Franck Symphonic

Einojuhani Rautavaara may well be the most popular symphonist alive today. On the occasion of his 80th anniversary, Ondine pays homage to its longtime house composer by releasing the first-ever edition of the complete eight symphonies, in a special box set. Rautavaara is recognized as the greatest Finnish composer after Jean Sibelius. He has often described symphonic music as a journey through human life.

Six Pièces, Op. 16-21, composed between 1856 and 1864, were first published in 1868 by the small Parisian publishing house, Maeyens-Couvreur. Rollin Smith calls this event the first significant contribution to the French organ literature in more than a century, and the most important organ music written since the Organ Sonatas of Mendelssohn. The symphonic treatment of the Cavaillé-Coll organ with all its aural expression, and performance possibilities, was a revolution in the development of organ music, and marked the beginning of the new chapter. The premiere of Six Pièces took place on November 17, 1864 in the church of Sainte-Clotilde – performed by the composer himself. In April 1866, Franck presented the collection again during a private concert for Ferenc Liszt. As Vincent d’Indy noted: Liszt […] coming down from the organ-loft where Franck had just been playing these compositions to him, exclaimed with sincere emotion: “These poems have their place beside the masterpieces of Sebastian Bach!”

One of the most acclaimed musicians of his era, Toscanini was a conductor of the "old school" - aristocratic, perfectionistic and something of an autocrat on the podium. After a brief flurry of interest in Fascism in the 1910s, he rapidly became disillusioned with the movement and indeed became a personal rival of Mussolini, repeatedly antagonising him through acts of artistic defiance such as refusals to open concerts with the Fascist anthem Giovinezza.

Alexander Koryakin, winner of the 2019 Jaén Prize International Piano Competition, has selected two perfectly paired masterpieces for his first Naxos recording. Liszt’s Vallée d’Obermann is inspired by his travels in Switzerland, and is a true symphonic poem for piano. Franck’s Piano Quintet in F minor, which Liszt himself found shockingly intense, is a cyclical work of passionate extremes, and a masterpiece of Franco-Belgian repertoire. Also included are Debussy’s L’Isle joyeuse, which offers crystalline brightness, and Jorge Sastre’s Jaenera ‘Ecos y temple’, with virtuoso expression drawing on a wide range of influences. Alexander Koryakin began playing piano at the age of nine, gave his first recital at the age of ten and at eleven won his first competition. Over the course of his career, Koryakin has given over 500 recitals throughout Russia and Europe, including appearances at the Piano Loop Festival in Croatia and Gegen den Strom Festival in Germany.