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Label of the Month: Naxos
Naxos celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Established in 1987 as a record label, Naxos was the brainchild of Klaus Heymann, a German-born entrepreneur and music lover based in Hong Kong. Initially he capitalised on the opportunity to provide repertoire driven classical CDs at more affordable prices, which soon led to Naxos becoming a preferred label for many consumers. Since that time, the company has undergone a truly remarkable development. It has transformed into a global enterprise that owns, administers and/or distributes a large number of independent record labels. The Naxos name is synonymous not only with classical music recordings, but also with a host of other products and services, from DVDs to books, ebooks, audiobooks, apps, and musical scores, as well as a wide range of online resources and services, for general and professional consumption.
Under Klaus Heymann’s leadership, Naxos has redefined how classical music is presented and marketed. Innovative strategies of recording exciting new repertoire with exceptional talent have enabled our house label to develop one of the largest and fastest-growing catalogues of unduplicated repertoire. Over 9,000 titles are currently available at affordable prices, recorded in state-of-the-art sound, both in hard format and on digital platforms. Naxos works with artists of the highest calibre and its recordings have been recognised with numerous GRAMMY® awards, Penguin Guide 3-star recommendations, Gramophone Editor’s Choice Awards and many other international honours. Its audiobooks, apps and subscription services have also garnered countless awards.
Naxos continues as a leader and innovator, with particular emphasis on education. NaxosMusicLibrary.com is used by thousands of educational institutions around the world. With over 130,000 albums from hundreds of labels, it has become a source of choice for a whole generation of students and music professionals. Together with the Naxos video and spoken word libraries, these online resources have had a great impact in developing future audiences for the classical arts.
Naxos remains committed to making full use of the new possibilities afforded by technology and media in its mission to broaden the accessibility of classical music. Our growing programme of ebooks, i-books and integrated media products are constantly building on our past efforts to introduce new listeners to the world of classical music. All our digital services are accessible via smartphone applications, making them readily available from mobile phones, iPods, iPads and other music players and tablet devices.
Headquartered in Hong Kong, Naxos was founded and developed by people who love classical music and are passionate believers in its future. The Naxos Group will continue to be a leader and innovator, especially where opportunities arise to make classical music more accessible through content, price and delivery. The three principles of repertoire, value and innovation remain firmly at the heart of all its undertakings.
KLAUS HEYMANN, FOUNDING CHAIRMAN OF NAXOS, RECEIVES ICMA SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Klaus Heymann, founding chairman of the Naxos Records and the Naxos Music Group, has received a Special Achievement Award from the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) in recognition of his entrepreneurial and visionary development of the classical music recording industry. ICMA President Remy Franck commented:
“Klaus Heymann has changed the recording industry and without him it would never have achieved the dynamic it has today, despite all the problems which might exist. Due to his strong vision, his incredible efficiency and his profound love for the music, he became the industry's major player.”
The award will be formally presented at the ICMA's 2017 Awards Ceremony on 1 April, held at the Leipzig Gewandhaus, at which the winning recordings from this year's 321 nominations will also be announced.
The ICMA Special Achievement Award coincides with the occasion of Naxos' 30th anniversary, and sees both Mr Heymann (who turned 80 in October) and his expanded music conglomerate (now the Naxos Music Group) uniquely bullish in its development plans for the industry. Recent achievements include the forming of a new division for audiovisual classical content, the launch of a streaming service for world music, and a new online resource for musical works.
Klaus Heymann's name is synonymous with making classical music available to a much wider audience than was the case prior to his founding in 1987 of Naxos, the CD label that famously undercut the major labels in terms of price, without compromising on quality. He led the field in foreseeing the inevitable synthesis of recorded classical music with the internet as its vehicle for distribution. In 1996, he pioneered the concept of making music accessible from the internet, and in 2002 he launched the Naxos Music Library, the industry’s first subscription streaming service, four years before the arrival of Spotify, advocating the benefits of streaming rather than downloads.
Accolades for his services to the industry are abundant. Naxos Artist Marin Alsop, music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, who became the first woman to conduct the BBC's Last Night of the Proms in 2013, made this comment on the occasion of his 80th Birthday:
“Klaus Heymann's influence on the classical recording business can simply not be overstated. As a leading entrepreneur and musical visionary, Klaus has transformed and reinvented the entire industry. And he has done it his way!”
