Naxos 2019

Rousse Philharmonic Orchestra feat. Nayden Todorov - Vladigerov: Orchestral Works (2019)

Rousse Philharmonic Orchestra feat. Nayden Todorov - Vladigerov: Orchestral Works (2019)
WEB FLAC (tracks+booklet) - 362 MB | Tracks: 12 | 74:22 min
Style: Classical | Label: Naxos

Pancho Vladigerov is considered by many to be the most influential composer that Bulgaria has yet produced, gaining fame between the World Wars and earning the admiration of Shostakovich. The three works recorded here are a testament to Vladigerov’s mission to bring Bulgarian music to international attention, successfully combining elements of folk music with European classical tradition. The Vardar Rhapsody has been called ‘the Bulgarian equivalent of Chopin’s Polonaise in A’, and the lively and exotic Seven Symphonic Bulgarian Dances is among the most notable of a series of works that fuse joyous regional melodies with sophisticated Western orchestration.
Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice & Marek Štilec - Koželuch: Symphonies, Vol. 3 (2019)

Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice & Marek Štilec - Koželuch: Symphonies, Vol. 3 (2019)
WEB FLAC (tracks) - 376 MB | Tracks: 16 | 77:47 min
Style: Classical | Label: Naxos

In addition to his influence as a pianist and leading keyboard composer in Vienna, the Bohemian Leopold Kozeluch wrote an important body of symphonies that rank among the most significant of their time. The four examples here, heard in original, corrected editions, show consummate mastery of proportion, instrumental control and thematic development and all exude characteristic freshness and sophistication. The 'Symphony in B-flat', titled 'L'Irrésolu' is especially noteworthy not only as his most unusual work in the genre but for its sheer boldness of expression.
Jameson Cooper & James Dickenson - Spohr: Violin Duets, Vol. 2 (2019)

Jameson Cooper & James Dickenson - Spohr: Violin Duets, Vol. 2 (2019)
WEB FLAC (tracks) - 308 MB | Tracks: 9 | 66:40 min
Style: Classical | Label: Naxos

Louis Spohr's reputation as one of Germany's leading violinists was at its height when he composed his 'Duets for Two Violins, Op. 39', and while it appears his intention was to finance an Italian concert tour with marketable duets, the publishers complained of their technical difficulty. Spohr defended this aspect by stating his 'desire to give my duets more inner value, more richness of harmony' than is usual in this genre.

Soyeon Kate Lee - Clementi: Keyboard Sonatas (2019)  Music

Posted by varrock at Dec. 10, 2019
Soyeon Kate Lee - Clementi: Keyboard Sonatas (2019)

Soyeon Kate Lee - Clementi: Keyboard Sonatas (2019)
WEB FLAC (tracks) - 184 MB | Tracks: 15 | 73:34 min
Style: Classical | Label: Naxos

Muzio Clementi was born four years before Mozart and outlived Beethoven by the same span. His legacy to pianists as a composer and teacher was a significant one, introducing new virtuosity and exploring the expressive possibilities of the piano, a recently developed instrument. Clementi dedicated his youthful 'Op. 1' sonatas to his benefactor Peter Beckford, and the brilliant 'Sonata in F major, Op. 24, No. 1' is the partner work to 'Op. 24, No. 2' played in the famous contest between Clementi and Mozart.
Matthew Gee & Christopher Glynn - Winter Journey: Trombone Travels, Vol. 1 (2019)

Matthew Gee & Christopher Glynn - Winter Journey: Trombone Travels, Vol. 1 (2019)
WEB FLAC (tracks) - 157 MB | Tracks: 24 | 70:52 min
Style: Classical | Label: Naxos

Winterreise is one of the greatest, most compelling and intense of all vocal song cycles. For the first of his explorations into the world of art song, Matthew Gee has turned to Schubert’s work in this unique arrangement for trombone and piano. English titles are used for the poems to emphasise the fact that text is no longer the primary expressive vehicle here. Instead, it is entrusted to the trombone, an instrument whose vocal qualities and ability to employ glissando, vibrato, portamento and microtonal inflections—allied to the use of various mutes—offers an astonishing array of tonal possibilities.

