News from the Naxos Music Group
March 2020
Label of the Month – Ondine
Ondine record company was founded by Reijo Kiilunen in 1985 in Helsinki, where the company still has its headquarters today. Since then the label has created an extensive catalogue of over 600 high quality recordings, many of which have received distinguished awards, including Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine, GRAMMY and ICMA awards, to name a few.
Ondine’s rich catalogue is highlighted with fruitful associations with a number of remarkable contemporary composers including Kaija Saariaho, Magnus Lindberg, Aulis Sallinen, Peteris Vasks, Erkki-Sven Tüür, and the late Einojuhani Rautavaara. Also, the works of Sibelius are extensively represented together with thriving Nordic classical artists. Ondine’s impressive roster of classical artists include conductors Hannu Lintu, Christoph Eschenbach, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Leif Segerstam, Sakari Oramo, John Storgårds, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Jaime Martin, Olari Elts and Robert Trevino, orchestras such as the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, London Sinfonietta, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, NDR Sinfonieorchester, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki and Tampere Philharmonic Orchestras, Latvian Radio Choir, Estonian National Chamber Choir, singers Gerald Finley and Soile Isokoski, violinist Christian Tetzlaff, cellist Truls Mørk, and pianists Lars Vogt and Olli Mustonen.
Celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2020, Ondine continues to demonstrate great prowess in the creation, performance and preservation of recorded music.
NEW RELEASES
This album marks Peter Jablonski’s debut for the Ondine label. Alexander Scriabin (1872–1915) created an impressive catalogue of works for the piano and became one of the great innovators in 20th century music. In his early works, the listener can sense the composer’s great admiration for the art of Frédéric Chopin. This is especially manifested in the over 20 Mazurkas that Scriabin wrote for the solo piano, the very same form of music that Chopin followed throughout his active years as a composer. Jablonski's album includes all Scriabin's Mazurkas with an opus number as well as two early Mazurkas.
This first volume in a series dedicated to Paul Hindemith’s (1895–1963) chamber works includes the first three works in his Kammermusik series together with Kleine Kammermusik written for a wind quintet. This album continues a successful series of recordings of Hindemith’s music together with conductor Christoph Eschenbach. This series has earned him, among others, a GRAMMY award. These recordings of chamber music have been recorded with a group of young promising artists, including pianist Christopher Park and cellist Bruno Philippe who play the solo parts in the ‘Concertos’, Op. 36.
The second album in Lars Vogt’s Johannes Brahms concerto series with the Royal Northern Sinfonia includes Brahms’ 2nd Piano Concerto combined with a solo piano work, the Handel Variations Op. 24, which was dedicated to Clara Schumann by the composer.
This release by the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Modestas Pitrėnas includes the complete surviving symphonic oeuvre of the great Lithuanian composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875–1911) restored back into their original versions. Čiurlionis was conceptually ahead of his time and the uniqueness and aesthetic value of his compositions have been fully understood only during the last decades.
of the Month
Artist of the Month – Latvian Radio Choir
‘This chorus’s expertise in music pushes voices to extremes,
from ethereal high tones to uncannily sustained bass drones.’ – The New York Times
‘One of the world’s greatest choirs.’ – The Advertiser
The Latvian Radio Choir is a unique, award-winning ensemble of professional singers that offers its audiences an extraordinary variety of repertoire ranging from early music to the most sophisticated scores of contemporary compositions.
The choir has recorded a GRAMMY-winning album and is a repeat winner of the Great Music Award of Latvia (the highest national award for professional achievement in music) and has received the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers Award. The choir’s recording of Rachmaninov’s All-Night Vigil was praised by Gramophone as the best recording of February 2013 and ranked among the 25 best albums of the year by the American radio station NPR.
The Latvian Radio Choir has performed at many of the world’s most renowned concert halls including Concertgebouw and Muziekgebouw (the Netherlands), Elbphilharmonie (Germany), Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and Cité de la Musique-Philharmonie de Paris (France), Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Duke University Chapel and the Walt Disney Concert Hall (USA), Konzerthaus Berlin (Germany), the Library of Congress (USA), Queen Elizabeth Hall (UK) and the Dresden Frauenkirche (Germany).
The Latvian Radio Choir was founded in 1940 by the legendary Latvian conductor Teodors Kalniņš, who led the ensemble until his passing in 1962. Following the artistic direction by Edgars Račevskis (1963–86) and Juris Kļaviņš (1987–92), the choir has had two conductors ever since 1992 – artistic director and principal conductor Sigvards Kļava and conductor Kaspars Putniņš.
RECOMMENDED RECORDINGS
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Visit ondine.net to view the complete discography of the Latvian Radio Choir.
Celebrate Beethoven
Celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth
In celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birth year, we have curated a special Celebrate Beethoven playlist which is refreshed monthly according to various interesting themes based on his life, compositional periods, genre, and more. The tracks are sourced from the Naxos Complete Beethoven Edition, a new 90-disc boxed set also released to mark the anniversary year, hailed by the critics or being the most comprehensive set available.
