 "Merkur." Known for their innovative interpretations, Concerto Copenhagen brings a new spirit to these classical masterpieces. Haydn, who composed 140 symphonies throughout his life, played a pivotal role in shaping the classical music form and style, influencing giants like Mozart and Beethoven. This album promises to offer a captivating journey through Haydn's enduring legacy.

SWR Kultur New Talent is a promotion and support programme of the broadcasting corporation SWR aiming to help exceptional young talents launch their career through concerts, studio productions and media presence over a period of three years. The cellist Lionel Martin has been the 'New Talent' since 2021. In 2017 Anne-Sophie Mutter included him in her foundation of young, outstanding musicians. Since then they have performed together on numerous occasions and he toured with her and her scholarship holders throughout Europe, North and South America - where he performed not only in famous concert halls, but also for social projects in smaller locations. Following his CD debut in 2023 with repertoire by the British composer Tavener, Lionel Martin devotes the present album to Russian repertoire from the 19th and 20th centuries. All three composers on this album come from the same region, and all three struggled with their fate. Kabalevsky and Shostakovich were neighbors, they even lived in the same house for a while. Both dealt differently with the political regime - and the regime with them. Shostakovich was a thorn in the side of the Soviet power apparatus, and his music repeatedly and clearly criticizes those in power. Kabalevsky came to terms with the regime and even worked for it at times. Tchaikovsky also suffered from the conventions of his time and ultimately broke under the strain.

A great composer and his angelic singer: a history of crossed destinies. Marc'Antonio Orrigoni, one of the most famous castratos of his generation, rediscovered through an imaginary songbook collecting the arias composed for him by Alessandro Stradella. With Rome, Genoa, Modena, splendid opera theaters and magnificent palaces that form a gilded, glittering background. An incredible journey that will thrill you while rediscovering the hidden pages of the Golden Age of the Italian Seicento.

Learn more about the VOX Label, the Elite Recordings production team, and the reissuing of these classic Utah Symphony recordings on the Naxos Classical Spotlight Podcast!

Maurice Abravanel and the Utah Symphony Orchestra’s recordings of Tchaikovsky’s orchestral works, originally released on Vox in 1974, remain much admired to this day. These classic recordings of Symphony No. 4 and Romeo and Juliet make a welcome return to the catalogue, newly remastered in 192kHz / 24-bit high-definition.

REVIEWS:

These sonically remastered recordings are from Maurice Abravanel’s legendary Tchaikovsky Integrale. The remastering probably couldn’t make the violins sound much fuller and warmer, but the slight limitations as far as the Utah orchestra and the somewhat treble-emphasized recording, especially in the Fantasy Overture, can’t really detract from the quality of Abravanel’s delicate, spontaneous, elegant and tense interpretations. In the Fourth Symphony, Abravanel by no means overplays the darker side of the music, expressing fatum feelings as well as nostalgia.

-- Pizzicato

Although the Salt Lake Tabernacle was far from an ideal recording venue, its oval domed shape being highly reflective, the Elite Recordings team did their best to deaden the space. The end result is excellent, the orchestra sounding as though it is playing in a large hall, but nothing is blurred.

As for the performances, they are also excellent, Abravanel careful not to overplay the dramatic elements to the point where they start to sound hysterical. That is not to say the playing lacks energy, for it certainly does not. This is simply very good, straightforward, well-played, and excellently recorded Tchaikovsky. Good stuff.

-- Classical Candor (Karl Nehring)

“[Bach] speaks to us in his work in such clear terms that we may quite well call these fugues poems. (…) These have warmth, quiet joy, love. And running through all the poems, dressed in different guises, is the main theme, creating order, binding the work as a whole together: it is a safe bond in all its diversity. Over all lies the proximity of death.” (Enzio Forsblom)

In this new recording, Bach’s final magnum opus is played by Aapo Häkkinen on a harpsichord built in 1614 by Andreas Ruckers the Elder (1579–?1652) and which belonged to the composer John Blow (1649–1708), organist of Westminster Abbey and former teacher of Henry Purcell. A tradition exists that G.F. Handel had also played this harpsichord.

The repertoire for string trio is comparatively small, but in addition to the relevant works by Mozart, Beethoven, and Reger, it also contains surprising, newly discovered, and newly composed pieces. In the selection of pieces for the current recording, the Trio Lirico has looked off the beaten track with works by Eugène Ysaye, Ernst von Dohnányi, and Zoltán Kodály. The program is completed by a string trio by Péter Eötvös, a haunting memorial composition with a variety of different playing techniques and gestures of sound and expression.

