NEWS FROM THE NAXOS MUSIC GROUP
March 2021
Label of the Month: Proprius
The Swedish audiophile label Proprius has been known for its fantastic sound recordings ever since it was founded. One of the label's best-known discs, Cantate Domino, was recorded by the legendary sound engineer Bertil Alving. Cantate Domino is now released as a Super Audio CD, so the sound quality has been further improved.
In an advertisement for the Proprius label a few years ago, the label’s founder and former owner Jacob Boëthius wrote: "A small record company can’t afford to put out bad discs. And you, the music lover, must be confident that what you buy is good.” Quality in every aspect has been the hallmark of Proprius for over 30 years, and will continue to be so as we guide this illustrious label into the third millennium.
At Proprius you will also find an exclusive edition of J.S. Bach's most important sacred works, such as The St Matthew Passion, conducted by Eric Ericson. Proprius has released high quality recordings featuring renowned soloists, including Anne Sofie von Otter, Håkan Hagegård and Peter Mattei. Other outstanding Swedish artists and ensembles include Nils-Erik Sparf, David Härenstam, S:t Jacobs Kammarkör, REbaroque and Georg Gulyás.
– American Record Guide
Visit Presto Classical to get up to 50% off Hi-Res Downloads on the Swedish labels
Until 19 April, Presto Classical is offering up to 20% off selected CDs and 50% off Hi-res digital downloads on the Prophone, Proprius and Swedish Society labels!
Artist of the Month – Georg Gulyás, guitar
Guitarist Georg Gulyás' recordings for the Proprius label include J.S. Bach’s complete works for lute, together with works by Britten, Ginastera and Falla. His performances have received critical acclaim and his album Albéniz, Ponce, Tárrega (PRSACD2030) won the award for Best Instrumental Music at the 2006 Audiophile Recordings Awards in Hong Kong.
Georg Gulyás has been successful in several competitions and received First Prize at the Karis International Guitar Competition. At the beginning of the 1990s, Georg Gulyás was chosen for special promotion by the Concerts Sweden organisation, which led to his performing all over Europe. He has since performed around the world, in addition to appearing as soloist with the leading Swedish orchestras.
‘Georg Guyás dealt intensively with the works of the South American. Sparkling and elegant, sensitive and cantable, this CD immediately casts its spell.’ – Gitarrenlegende
This album features Latin American guitar repertoire by the Paraguayan composer Agustín Barríos Mangoré. The recording producer is Torbjörn Samuelsson who continues the highly praised sound work that characterises Gulyás’ previous recordings.
– American Record Guide
Celebrate Piazzolla’s 100th Anniversary
This month marks the 100th anniversary of Astor Piazzolla’s birth. Born in Argentina, the composer, conductor and bandoneon player spent much of his childhood and adolescence in New York, where he was taken by his family in 1925. He established himself in Buenos Aires from 1937 as a player of the bandoneon (a German-invented form of concertina popular in Argentinian tango bands) and came to enjoy an international reputation with the various ensembles that he established and led.
Piazzolla was associated in particular with the development of the so-called nuevo tango (new tango), for concert use rather than dancing. His compositions include a Bandoneon Concerto and a suite for bandoneon and chamber orchestra titled Punta del Este. His music, much of it preserved in the recordings he made, has provided concert items for various instruments and performers.
– MusicWeb International
– Cinemusical
![PIAZZOLLA, A.: María de Buenos Aires [Tango Opera]](https://www.naxos.com/sharedfiles/images/cds/hires/C5305.jpg "PIAZZOLLA, A.: María de Buenos Aires [Tango Opera]")
– Pizzicato
Browse this catalogue for the full list of Piazzolla titles across the Naxos Music Group labels.
2 GRAMMY Awards for Naxos
Naxos is delighted to be among the recipients of this year’s GRAMMY Awards, announced on 14 March. The label was the winner in two categories.
The award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition went to the world premiere recording of Christopher Rouse’s Fifth Symphony (8.559852), performed by the Nashville Symphony under Giancarlo Guerrero. The symphony fondly recalls Beethoven’s mighty Fifth but blurs the lines between tradition and modernity, transporting the listener from turbulence to serenity. The work was described as “brilliant, exciting and at times hauntingly beautiful” by The Dallas Morning News.
![DANIELPOUR, R.: Passion of Yeshua (The) [Oratorio]](https://www.naxos.com/sharedfiles/images/cds/hires/8.559885-86.jpg "DANIELPOUR, R.: Passion of Yeshua (The) [Oratorio]")
The award for Best Choral Performance went to a recording of Richard Danielpour’s dramatic oratorio The Passion of Yeshua (8.559885-86), with the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra, and the UCLA Chamber Singers conducted by JoAnn Falletta. The release also received nominations for Best Contemporary Classical Composition and Best Engineered Album (Classical). Soloists include soprano Hila Plitmann, mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, tenor Timothy Fallon, and baritones Matthew Worth, Kenneth Overton and James K. Bass. Fanfare judged the recording “a superb production and a jewel in Naxos’ crown.”