This month we focus on his CONCERTOS.
The originality and emotional impact of Ludwig van Beethoven’s music is as evident in his concertos as it is in every other aspect of his monumental output. From stunning beauty to revolutionary intensity, this celebration of Beethoven’s 250th anniversary brings together some of the finest movements from his Piano Concertos, Violin Concerto, Triple Concerto and more, in acclaimed recordings from the Naxos catalogue.
Follow the Celebrate Beethoven playlist on your favourite streaming platform to discover a wide range of works from one of the most influential composers in the history of classical music.
Each month, we also have corresponding digital albums that you may download and enjoy again and again. Please click on the cover image to your left to download this month's release and remember to come back and visit our mini‑site each month for more amazing music!
NEW RELEASES
COMING SOON
Beethoven’s monumental contribution to Western classical music is celebrated here in this definitive collection marking the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Surveying the totality of his career and achievement, the Complete Edition spans orchestral, concerto, keyboard, chamber, music for the stage, choral and vocal works, encompassing his most familiar and iconic masterpieces, alongside rarities and recently reconstructed fragments and sketches in world premiere recordings.
Visit and bookmark the mini-site for this release, which will be regularly updated.
Check out DeepDiscount.com’s unboxing video of the Naxos Beethoven Complete Edition:
Naxos Music Library launches new version, NML3
Naxos is excited to announce the newest version of the renowned Naxos Music Library (NML3). First launched 17 years ago, NML has become a major listening library for public libraries, educational institutions and conservatories around the world. With this re-launch Naxos Music Library continues as leading educational resource, now with significant enhancements in design, content, search, and navigation. Naxos Music Library is currently used by thousands of institutions in more than 60 countries around the world.
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- Naxos Musicology International*: Our new Musicology section is a hub where users can publish articles on a range of musical repertoires, scholarly approaches and emerging trends within the music industry. Examples include essays on violin-playing, Verdi, Debussy and the politics of race; and opinion pieces on ‘The Future of Listening’ and perspectives from composers on their real and imagined musical journeys.
- LISTEN!*: This is a new aural training program that comprises over 900 exercises for both individual and group settings.
- Opera libretti and synopsis: Naxos Music Library has over 700! No other online library has anything close.
- Pronunciation Guides: Classical music has artists and composers from around the world. It also includes musical terms in many different languages. This unique guide will help you pronounce all these words.
- Composer and Artist Biographies: These allow listeners to learn more about the people who wrote and recorded the music.
- Music Dictionary and Work Analyses: These resources were written by specialists in the classical music education sector.
- Study Guides: This section supports the educational curriculum in Australia, Canada, Ireland, United States, and United Kingdom, as well as international exams such as IB and BTec.
- Junior Section: This section has been expanded and provides hours of interactive and listening materials for young listeners.
- Web Content Accessibility*: NML3 is conformed to WCAG 2.0 Level AA standard.
- Naxos Music Library now provides links to certain publishers and rental sources for easy access to the printed music, including all works published by Naxos Publishing and Artaria Editions - the critical editions of 18th century music.
DISCOVER THE NEW NML
Detailed tutorial videos guide users on the navigation of the site
and highlight all its new features and functions:
Visit nml3.naxosmusiclibrary.com and get a free 15-minute preview!
Gucci’s Fall/Winter show
Ravel’s Bolero kicked off Gucci’s Fall/Winter show
Gucci presented its women’s wear collection for autumn/winter 2020-21 at the Milan Fashion Week last month. The show took place on a spinning stage to the tune of Ravel’s Boléro. Check out the video below to hear the recording performed by Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra under Kenneth Jean.
Need to license some music for a project and don’t know where to start? Visit Naxos Licensing to find out how!
Die Walküre with a
star-studded cast
The Royal Opera presents Die Walküre with a star-studded cast
Antonio Pappano conducts an outstanding cast including Nina Stemme, John Lundgren, Sarah Connolly, Emily Magee, Stuart Skelton and Ain Anger in Keith Warner’s ‘outstanding staging’ (Evening Standard) of Die Walküre at the Royal Opera House.
Die Walküre is the second opera in Richard Wagner’s four-opera-cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. It is the most performed work in the cycle, loved and admired for its nuanced and intelligent exploration of complex family entanglements through music of astonishing emotive power. This includes the glorious music for the incestuous lovers Siegmund and Sieglinde, and Wotan’s passionate farewell to his beloved daughter Brünnhilde.
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![WAGNER, R.: Walküre (Die) [Opera] (Royal Opera House, 2018) (NTSC)](images/OA1308D.png "WAGNER, R.: Walküre (Die) [Opera] (Royal Opera House, 2018) (NTSC)")
‘From the very first notes, we knew we were in safe hands, with the pounding, driving cellos and basses and the soaring brass… With vocal performances at the very highest level, this was a Walküre to remember.’
– Bachtrack ★★★★★
‘With Die Walküre, in Keith Warner’s enthralling Covent Garden production of Wagner’s Ring, you can really sense the tectonic plates beginning to shift… Antonio Pappano continues to complement this outstanding staging with his wonderfully fluid conducting. The Ride of the Valkyries, here a boisterous brood, was for once visceral and thrilling.’
