News from the Naxos Music Group
August 2019
free download link
Label of the Month – Naxos World
Naxos Music Group is pleased to announce the re-launch of the Naxos World label. It will release two or three albums every month that represent a wide range of regions and cultures from around the world. The label will focus on two recording series – one that features the folk music of distinct cultures, and one that focuses on adventures in fusion. Although the upcoming albums will no doubt appeal to those already familiar with the world music genre, they will also suit the casual listener. Naxos World’s initial releases, scheduled for September, present the jazz-inflected Armenian folk music of Authentic Light Orchestra, the joyful tunes of Kenyan singer and multi-instrumentalist Papillon, and Chinese ethnic minority folk music from the provinces of Qinghai and Gansu. Music lovers from around the world can join in sharing the experience of contrasting sounds from unique cultures, aided by detailed introductory booklets that will inform both newcomers and aficionados alike.
The Naxos World label aims to create an inspiring space where artists and audiences find each other, make different parts of the world and other cultures more accessible, and bring opportunities to artists that don’t yet have access to the global markets. Few things unite people in the way music does; it's a special force that disregards social barriers and discrimination in all its forms. And world music is the biggest celebration of cultures and diversity that goes beyond languages and borders in today’s world.
The first iteration of the Naxos World label assembled a varied catalogue of over 40 titles, winning a GRAMMY award for Best Traditional World Music album for Sacred Tibetan Chant by Sherab Ling Monks in 2004.
UPCOMING NEW RELEASES
Authentic Light Orchestra is an Armenian-Swiss band that combines Armenian folk tunes with classical, jazz, rock and a touch of electronica to create a unique, modern sound. The band has built a strong following on the World Music festival circuit, and in 2016 they won the inaugural Russian World Music Award.
Folk Songs of Qinghai and Gansu (Chinese Folk, Vol. 1) is the first volume in a planned 19-album exploration of the rich and varied music of all 55 of China’s ethnic minority groups. These are short and catchy folk songs of five ethnic minority groups - Yugur, Salar, Tu, Dongxiang and Bonan - ranging from traditional banquet songs to wedding songs and love songs that have been passed down from generation to generation, many recorded here for the first time.
Mizu means roots in Chichewa, the national vernacular language in Malawi. For Code Sangala it marks a musical journey back into the authentic sound of Malawi. The music is inspired by traditional Malawian dances, giving them a contemporary flair.
Folk Songs of Inner Mongolia & Heilongjian (Chinese Folk, Vol. 2). The songs featured in this recording are folk songs of five minority ethnic groups of Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang – Mongol, Daur, Oroqen, Evenki and Hezhen.
OTHER RECOMMENDED TITLES FROM NAXOS WORLD
The re-launch of the Naxos World label is part of the company’s growing involvement in world music. Naxos operates the only dedicated world music subscription streaming platform, Naxos Music Library World, which offers access to more than 12,000 albums, as well as a News and Articles section offering reviews and expert guides by leading world music writers. The acquisition of ARC Music and Musiques Suisses, whose imprint Neue Volksmusik comprises recordings of Swiss folk music and Alpine instruments, means that Naxos is well placed to make use of its extensive physical and digital distribution infrastructure to promote world music recordings.
Follow NAXOS WORLD on social media for more exciting news!
NML World – Explore musical cultures from around the world
Naxos Music Library WORLD offers an unparalleled experience for adventurous musical explorers interested in musical diversity from other cultures and countries. It offers a wide range of world music, from legendary historical musical performances to contemporary world music. Recordings of over 32,000 artists are represented.