Donna Amato - Edward MacDowell: Piano Sonatas (2003/2019)  Music

Posted by varrock at Dec. 15, 2019
Donna Amato - Edward MacDowell: Piano Sonatas (2003/2019)

Donna Amato - Edward MacDowell: Piano Sonatas (2003/2019)
WEB FLAC (tracks) - 243 MB | Tracks: 14 | 81:05 min
Style: Classical | Label: Altarus Records

In the case of this pianist it is not just that she seems to know no fears about tackling the unfashionable and peripheral – at least that which is viewed as peripheral by the mainstream. Amato plunges with gusto into the travails associated with learning such repertoire and brings to it the intellect and humanity of an artist in the grand tradition. Her Sorabji, Hinton, Stevenson, Cooman (Naxos and Altarus), Rosner and Scelsi (Stradivari) are testimony to her manifest valour and discriminating artistry.
Lise Davidsen, Esa-Pekka Salonen - Wagner: Arias from Tannhäuser; Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs (2019)

Lise Davidsen, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Philharmonia Orchestra - Wagner: Arias from Tannhäuser; Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs (2019)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 265 Mb | Total time: 63:57 | Scans included
Classical | Label: Decca | 4834883 | Recorded: 2018

A selection of Richard Strauss’s most-loved lieder and songs, and Elisabeth’s arias from Wagner’s Tannhäuser, the role in which Lise Davidsen will make her debut at Bayreuth Festival. Plus Ariadne’s aria from Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos: her 2017 Glyndebourne debut in the title role was named “one of those ‘I was there’ moments” (The Times).
Also includes Strauss’s iconic Four Last Songs, originally premiered by Decca’s Kirsten Flagstad. Recorded with the Philharmonia Orchestra, who performed the premiere of the Four Last Songs, and Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Derek Jacobi - Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op. 71, TH 14 (Excerpts Arr. for Brass Septet & Percussion) (2019)

Derek Jacobi - Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op. 71, TH 14 (Excerpts Arr. for Brass Septet & Percussion) (2019)
FLAC tracks +booklet | 01:05:20 | 250 Mb
Genre: Classical / Label: Naxos

Brass instruments are a vital part of the festive fabric of Christmas, and Tchaikovskys iconic ballet The Nutcracker is made even more joyful with the brassy brilliance of Septura. Narrated by pre-eminent actor Derek Jacobi, The Nutcracker is set on Christmas Eve, with music both rapturous and fantastical. It tells the story of how young Claras favourite present, a nutcracker shaped like a little man, turns into a handsome prince at midnight. Septura has been acclaimed by Brass Band World for its stylistic perfection and beautifully portrayed artistry (Music for Brass Septet 2, Naxos 8.573386).
Dalibor Karvay, Peter Breiner and His Orchestra - Beatles Go Baroque, Vol. 2 (2019)

Dalibor Karvay, Peter Breiner and His Orchestra - Beatles Go Baroque, Vol. 2 (2019)
WEB FLAC (tracks) - 411 Mb | MP3 CBR 320 kbps - 163 Mb | Digital booklet | 01:10:05
Classical | Label: Naxos Records

Classical musicians have always recognized the musicality and originality of The Beatles’ songs, Leonard Bernstein declaring the Lennon-McCartney composing team ‘the Schuberts of our time’. This sequel to Peter Breiner’s multi-platinum Beatles Go Baroque(Naxos 8.555010) takes the original concept even further, keeping 18th-century masterpieces such as Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Bach’s famously stylish and beautiful Violin Concerto No. 1 largely intact, elegantly combining them with The Beatles’ most enduring melodies to create a joyously genuine 21st-century mashup. Peter Breineris one of the world’s most recorded musicians, with over 200 albums released and multiple streams and downloads. Known as a conductor, composer, pianist and arranger, he has conducted, often doubling as a pianist, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bournemouth, Jerusalem, New Zealand, Moscow and Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestras, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Slovak Philharmonic and the Orchestre National de France, to mention just a few. His compositions and arrangements have been played in concerts and broadcast worldwide, and some of the most prestigious ballet companies have used his music in numerous performances.
Martin Rummel, Stefan Stroissnig & Eric Lamb - Ries: Complete Works for Cello, Vol. 2 (2019)

Martin Rummel, Stefan Stroissnig & Eric Lamb - Ries: Complete Works for Cello, Vol. 2 (2019)
FLAC tracks +booklet | 01:10:44 | 295 Mb
Genre: Classical Soundtrack / Label: Naxos

Ferdinand Ries is remembered as Beethoven’s one-time pupil, secretary and copyist, but the discovery of his many compositions showed him to be a forward-looking composer in his own right. The 1799 Cello Sonata in C minor is among the first of its genre, the 15-year-old Ries already showing remarkable talent in its ‘Sturm und Drang’ moods. The Trio, op.63, was admired in its day for its ‘ingenuity of modulations’, and fashionable London society lapped up the exotic themes of works such as Introduction and a Russian Dance and the virtuosic Trois Airs Russes Variés. Volume 1 of this edition can be found on Naxos 8573726.