Congratulations to all those involved in the performance and production of these award-winning discs from Naxos.
Another recording of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra with JoAnn Falletta, Florent Schmitt’s La Tragédie de Salomé (8.574138), has recently received a Diapason d’or award this month:
‘In the eyes of JoAnn Falletta, Florent Schmitt is "the greatest French composer you've never heard of." Let's hope that this magnificent release changes that a little... The Buffalo forces paint with a rich palette, without ever drowning out the skilful interlacing of melodies nor the juxtaposition of timbres. This clarity of texture gives a rather fascinating depth.’ – Diapason
Deutsche Oper Berlin presents Chaya Czernowin’s Heart Chamber
The works of award-winning composer Chaya Czernowin have been performed worldwide at significant new-music festivals and prestigious venues, and she is the first woman to be appointed composition professor at Harvard University. Commissioned by Deutsche Oper Berlin and widely acclaimed in the critical press, Heart Chamber uses voice and stage as internalised sonic and visual landscapes to create a genuine multi-sensory musical experience. With only two characters and a hint of a narrative, this is a grand opera on the smallest of transformations, focussing on the intense beauty and vulnerabilities of falling in love. ‘It is seldom that audiences at the Deutsche Oper Berlin have listened with such rapture to a new commission’ (Online Merker).
![CZERNOWIN, C.: Heart Chamber [Opera] (Deutsche Oper Berlin, 2019) (NTSC)](https://www.naxos.com/sharedfiles/images/cds/hires/2.110673.jpg "CZERNOWIN, C.: Heart Chamber [Opera] (Deutsche Oper Berlin, 2019) (NTSC)")
Top 10 Notable Performances of 2019 – The New Yorker
Best of 2019 – Seen and Heard International
Top of 2019 – Deutschland Radio
‘Heart Chamber spoke directly from the contemporary zeitgeist – our concerns with loneliness, mental health, toxic relationships between men and women – but none of the issues it addressed were exclusively modern… Czernowin’s work was invigorating and refreshing, with its contemporary sensibility and its experimental use of instruments and voices’. – Opera Wire
CAST
| She | Patrizia Ciofi, Soprano |
| Her Internal Voice | Noa Frenkel, Alto |
| He | Dietrich Henschel, Baritone |
| His Internal Voice | Terry Wey, Countertenor |
| The Voice | Frauke Aulbert, Soprano |
| The Double Bass Player | Uli Fussenegger, Double Bass |
Ensemble Nikel
Vocal Ensemble
Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin
| Conductor | Johannes Kalitzke |
| Stage Director | Claus Guth |
| Video Design | Rocafilm |
| Live Electronics | SWR Experimentalstudio |
| Video Director | Uli Aumüller |
Filmed on 13, 26 and 30 November 2019 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Germany
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 3,485 full-length videos, accessible anytime, anywhere.
Wilkie Collins’ No Name – finalist in the Audie Awards
The Naxos Audiobook No Name by Wilkie Collins has been selected as a finalist in the Multi-voiced Performance category of the Audio Publisher Association's Audie Awards. Read by Nicholas Boulton, with Rachel Atkins, Russell Bentley, John Foley, David Rintoul and Lucy Scott, the title received critical acclaim and is the winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award.
The most comprehensive collection of classical music
The Naxos Music Library (NML) is the largest collection of classical music recordings available for streaming, with new content added daily! Also providing educational resources that include a musical dictionary, guided tours through musical eras, an interactive junior section, and much more, NML is quickly becoming the go-to music resource for colleges, public libraries, professional music organisations, and other users. Watch the following video to learn more:
Naxos Music Library is the most comprehensive collection of classical music available online. Currently, it offers over 2,491,000 tracks of fine recorded music. It includes the complete catalogues of many respectable independent labels such as Naxos, BIS, Capriccio, Chandos, Hänssler, Hungaroton, Marco Polo, Ondine, together with selected titles of other leading independent labels such as Harmonia Mundi, Naïve, Supraphon and VOX, and major labels that include Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Warner Classics, Warner Classics–Parlophone (ex-EMI catalogue) and Sony Classical. Over 600 albums are added monthly
![BEETHOVEN, L.: Leonore (1805 version) [Opera]](https://www.naxos.com/sharedfiles/images/cds/hires/C200052.jpg "BEETHOVEN, L.: Leonore (1805 version) [Opera]")
Visit www.naxosmusiclibrary.com and get free 15-minute preview!
A Journey with Peter Breiner and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Slovak-born Peter Breiner is one of the world’s most versatile musicians. He is an acclaimed pianist, arranger and conductor with compositions that are universally admired, and whose Beatles Go Baroque album (8.555010) has to date sold a quarter of a million copies. In the second of Breiner’s Calm Romantic Piano Music series (Volume 1 is on 8.574256), he again achieves the rare feat of fusing melodic beauty with genuine musical expression. These beguiling original pieces sit alongside serenely beautiful new arrangements drawn from the classical repertoire.
