News from the Naxos Music Group
October 2018
Label of the Month – SWR Classic
SWR Classic is the label of the Southwest German Broadcasting Company (SWR) that releases recordings of its internationally renowned orchestras and ensembles, including outstanding archive recordings, in cooperation with Naxos Germany. Now in its 18th year, SWR Classic is a well-established label in the market, with numerous awards and prizes attesting to its success. The SWR is the only German public radio network that presents the activities of its orchestras and ensembles in the form of a permanent documentation on CD.
RECENT RELEASES
“SWR CENTURY CLASSICS” SERIES
SWR Century Classics is the new series of previously out-of-print SWRmusic bestsellers, which are now re-released with new artwork design. Acclaimed SWR recordings with Sir Roger Norrington, Sylvain Cambreling, Ernest Bour and others are now available again – at a competitive price.
an overnight performance
with Nicolas Horvath
Marathon Erik Satie – an overnight performance with Nicolas Horvath
The pianist Nicolas Horvath embarked on a new challenge at the Philharmonie de Paris when he performed Erik Satie's complete piano works in an overnight 8-hour concert from October 6 to 7. This is the second time he has performed at Nuit Blanche, an annual all-night or night-time arts festival in Paris, two years after his memorable performance of piano works by Philip Glass in 2016.
Nicolas Horvath has in recent years become one of the most sought-after pianists of his generation. He holds a number of awards, including First Prize of the Scriabin and the Luigi Nono International Competitions, and is a Steinway artist. His ongoing cycle of Erik Satie’s complete piano works, using the new Salabert edition, with revisions based on Satie’s original manuscripts and performed on an 1881 Erard piano – Satie’s instrument of choice – gives an authentic and exciting rendering of Satie’s music and has been highly acclaimed by critics and listeners alike.
The concert has been recorded live. You may visit here to watch the complete performance online!
NICOLAS HORVATH’S RECORDINGS OF PIANO WORKS BY ERIK SATIE
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– American Record Guide
– Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review
Don’t forget to follow the “Best of Nicholas Horvath” playlist on Spotify, featuring works of Philip Glass, Erik Satie and Jaan Rääts.
for Naxos Music Group
5 Opus Klassik Awards for Naxos Music Group
The first OPUS KLASSIK awards ceremony was held on October 14 in the Konzerthaus Berlin. Organised by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI), the annual awards were previously known as ECHO KLASSIK. Naxos and its affiliated label Capriccio were delighted to be among the winners and to receive five awards.
The Naxos label received two awards: Marin Alsop’s recording of Bernstein’s Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 (8.559790) with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra was named Best Symphonic Recording (20th century); and Boris Giltburg’s performance of Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto (8.573629) with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Carlos Miguel Prieto received the Best Solo Performance (20th century) award.
The Capriccio label distinguished itself with three citations: Cornelius Meister was named Conductor of the Year for his recordings of the complete Martinů symphonies (C5320); the award for Best Concert Recording (20th century) went to a programme of music by George Antheil (C5309) featuring the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, conductor Karl-Heinz Steffens and piano soloist Frank Dupree; and the label’s release of Braunfels’ opera Ulenspiegel (C9006) was named Best World Premiere recording.
![BRAUNFELS, W.: Ulenspiegel [Opera] (EntArteOpera, 2014) (NTSC)](https://www.naxos.com/SharedFiles/images/cds/others/C9006.gif "BRAUNFELS, W.: Ulenspiegel [Opera] (EntArteOpera, 2014) (NTSC)")
Latin GRAMMY® nomination for Brouwer/Bellinati recording
The Latin Recording Academy® has announced the nominees for the 19th Annual Latin GRAMMY® Awards. The awards comprise 49 categories and Naxos has received a nomination for Best Classical Album for the world premiere recording of two concertos by Leo Brouwer and Paulo Bellinati, performed by the Brasil Guitar Duo and Delaware Symphony Orchestra under David Amado.
“The Brasil Guitar Duo is the perfect ensemble for these works… They are certainly among the finest guitar duos currently performing—absolute virtuosity, perfection of ensemble, a broad range of timbre and dynamics, and exquisite taste.”
– American Record Guide
The winners of the 19th Annual Latin GRAMMY® Awards will be announced at a ceremony in Las Vegas on November 15. The telecast will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on the Univision Network from 8–11 p.m. ET (5–8 p.m. PT).
BRASIL GUITAR DUO’S RECORDINGS ON NAXOS
– Fanfare
– Audiophile Audition
– MusicWeb International
Discover these fantastic playlists, featuring virtuosic guitar works and important contributions of some of the most notable figures in classical music from Brazil and Latin America!