Featured Digital Platform: Naxos Video Library
Indulge your visual and auditory senses with productions from the world’s greatest opera houses, ballet companies, orchestras and artists! NaxosVideoLibrary.com offers over 2,720 full-length videos, accessible any time, anywhere. PC- and Mac-compatible, these videos stream at both 700 Kbps (standard quality) and 2Mbps (high quality) for the greatest viewing pleasure.
Don't understand German, French or Italian? Subtitles are available in over 5 languages, so there's no need to wonder at what the artists are singing on stage. To top it off, libretto/text is also included when available.
NaxosVideoLibrary.com is powered by the same search engine as NaxosMusicLibrary, allowing users to quickly and efficiently search videos by category, role, composer, artist, production personnel, work, venue or festival.
Other key features include:
- Create custom clips: edit and add them to individual playlists
- Access pre-defined video chapters and other points of interest including individual arias and scene breaks
- View video as Full Screen, 2/3 Screen or 1/4 Screen
From Giselle with the Bolshoi Ballet to Wagner's Parsifal at the Bayreuth Festival, experience it all from the comfort of your own home!
Tianwa Yang at Dresdner Philharmonie’s Invitation to Dance
Winner of the 2015 ECHO Klassik Instrumentalist of the Year (Violin), Tianwa Yang performed Saint-Saëns’ Introduction et Rondo capriccioso and Sarasate’s Ziguenerweisen at the Dresdner Philharmonie’s New Year Concert titled ‘Invitation to Dance’ under conductor Ariane Matiakh. The concert was held at the Albertinum Courtyard on December 31, 2016 and January 1, 2017.
Last October Naxos released Tianwa Yang’s recording of Lalo’s very popular Symphonie espagnole paired with Joan Manén’s rarely heard Concierto español, with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra under Darrell Ang (8.573067). The album earned an International Classical Music Award (ICMA) nomination and a Supersonic rating from Pizzicato:
“Tianwa Yang, one of the most talented violinists of our time, delivers a sparkling and truly exciting account of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole, very well supported by the Barcelona Orchestra and conductor Darrell Ang. This brings it definitely to the top of the available recordings of this brilliant work.” – Remy Frank
For Tianwa Yang’s extensive discography on Naxos, please visit www.naxos.com/person/Tianwa_Yang/13877.htm.
Passion Week nominated for a BBC Music Magazine Award
Steven Fox and The Clarion Choir’s recording of Maximilian Steinberg’s long-lost choral masterpiece Passion Week (8.573665) has been nominated for a 2017 BBC Music Magazine Award. Critic Erik Levi declared that the recording “boasts marvellously committed fervent singing” and gave it the Choral & Song Choice in the December 2016 edition of the magazine. The album has also been nominated for Best Choral Performance in the 2017 GRAMMY® Awards.
“Clarion’s handsome voices and the maestro’s Slavic sensibilities honor Steinberg’s intentions with grand singing and total conviction.”
– American Record Guide
“The purity of tone is exceptional, helped by near ideal balance and intonation.”
– Fanfare
“The luscious, uplifting Alleluias which round off the disc’s concluding ‘Let all mortal flesh’ will surely encourage other choirs to tackle this newly restored masterpiece.”
– Gramophone
“The success of this recording has to be attributed to this excellent chorus, 30-plus voices who collectively project a serious love for this music with a vibrant, shimmering tone, perfectly judged dynamics, and consistently fine balance and intonation.”
– ClassicsToday.com
La La Land
Naxos Licensing is proud to be a part of La La Land – winner of 7 Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy), Best Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Actress (Emma Stone), and Best Director (Damien Chazelle) – a story about a struggling jazz musician in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Released worldwide this January, be sure to listen to some excerpts from Verdi’s La Traviata (8.553041).
Check out other notable Naxos placements on www.naxoslicensing.com.
Gabriel Schwabe’s China tour
Up-and-coming cellist Gabriel Schwabe embarked on an extensive tour of China from December 25, 2016 to January 16, 2017, appearing in various cities including Wuhan, Xiamen, Changzhou, Shanghai and Beijing. He performed works by Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms, with pianist Zhao Yinyin and clarinetist Robert Oberaigner.