– Classical CD Choice
– Classical Lost and Found
– Fanfare
A collection of sheet music editions of works by Peter Breiner is now available on Naxos Publishing. You may buy printed sheet music and PDF downloads at publishing.naxos.com. Enter code “SALES10OFF2021” at checkout to enjoy 10% off on all editions! Promotion is valid until March 31st, 2021.
Playlists for March
Looking for new music? Our selection of curated playlist s has you covered with music to complement the season, moment, or activity! Take a deep breath and relax with Classical Music for Reading and Lullaby Baby, and celebrate Women’s History Month with music from female composers and artists, expertly curated by unCLASSIFIED and Grand Piano. Happy listening!
The New Gospel
Several orchestral tracks from the Naxos Music Group are featured in a live recording of the play The New Gospel, together with glimpses behind the scenes. The story of the crucifixion of Jesus gains topical relevance in this docufictional film about alarming conditions for illegal farm workers in southern Italy. The film features music including Mozart’s Maurerische Trauermusik, J.S. Bach’s Concerto for Oboe and Violin, BWV 1060, Siegfrieds Trauermarsch and Brünnhilde! Heilige Braut! from Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, and Pergolesi’s Stabat mater dolorosa, all of which add depth to the biblical re-enactment.
Need to license some music for a project and don’t know where to start? Visit Naxos Licensing to find out how!
Visit Presto Classical to get up to 40% off Hi-Res Downloads on the Ondine, Orfeo & OehmsClassics labels
Until 8 February, Presto Classical is offering up to 40% off Hi-res digital downloads on the Ondine, Orfeo and OehmsClassics labels! The promotion includes some brand new recordings.
![GLANERT, D.: Oceane [Opera]](https://www.naxos.com/sharedfiles/images/cds/hires/OC985.jpg "GLANERT, D.: Oceane [Opera]")
![WEBER, C.M. von: Oberon [Opera]](https://www.naxos.com/sharedfiles/images/cds/hires/OC984.jpg "WEBER, C.M. von: Oberon [Opera]")
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 shine a spotlight on his most ROMANTIC music.
Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the most influential composers in the entire history of Western music. His stylistic innovations built on and expanded established Classical forms, propelling chamber music, solo and orchestral genres into a Romantic era that thrived on the expression of deeper and more personal emotions. From the gorgeous lyricism found in the ‘Pathétique’ and ‘Moonlight’ Sonatas, to the pictorial scenes in the ‘Pastoral’ Symphony, this collection brings together some of Beethoven’s most beautiful and poetic musical movements.
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.
Themed Digital Album
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!
This CELEBRATE BEETHOVEN catalogue contains an impressive collection of works by this master composer across the Naxos Music Group labels.
Russian born arranger Paul Struck has arranged two of Beethoven’s great mid-period chamber masterpieces for soloist and string ensemble. Expanding the sonorities of the ‘Kreutzer’ Sonata – Beethoven’s most important chamber work for violin – allows the sonata’s concertante quality to emerge in a new light. The Cello Sonata No. 3 equally succeeds in conceiving the piano part for ensemble, while exploring fullness of sound and maintaining transparency of texture.
The first volume (8.551400) with Vinzenz Lachner‘s arrangements of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concertos for piano and string quintet already showed that this would be quite a special complete recording of Beethoven’s piano concertos – and not just because it is the first recording to present this version for the first time ever. For the second volume, Hanna Shybayeva chose the piano trio version of the second symphony in D major Op. 36 to be added in the arrangement by the master himself. After all, this chamber music arrangement from Beethoven's pen fits perfectly with those of the piano concertos of later times.
Boris Giltburg has set out to learn and film all 32 piano sonatas by Beethoven by the end of 2020. The project started as a personal exploration, driven by curiosity and his strong love of the Beethoven sonatas, and the recordings presented in this initial volume display Giltburg’s customary spirit, technical finesse and convey the electric atmosphere of the live recording.
Beethoven started composing Leonore in January 1804. The subject – the release to freedom of an unjustly imprisoned man by his devoted wife – was part of the genre of ‘rescue operas’ which were very popular at the end of the 18th century. The premiere of Leonore, given before an uncomprehending audience at a time of political upheaval, was a failure and Beethoven responded by shortening the work from three acts to two, which was the version performed in 1806. After further revisions it was to emerge in 1814 as Fidelio. This performance is from Opera Lafayette’s Leonore Project which included a performance of Pierre Gaveaux’s Léonore, ou L’Amour conjugal (available on Naxos DVD 2.110591 and Blu-ray NBD0085V) – the opera on which Beethoven modelled his Leonore.
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.
Review by ClassicsToday.com’s David Hurwitz:
finalist in the Audie Awards