Rautavaara 90th Anniversary Edition
Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928–2016), one of Finland’s most successful composers and one of the major voices of our time, would have turned 90 on October 9, 2018. During his long career as a composer that spanned seven decades, from the late 1940s until his very last days, the composer created an extensive list of works in various genres, including eight symphonies, several concertos and operas as well as a large amount of vocal and chamber music. The majority of them have been recorded by Ondine; the label played a key role in bringing the composer to international attention during the 1990s.
“[Rautavaara] never imitates, never tries to be deliberately original […] Combined with a very high level of professionalism, these qualities contribute to one of the most eloquent musical expressions of our time.”
– Vladimir Ashkenazy
Einojuhani Rautavaara 90th Anniversary Edition
This anniversary release includes a re-issue of his eighth Symphony, written for the centenary of the Philadelphia Orchestra, his Harp Concerto, written for the Minnesota Orchestra, and a sampler selection from Ondine’s extensive Rautavaara discography.
HIGHLIGHTED RELEASES
– Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review
– MusicWeb International
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★★★★★
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For more recordings featuring works by Einojuhani Rautavaara, please visit www.ondine.net.
Check out the following playlists and discover a collection of music from Nordic composers and performers. Don’t forget to add them to your library!
Teatro Real’s breathtaking production
Britten’s Death in Venice – Teatro Real’s breathtaking production
Adapted from Thomas Mann’s 1912 novella, Death in Venice was Benjamin Britten’s last opera, the composer insisting on its completion while delaying badly needed heart surgery. The starkly simple narrative of a famous but failing novelist travelling to Venice to seek inspiration only to find unhealthy infatuation and deadly cholera, is given a chamber-like precision and clarity through Britten’s score, becoming a haunting drama filled with musical symbols, disquieting mystery and richly evocative atmospheres of Venice and its strange characters.
![BRITTEN, B.: Death in Venice [Opera] (Teatro Real, 2014) (NTSC)](images/2.110577.png "BRITTEN, B.: Death in Venice [Opera] (Teatro Real, 2014) (NTSC)")
The stylised production by the prominent director Willy Decker, renowned for the Salzburg Festival staging of La Traviata with Anna Netrebko, features one of Europe’s most versatile tenors John Daszak in his critically acclaimed performance in the role of Gustav von Aschenbach. The Teatro Real Orchestra performs under the baton of Alejo Pérez, one of the most promising conductors of the younger generation. Willy Decker’s Teatro Real production was described as ‘one of his most brilliant stage works… a remarkable technical feat.’ (bachtrack.com)
Also available in Blu-ray (NBD0076V)
More full-length videos? NaxosVideoLibrary.com brings you an extensive streaming video library of classical music performances, opera, ballet, live concerts and documentaries. Watch the world's greatest opera houses, ballet companies, orchestras and artists perform on demand! NaxosVideoLibrary.com offers over 2,800 full-length videos, accessible anytime, anywhere.
First Man
“That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling team up once more for Universal Pictures’ First Man, the riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961-1969. Keep an ear out for Léo Delibes’ Sylvia, that helps make the film sound out of this world.
Need to license some music for a project and don’t know where to start? Visit Naxos Licensing to find out how!
at the German
reunification celebrations
Daniel Müller-Schott at the German reunification celebrations
October 3 marked the anniversary of German reunification. German cellist Daniel Müller-Schott performed at the closing ceremony of this year's celebrations for the event, held at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. Commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall, he performed excerpts from Bach’s Cello Suite No. 2 – the same music that was played by his mentor, Mstislav Rostropovich, at Checkpoint Charlie back in 1989.
Daniel Müller-Schott wrote: “‘Playing Bach for about 500,000 people at the Brandenburg Gate was a tremendous honour and joy – another reminder, that the fall of the Wall and the liberation from it should always be seen in our consciousness as a by no means self-evident state of society. We can only be grateful for the democratic development in the past 30 years. I was also honouring my teacher, the great Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, who came to play exactly those pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach right at the Berlin wall back in November 1989. Thank you, dear Slava!”
NOTABLE RELEASES FEATURING DANIEL MÜLLER-SCHOTT
Daniel Müller-Schott’s new album revolves around Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations. The artist brings home to us how the Rococo Variations depict Tchaikovsky’s love of Mozart and his “modern”, nobly historical awareness of past times – along with his own intensive emotionalism. He also presents Tchaikovsky’s three-part Souvenir d’un lieu cher, a work rarely heard in its original version for violin, now transposed to the cello by the soloist. The work was previously orchestrated by Glazunov.
It is already more than a quarter of a century since Daniel Müller-Schott won first prize in the Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians, which marked the commencement of his sustained, international career.