Arnold Schoenberg, one of the most influential musical figures of the 20th century, was born in Vienna in 1874. Sony Classical is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the great composer’s birth with the reissue of 20 CDs of recordings from CBS/American Columbia. The company was a pioneer in documenting Schoenberg’s achievements and already demonstrated that commitment during his lifetime (he died in 1951). In 1940, with the composer conducting, Columbia Masterworks produced the first recording of one of his most captivating and revolutionary works, Pierrot lunaire; and in the 1950s and 60s, the label undertook a ground-breaking multi-volume series entitled “The Music of Arnold Schoenberg”. But arguably no recordings have done more to further the cause of Schoenberg’s orchestral and vocal works than those of Pierre Boulez, while none have done more to promote his chamber music than those by the Juilliard Quartet. Sony Classical now presents all of Boulez’s Schoenberg for CBS/Columbia in a 13-CD box, and all of the Juilliard’s in a 7-disc set.

BACH reconstructed - Neubrandenburg Concertos based on Bach's originals - On the trail of the wonder of Bach's music: resounding works of art such as the Brandenburg Concertos have awakened the ensemble's spirit of discovery. In order to better understand their inner architecture, their genius, ensemble member Christoph Harer has created baroque transcriptions from Bach's originals in exchange with solos and orchestra and combined them into three "Neubrandenburg Concertos". A harpsichord concerto thus becomes music for three competing string trios. Solo and chamber music are transformed into colorful concerto movements for different instrumentations. And a simple vanitas song is transformed into a dreamy string aria. In the process, la festa musicale reaches top form: solo parts are distributed across the whole orchestra, the concertos are carried by the virtuosity and imagination of many together. The creative play with the originals opens up new, unexpected perspectives on Bach's great music.

Click here to listen to the Naxos podcast interview with Paul Jacobs about this release.

This release features organ concertos by some of America's finest contemporary composers: Horatio Parker's 'imposing and brilliant' piece is heard alongside Christopher Rouse's concerto of contrasting light and dark sonorities, which is dedicated to album soloist Paul Jacobs, and Wayne Oquin's Resilience reflects the human capacity for tenacity and perseverance. The program ends with Ives' Variations on 'America' for solo organ.

Bernardini meets Dreyer: a distinguished period-instrument oboist explores the music of a little-known Florentine forebear. Domenico Dreyer was born in Florence in 1701 to an Italian mother and German father, at a time when Italy was experiencing a golden age for the oboe, led by technical innovations in the design of the instrument. The family was musical, but why he picked up the oboe is unknown, as is most of his early life. At any rate, these sonatas are preserved in manuscript form under his name - his only surviving music - and may have been published in 1727. What we do know is that Dreyer travelled with his brother, a singer and impresario, across Europe and as far as St Petersburg. In the early 1730s Dreyer was playing in Venice, where he most likely met Vivaldi, and a musical link between the two men is illustrated by these six appealing sonatas. At any rate, Bernadini is drawn to these sonatas, as he explains in a booklet introduction, 'because they combine ornamented and very expressive slow movements with fast movements of great virtuosity, using the possibilities of the two-key oboe to the extreme.' Bernadini draws out various thematic correspondences between particular movements of the sonatas and various parts of Vivaldi's output, while observing a more general Vivaldian flavour to the writing. We might know more but for Dreyer's sudden and unexplained death at the age of 34, 'due to an unfortunate event,' according to the best historical record available. The sonatas may be enjoyed on their own terms, however, as stylish examples of Italian Baroque chamber writing at it's zenith. They are performed here by Bernadini on a copy of a 1730 instrument by Giovanni Maria Anciuti (1674-1744), the most important Italian wind instrument maker of the time. Not only is this the closest available instrument to Dreyer's sonatas in terms of place and date, but it is also one of the few 18th-century oboes to feature the low C sharp, which Dreyer notates at the end of the Fourth Sonata. He is joined by a quartet of fellow Italian period- instrument specialists, who supply a richly varied continuo section. - Domenico Maria Dreyer (ca. 1680 - ca. 1740) was the son of the German tenor Johann Conrad Dreyer, born and raised in Florence. His life was closely linked to that of his younger brother Giovanni Filippo Dreyer, a castrato, impresario and opera composer. The brothers worked for a long time at the courts of Moscow and St. Petersburg and later in Italy. - Six oboe sonatas and two recorder sonatas have survived from his oeuvre. The oboe sonatas are of great musical beauty and stylistically belong to the Venetian High Baroque period of his contemporary Antonio Vivaldi. It is assumed that they were composed around 1725. - Each sonata typically follows a four-movement structure, alternating between slow, lyrical passages and lively, dance-like sections. This format allows for a rich exploration of the oboe's tonal capabilities, from it's warm, mellow low registers to it's bright, penetrating highs. Dreyer's sonatas often feature elaborate ornamentation and intricate melodic lines, demanding both technical proficiency and expressive nuance from the performer. - Played by the famous Italian oboist Alfredo Bernardini (founder of the Zefiro Ensemble) and a continuo group consisting of cello, archlute and harpsichord/organ.