– The Evening Standard ★★★★
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| Siegmund | Stuart Skelton |
| Sieglinde | Emily Magee |
| Wotan | John Lundgren |
| Brünnhilde | Nina Stemme |
| Fricka | Sarah Connolly |
| Ortlinde | Lise Davidsen |
| Conductor | Antonio Pappano |
| Director | Keith Warner |
| Designer | Stefanos Lazaridis |
| Costumes | Marie-Jeanne Lecca |
Extra Features: Why The Royal Opera love performing Die Walküre; What it’s like performing The Ring Cycle with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; The musical secrets of Wagner’s Die Walküre; Cast Gallery
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.
solo guitar works
Mauro Giuliani’s solo guitar works
This album's programme features three works for solo guitar composed by Mauro Giuliani and performed by Christian El Khouri: Giulianate Op. 148, Choix de mes fleurs chéries Op. 46, and the Cavatina Bel raggio lusinghiero from Rossini’s Semiramide.
In his works Giuliani skilfully merged the legacy of the Italian 18th-century instrumental tradition with the achievements of the Viennese music culture. His works are in pure classical style, but with a grace and melodic spontaneity that are typically Italian.
The collection Choix de mes Fleurs chéries, ou Le Bouquet Emblématique Op. 46 was first published in 1814 with a dedication to Monsieur Jules Giraud. This work is recorded here for the first time by Christian El Khouri.
Christian El Khouri began to study guitar at a young age. After graduating from Milan’s Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory, he also earned a teacher’s diploma which led him to his current role of guitar professor at the Liceo Musicale P. Secco Suardo in Bergamo. He has achieved important successes as a soloist in several Italian and international competitions.
RECOMMENDED RECORDINGS FEATURING ITALIAN GUITAR MUSIC
– American Record Guide
The Passion of Yeshua
From the Recording Studio: Sharon Kam plays romantic clarinet concertos
Sharon Kam, one of the world’s leading clarinetists, continues her collaboration with ORFEO with a new album featuring romantic clarinet concertos by three composers – Carl Maria von Weber, Bernhard Henrik Crusell and Karol Kurpiński. She is joined by conductor Gregor Bühl and the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.
‘20 years after recording the Weber concerto with Kurt Masur, I see and feel this piece very differently. I now try to play it more lightly, more ‘Rossini-like’, than the heavier romantic approach I previously adopted’, she explains.
Together with Bernhard Henrik Crusell’s concerto (composed in the same year - 1811 - as Weber’s) and that by the Polish composer Karol Kurpiński, (which still remains unknown), this album is a diverse survey of early Romantic-era clarinet concertos.
March
Playlists for March
Looking for new music? Our selection of curated playlists has you covered with music to complement the season, moment, or activity! This month, relax with a calming collection of works in our Rainy Day Classical playlist, discover iconic opera works in Best of Opera, and celebrate the female trailblazers of classical music with unCLASSIFIED’s Women of Classical playlist and Grand Piano’s Women Composers playlist! Then, join us in celebrating Beethoven’s 250th anniversary with some of his best concertos. Happy listening!
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History Month!
Happy Women’s History Month!
Celebrating Women's History Month with our ever-growing reserve of recordings of fine music by brilliant female composers, both from our own discography and from the catalogues of our affiliated labels.
We are delighted to feature our incredibly talented women who compose, conduct, and perform classical music:
COMPOSERS
CONDUCTORS
PERFORMERS
violin
violin
viola
flute
piano
piano
piano/composer
piano
flute
violin
soprano
soprano
Listen to our Women Composers playlist, featuring works from Florence Price, Jennifer Higdon, Louise Farrenc, Ethel Smyth, Amy Beach, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Clara Schumann, Lili Boulanger, Joan Tower, and many more!
20th Century Foxtrots
During the inter-war period, in the cities of the West, a younger generation found ways to enjoy life in the form of dances such as shimmies, foxtrots, tangos and Charlestons: strong rhythms that became a symbol of a carefree and decadent era. The new jazz craze took hold everywhere, and Krenek’s opera Jonny spielt auf became an overnight sensation. The inter-war Zeitgeist in Vienna and the Czech lands is reflected in a programme full of première recordings – many of which were hits in their day – rich with fashionable dynamism, syncopation and joie de vivre.
Pianist Gottlieb Wallisch is a Steinway Artist and he has performed on stage at the world’s most prestigious concert halls and festivals: Carnegie Hall New York, Wigmore Hall in London, the Cologne Philharmonie, the Tonhalle Zurich, and the NCPA in Beijing, also the Ruhr Piano Festival, the Beethovenfest in Bonn, and the Festivals of Lucerne and Salzburg. Wallisch has recently interviewed by The New York Times and talked about this recording. Click here to read the online article.
OTHER RECORDINGS OF DANCE MUSIC FOR PIANO
– Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review
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– American Record Guide
– Records International
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