– The Strad
– The Classical Reviewer
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For more Daniel Müller-Schott’s recordings, please visit www.orfeomusic.de.
playing with great delicacy
Karin Hammar’s virtuosic playing with great delicacy
Stockholm based trombonist Karin Hammar recently released her new album Circles, two years after the issue of her widely acclaimed album Imprints.
Hammar is again joined by her group Karin Hammar Fab 4 in eight new compositions and a personal slant on Nina Simone’s Four Women.
The new works draw inspiration from diverse sources, including Brazil, Morocco, her daughter Ella, and fellow musician Hildegunn Öiseth. The title track was written in a small room backstage at Sweden's Malmö Arena prior to a show with Swedish pop star Orup.
The Karin Hammar Fab 4 line-up includes some of the Sweden’s finest jazz players: Niklas Fernqvist on bass, Fredrik Rundqvist on drums and new member, guitarist, Andreas Hourdakis who brings a new form, shape, and level to the group’s sound.
Karin Hammar is widely regarded as one of Sweden’s foremost trombone players, having produced four solo studio albums and many collaborations since her debut in the nineties. She has received numerous awards in Sweden, including a prize from the Alice Babs Foundation.
RECENT RELEASES ON PROPHONE
by Franz Schreker
Bold as Brass – Septura transforms British music
Septura head homeward, with a recording of British music from the first half of the 20th century – a golden age in England’s otherwise chequered compositional history, and a period in which brass instruments, in the form of the brass band, established their place at the very heart of British musical culture. From the many composers of the period whose music endures we have chosen four of the finest: iconic works by Elgar, Parry, Finzi and Walton, reimagined for the unique sound of the brass septet.
“As an English group we have always intended to champion the music of our homeland, and from the first half of the 20th century – a golden age for English composers – there is a plethora of incredible pieces. This repertoire is not without its challenges – the Walton Sonata for Springs in particular is probably the most technically demanding piece we have ever played. But each of the composers has such a unique compositional voice, and their music seems to translate so perfectly for brass. We grew up with this music, it feels so innate; and so immersing ourselves in these new brass transcriptions was a truly wonderful experience.” – Septura
For more details about this recording, you may click here to read an interview with Septura’s two artistic directors, Simon Cox and Matthew Knight.
“MUSIC FOR BRASS SEPTET” SERIES
for October
Playlists for October
October is upon us and with the new month comes a fresh batch of great classical music playlists for you to explore. Enjoy autumnal moods in our Music for a New Season: Autumn. Feel the cool, northern ambiance of Grand Piano’s selection of rare keyboard pieces in Nordic Piano. Introduce your little ones to the wonderful world of classical music with our Classical for Kids playlist. Last but not least, dig out your scary costumes and turn up unCLASSIFIED’s Spooky Music for Halloween! Save and stream these playlists today.
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the Month
Anderson & Roe
Artists of the Month – Anderson & Roe, piano duo
Known for their adrenalized performances, original compositions, and notorious music videos, Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe are revolutionising the piano duo experience for the 21st century. Described as “the most dynamic duo of this generation” (San Francisco Classical Voice), “rock stars of the classical music world” (Miami Herald), and “the very model of complete 21st-century musicians” (The Washington Post), the Anderson & Roe piano duo aims to make classical music a relevant and powerful force around the world. Their albums on the Steinway Label (When Words Fade, An Amadeus Affair, and The Art of Bach) were released to critical acclaim and have spent dozens of weeks at the top of the Billboard Classical Charts, while their Emmy-nominated, self-produced music videos have been viewed by millions on YouTube and at international film festivals.
Since forming their dynamic musical partnership in 2002 as students at The Juilliard School, Anderson & Roe have toured extensively worldwide as recitalists and orchestral soloists; they have also given presentations at numerous international leader symposiums, and appeared on MTV, PBS, NPR and the BBC. A live performance by Anderson & Roe was picked to appear on the Sounds of Juilliard CD celebrating the school’s centenary. Highlights of the 2017/18 season include concerts throughout North America (including their Kennedy Center debut), Europe, Asia and New Zealand; concerto appearances with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony and Rochester Philharmonic; the release of their latest album, Mother Muse; and webcast hosting for the 15th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
This album features musical compositions that pay tribute to the diverse aspects of motherhood, from the sacred (Ave Maria) to the saucy (Mrs. Robinson) and everything in between.
“Their advanced understanding of structure and form in everything imaginable from fugues to gospel blues reveals their deep respect for the material as well as a womb of pure genius in which their arrangements are conceived.” – The WholeNote
Subscribe to Anderson & Roe’s YouTube channel for more amazing videos.
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