High Fidelity magazine interviewed Gabriel Schwabe about his Naxos début recording of Brahms' Cello Sonatas and Songs, with pianist Nicholas Rimmer (8.573489):
HF
Brahms wrote more than 300 songs in his life, so how did you find suitable works to arrange for cello and piano?
GS
We gradually sifted through Brahms' songs and eventually found six that would suit our pairing of instruments. Because the songs have lyrics, the emotions were more clearly identifiable, and I hope I was able to express these on the cello. Sure, its difficult to step outside traditional classical music concepts to present something different, but we're very happy with the results. Passion for the music is the best motivator.
HF
Gabriel Schwabe's performances clearly communicate Brahms' complex and profound emotions. As he himself explained: his cello is the equivalent of a singer's voice.
Introducing ArkivJazz - The Source For Jazz Music
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Designed with both the jazz expert and new listener in mind, ArkivJazz offers easy navigation to find the latest releases or classic titles within a label’s deep catalog. If you live in the U.S. you can join our VIP program and receive free shipping in the continental US, a free subscription to DownBeat Magazine, and special VIP only offers.
![Lady in Satin [Vinyl]](images/aj2.jpg "Lady in Satin [Vinyl]")
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In more ways than one
Giltburg’s Shostakovich – In more ways than one
Shostakovich’s two piano concertos span a period of almost thirty years. The youthful First Piano Concerto is a masterful example of eclecticism, its inscrutable humour and seriousness allied to virtuoso writing enhanced by the rôle for solo trumpet. Written as a birthday present for his son Maxim, the Second Piano Concerto is light-spirited with a hauntingly beautiful slow movement. With the permission of the composer’s family, Boris Giltburg has arranged the exceptionally dark, deeply personal and powerful String Quartet No. 8, thereby establishing a major Shostakovich solo piano composition.
singular music. Orchestral
works by Henri Dutilleux.
A unique compilation of singular music.
Orchestral works by Henri Dutilleux.
www.naxos.com/person/Darrell_Ang/160956.htm
Playlists for your
New Year’s
Resolutions
Featured Playlists – Classical Music Playlists for your New Year’s Resolutions
Happy New Year! January is a time for reflection and resolutions. Here are some playlists that will appeal to those who are looking for a fresh start in the New Year and need some great music to accompany them as they tackle their goals for 2017.
ARTIST OF THE MONTH – MARIN ALSOP, CONDUCTOR
“Klaus Heymann’s influence on the classical recording business can simply not be overstated. As a leading entrepreneur and musical visionary, Klaus has transformed and reinvented the entire industry. And he has done it his way!
In celebrating Naxos’ 30th anniversary, my hope is that we can all strive to adapt, evolve and reinvent ourselves in the same way that Klaus has done at Naxos. I am proud to be a Naxos artist and extremely grateful to have known Klaus for these many years!”
– Marin Alsop
Marin Alsop is an inspiring and powerful voice in the international music scene, a music director of vision and distinction who passionately believes that “music has the power to change lives.” She is recognised across the world for her innovative approach to programming and for her deep commitment to education and to the development of audiences of all ages. Marin Alsop made history with her appointment as the 12th music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO). With her inaugural concerts in September 2007, she became the first woman to head a major American orchestra. Her success as the BSO’s music director has won national and international attention for her innovative programming and artistry. Her success was recognised when, in 2013, her tenure was extended to the 2020–2021 season. Alsop took up the post of principal conductor of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP) in 2012, and became music director in July 2013. She also holds the title of conductor emeritus at the Bournemouth Symphony in the United Kingdom, where she served as the principal conductor from 2002 to 2008. In the summer of 2016, she served her 25th and final season as music director of the acclaimed Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in California. Alsop is often making history: in 2005 she was the first conductor to be awarded a MacArthur Genius award; and in September 2013 she became the first female conductor of the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms in London.
NEW RELEASE:
“It’s great to see this music being played with such conviction. I don’t think that Bernstein could have done better … the engineering is also rock solid and brilliant by turns. A marvelous release by any standard.”
– ClassicsToday.com
OTHER RECENT RELEASES:
– Gramophone
– Fanfare