Naxos Recording Sessions August–December 2009
August 27, 2009
This year Naxos will make a number of new recordings featuring leading artists. Here are some of the exciting highlights from our recording schedule to whet your appetite. Further information will be posted once these recording sessions have been held:
SCHUBERT Mass in F • Mass in Bb
Immortal-Bach-Ensemble • Leipziger Kammerorchester • Morten Schuldt-Jensen, conductor
SCHUBERT Mass in A-flat Major
Immortal-Bach-Ensemble • Leipziger Kammerorchester • Morten Schuldt-Jensen, conductor
- Their recording of SCHUBERT Mass No 6 in E flat major & Stabat Mater is already available on Naxos 8.570381.
‘The highly experienced Danish conductor, Morten Schuldt-Jensen, directs unfussy performances that move at an admirable pace. The sound quality is excellent.’ (David Denton, David’s Review Corner) - SCHUBERT Masses in G and C, German Mass (8.570764, available November 2009). A chorister from the age of eight until his voice broke seven years later, Franz Schubert was well placed to compose sacred music, including several splendid settings of the Mass. His second, in G major completed in 1815, and fourth, in C major written during the following year, follow Mozart’s examples but with strikingly Schubertian touches such as his dramatic use of key relationships and contrasting vocal textures to express the prayerful, meditative and glorious nature of the liturgical text. For the so-called German Mass, Schubert wrote unassuming yet heartfelt settings of congregational hymns for performance during the service.
Photo: Dag Thorenfeldt
GRIEG String Quartets in G minor & F major • NORDHEIM Rendezvous
Oslo Camerata • Stephan Barratt-Due, conductor
- Their recording of GRIEG Music for String Orchestra is already available on Naxos 8.557890.
‘This is a veritable smorgasbord of simply scrumptious music!’ (Gwyn Parry-Jones, MusicWeb International)
STENHAMMAR Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 2
Miklas Sivelov, piano • Malmö Symphony Orchestra • Mario Venzago, conductor
- Malmö Symphony Orchestra’s recordings have been highly praised.
Photo: Adil Razali
CHOPIN Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 2 • Variations on La ci darem la mano • Fantasy on Polish Airs • Krakowiak • Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante
Eldar Nebolsin, piano • Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra • Antoni Wit, conductor
- Eldar Nebolsin’s recording with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Vassily Petrenko of LISZT Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 2, Totentanz on Naxos 8.570517 has been critically acclaimed: ‘The myriad technical difficulties are awesomely overcome by Nebolsin who is, as in the concertos, always thoughtfully and ably partnered by Petrenko’s orchestra.’
(Gary Higginson, MusicWeb International) - The Warsaw Philharmonic and Antoni Wit have gained countless impressive reviews for their many Naxos recordings.
BLOCH Suite for Viola and Orchestra • Suite Hébraïque (Hebrew Suite) • Baal Shem Suite
Hong-Mei Xiao, viola • Budapest Concert Orchestra • Mariusz Smolij, conductor
Photo: Tiina Osara
PLEYEL Flute Concerto • Symphony
Sinfonia Finlandia • Patrick Gallois, conductor
- Among their many Naxos recordings, Sinfonia Finlandia under Patrick Gallois has recently released SPOHR Violin Concertos Nos 6, 8 & 11 with violinist Simone Lamsma on Naxos 8.570528.
‘Attentive and well balanced accompaniment comes from the Sinfonia Finlandia with their conductor, Patrick Gallois.’ (David Denton, David’s Review Corner)
Photo: Evin Thayer
RÓZSA Three Hungarian Sketches (recorded in 2008) • Hungarian Nocturne (recorded in 2008) • Rhapsody for cello and orchestra • Overture to a Symphony Concert
Mark Kosower, cello • Budapest Symphony Orchestra MAV • Mariusz Smolij, conductor
- Mark Kosower’s recording of Hungarian Music for Cello & Piano is already available on Naxos 8.570570.
‘Kosower proves a most impressive exponent of this late Romantic work—poetic, refined, with a wide range of tone colours at his disposal’ (Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International) - The Budapest Symphony Orchestra MAV’s recording of RÓZSA Viola Concerto, Hungarian Serenade conducted by Mariusz Smolij with soloist Gilad Karni is already available on Naxos 8.570925.