This new album by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and its chief conductor Nicholas Collon features some of the most recent orchestral compositions by Magnus Lindberg culminating with his new Viola Concerto, a substantial new work masterfully performed by Lawrence Power as soloist.

Composer Magnus Lindberg (b. 1958) is one of Europe's leading names in contemporary music. Having traveled a long road as a composer, from the steely and edgy modernism of his early period to the soft and sonorous sound worlds of his most recent output, Lindberg's new, more emollient sound world building on a harmonic environment rooted in pentatonic scales at times seem to hark back even to Debussy and Impressionism.

Having dedicated his first two albums for Arcana to Johann Sebastian Bach (Little Books, A480) and Georg Friedrich Handel (Winged Hands, A499), Francesco Corti turns to Domenico Scarlatti, the third great keyboardist of the 1685 generation. For this recording, he selected a group of sonatas copied in the years 1752 and 1753, strictly organised in pairs. Concentrating on works from the same period, it showcases the composer's extraordinary ability to stretch the boundaries of the sonata form and to extensively elaborate his thematic material. Instrumental virtuosity and an experimental approach to the harpsichord sound go hand in hand with an astonishing formal freedom, combined with a playful sense of structure and expectation. Corti has chosen to perform these sonatas on a Humeau harpsichord, a copy of Italian models (courtesy of Bertrand Cuiller), and record them at the Royaumont Abbey.

William Walton and Edwin York Bowen are among the composers who were hardly able to achieve a lasting international breakthrough. The viola also has a similar role to play. It's qualities were simply ignored by many composers, and the solo and concert repertoire for this instrument is correspondingly small. It is thanks to the English violist Lionel Tertis who was famous at the time that Bowen and Walton wrote the concertos featured on this album. The result is an important addition not only to the viola repertoire, but also for all lovers of classical music. The violist Diyang Mei, first principal violist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, has been steadily advancing his international career since his brilliant success at the coveted ARD International Music Competition in 2018. He has already performed as a soloist with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Munich Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie as well as at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, the Schwetzingen SWR Festival, the Black Forest Music Festival and the Mozart Festival in Wurzburg. His conductor is none other than Brett Dean, who enjoys an international reputation as a violist, composer and conductor.

Foreign Masters, an album that celebrates the profound influence of immigrant composers on 18th-century London, transforming it into the cultural capital of the world, is set to release this September. This collection features exquisite music for recorder and harpsichord, showcasing the brilliance of composers who brought their European heritage to London. Performed by Max Volbers, a prizewinner of the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb and one of the most versatile young musicians in early music today, the album promises to captivate listeners with it's artistry and historical depth. Immerse yourself in the works of legendary composers such as Georg Friedrich Handel, Arcangelo Corelli, Giuseppe Sammartini, James Paisible, Giovanni Carbonelli, Giuseppe Alberti, Johann Pepusch, and more. Each piece is a testament to the rich, multicultural tapestry that shaped London's musical landscape.

This recording presents the entire output to date for guitar of Toshio Hosokawa, one of Japan's most prolific composers for the instrument. His affinity for the guitar stems from his familiarity with popular songs accompanied by the guitar and from his knowledge of the koto, a traditional Japanese instrument from which he has adopted certain playing techniques. Although the works gathered here call for a variety of forces - guitar solo, guitar and voice, guitar and instrumental ensemble - they all present a fundamental aspect of Toshio Hosokawa's output: the music seems to be born like a calligraphic line 'at the limit of time and space'. Here, the guitar is no longer just an instrument familiar to both classical and popular music: in Hosokawa's works it is a medium that transmits the primordial motion of the soul, which has woven poems and songs since ancient times. Familiar with Hosokawa's world, guitarist Jacob Kellermann, together with Christian Karlsen (with whom he has already recorded works by Toru Takemitsu on BIS-2655), the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and soprano Ilse Eerens, presents a soundscape on the edge of dreams, both seductive and subtle, modern and timeless.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the internationally acclaimed German Brass ensemble, the album "Overtures" is set to release this September. This milestone collection features a captivating program of opera overtures, showcasing the ensemble's extraordinary talent and versatility. Listeners will be treated to stunning renditions of Verdi's "Nabucco," Mozart's "Le nozze di Figaro," Shostakovich's "Festive Overture," and many more timeless masterpieces. Each performance captures the grandeur and emotion of these beloved works, brought to life by the ensemble's impeccable artistry. In recognition of their outstanding contributions to classical music, German Brass was awarded the prestigious ECHO-KLASSIK in 2016. To mark their 50th anniversary, the ensemble will embark on a special anniversary tour in 2024, bringing their celebrated performances to audiences around the world.