‘Two fine works rich in Magyar colours spanning the bulk of Rózsa’s career…Karni proves a fine advocate and the Budapest Concert Orchestra provide excellent support.’ (Guy Rickards, Gramophone)
Photo: CJ Multarzynski
RÓZSA Three Hungarian Sketches (recorded in 2008) • Hungarian Nocturne (recorded in 2008) • Rhapsody for cello and orchestra • Overture to a Symphony Concert
Mark Kosower, cello • Budapest Symphony Orchestra MAV • Mariusz Smolij, conductor
PENDERECKI
Orchestral album: Horn Concerto, Partita for Cembalo and Orchestra [to couple with Jacob’s Awakening, Anaklasis, De Natura Sonoris No 1 to 9, all recorded as of April 2009]
Choral album: Kosmogonia, Canticum Canticorum Salomonis, Veni Creator, Strofy [to couple with St Adalbert Hymnus & Cherubin’s Song (choir a capella) – both recorded as of April 2009]
Stefan Dohr, horn (Principal Horn, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra)
E. Stefanska-Lukowica, harpsichord • Olga Pasichnyk, soprano & other singers
Warsaw Philharmonic Choir & Orchestra • Antoni Wit, conductor
- PENDERECKI Utrenja is already available on Naxos 8.572031.
‘Antoni Wit presents the work in a Naxos recording that vividly illuminates the contrast between Mr Penderecki’s emotionally direct a cappella vocal writing and orchestral effects that mimic electronic music.’ (Vivien Schweitzer, The New York Times) - Antoni Wit has also conducted on many other Naxos recordings of Penderecki’s choral and orchestral music, including:
PENDERECKI Concerto Grosso No 1 for 3 Cellos, Largo,Sonata for Cello and Orchestra (Monighetti, Noras, Kwiatkowski, Wit) 8.570509
PENDERECKI A Polish Requiem 8.557386–87
PENDERECKI Seven Gates of Jerusalem ‘Symphony No 7’ 8.557766
PENDERECKI St Luke Passion 8.557149
PENDERECKI Symphonies Nos 1 & 5 8.554567
PENDERECKI Symphonies Nos 2 & 4 8.554492
PENDERECKI Symphony No 3, Threnody 8.554491
PENDERECKI Symphony No 8, Dies irae, Aus den Psalmen Davids 8.570450
PENDERECKI Te Deum, Hymne an den Heiligen Daniel, Polymorphia, Ciaconna 8.557980
PENDERECKI Violin Concertos Nos 1 & 2 8.555265
Photo: Andrej Grilc
SARASATE Works for Solo Violin and Orchestra Vol 4
Fantaisie de Der Freischütz, Introduction et Tarantelle • Fantaisie de Don Giovanni • Jota de San Fermin • Danse espagnole, Adiós montañas mirs (orch. Blech) • Jota de Pamplona Op. 50 • Reve (orch. T. Breton) • L’esprit follet
Tianwa Yang, violin • Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra, Pablo Sarasate • Ernest Martínez Izquierdo, conductor
- Tianwa Yang’s other recordings of Sarasate’s music have gained outstanding reviews:
SARASATE Violin and Piano Music Vol 1 8.557767
‘Each piece is beautifully characterized and played with great polish and confidence…You can’t just fall back on big names or favorite recordings. Wonderful new recordings are still made, and this is one of them.’ (Donald R Vroon, American Record Guide) - SARASATE Violin and Piano Music Vol 2 8.570192
‘Listening to her play has a kind of cleansing effect on my mind; it makes the world seem dazzlingly beautiful, yet, at the same time at peace and in balance.’ (Elaine Fine, American Record Guide)
PIAZZOLLA Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, Bandoneon Concerto • Buenos Aires – Three Symphonic Movements
Tianwa Yang, violin • Bandoneon Player • Nashville Symphony Orchestra • Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
- Nashville Symphony Orchestra’s Naxos recordings have been highly praised
Photo: Marco Borgrreve
EGGERT Symphony in C • Symphony in E-flat
Gävle Symphony Orchestra • Gérard Korsten, conductor
GOMPPER Violin Concerto, Prayer for violin and string orchestra • Spirals for two violins and string orchestra, Flip for string orchestra
Wolfgang David, violin • Peter Zazofsky, violin • Royal Philharmonic Orchestra • Emmanuel Siffert, conductor
Photo: Polina Lebed
SCHUMANN Humoreske, 6 Etudes after Paganini Op 3 & Op 6
Mariya Kim, piano [Winner of the 2008 Seoul Piano Competition]
Photo: Aleksandra Samulenkova
Antonio SOLER Keyboard Sonatas, Vol 2
Piano Sonatas Nos 16 to 27 (total of 120 sonatas, probably comprising 15 volumes in all)
Vestards Shimkus, piano [1st Prize Winner of Maria Canals Competition 2009]