- Over 12,000 albums (134,900 tracks) are available and new albums are added weekly
- Recordings of more than 32,000 artists
- Representation of over 1,500 cultural groups from 150+ countries
- First-class performances and sound
- HTML5 Player allows access anytime, anywhere
- Powerful search capability with a meta-data driven Advanced Search
- Multiple search & browse modes available
- News & Articles section featuring reviews and expert guides by leading world music writers
Enjoy the complete ARC catalogue
Naxos Music Library World is proud to include the complete catalogue of ARC Music, the original world music label. ARC Music's goal is to preserve the ethnic music of world cultures, and to spread traditional and original music with a positive message. The label now offers the largest selection of traditional and contemporary ethnic music from all corners of the world. The unrivalled repertoire comprises many hundreds of albums from over 120 countries and cultures the world over.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Take the world with you wherever you go with mobile applications for Apple and Android devices. Browse for music and albums with your thumbs, and even use the world map search feature. Listen while you are studying, driving, or hosting themed parties.
Subscription to the site gives access to a wide range of World music, from legendary historical performances to contemporary world music.
Helpmann Award 2019
Lise Lindstrom won the Helpmann Award 2019
Congratulations to soprano Lise Lindstrom on winning the Best Female Performer in an Opera category in this year’s Helpmann Awards. Lindstrom’s performance as Brünnhilde in her first-ever full Ring Cycle for Opera Australia in 2016 received the Green Room Award and Helpmann Award. She has also performed excerpts from Siegfried and Götterdämmerung in the same role with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra under Pietari Inkinen.
![WAGNER, R.: Siegfried, Act III (abridged) [Opera]](https://www.naxos.com/sharedfiles/images/cds/hires/SWR19078CD.jpg "WAGNER, R.: Siegfried, Act III (abridged) [Opera]")
This month, the SWR Classics label is releasing Lindstrom’s debut album with Wagner’s Siegfried (Act 3, abridged), featuring the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie under the direction of Pietari Inkinen, who received the Helpmann Award for Best Opera Director in 2014.
MORE RECOMMENDED TITLES
Shostakovich’s Symphonies
Guides from Vasily Petrenko: Shostakovich’s Symphonies
Vasily Petrenko, chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, launched his project to record all of Shostakovich’s 15 symphonies for Naxos in 2006. The releases met with international acclaim. This month BBC Music Magazine publishes a series ofinterviews with Petrenko on Shostakovich’s symphonies. Each Thursday for the next two months, a short history and analysis of each symphony will be posted on the magazine’s website. The first three are already available online:
SHOSTAKOVICH’S SYMPHONIES SERIES ON NAXOS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OCT 2019
|
Don’t miss Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic's new recording of Beethoven's Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 with award-winning pianist Boris Giltburg! |
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra has been nominated for Gramophone's 2019 Orchestra of the Year. The award celebrates ensembles that have made significant recorded contributions in the past year, and reflects the excellence of music-making across the globe. The award will be decided by public vote, and the voting campaign starts now until September 7. Other shortlisted ensembles include the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra. Click on the following link to view the full list and vote.
www.gramophone.co.uk.
The Handmaid’s Tale
Christmas carol in The Handmaid’s Tale
The Naxos team is excited to be a part of the third season of The Handmaid's Tale. Adapted from the classic novel by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States.
In episode 8, you may hear Hark! The Herald Angels Sing in the flashbacks of Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd)’s Christmas in the pre-Gilead years.
Need to license some music for a project and don’t know where to start? Visit Naxos Licensing to find out how!
The complete Roman Tetralogy
This special collection brings together for the first time four critically lauded productions from the Royal Shakespeare Company, presenting old tales that are as pertinent to today’s world as they were in Roman times. The box set includes Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Julius Caesar and Titus Andronicus.
Directed and performed by some of the world’s leading interpreters of Shakespeare, this collection of plays represents the culmination of a large project for the Royal Shakespeare Company, showing the relevance of The Bard’s historical plays to today’s world. Aided by brilliant music from some of the greatest living music creators, including Laura Mvula and Mira Calix, each play draws us endlessly into their unique, yet relatable worlds whilst also showing the breadth of Shakespeare’s dramatic greatness.
Filmed throughout 2017 in Stratford-upon-Avon, these four plays prove that some of Shakespeare’s lesser performed works should still be held in high regard, and still have the power to hold a mirror to contemporary society, with their universal themes and often tragic central characters.
|
|
|
|
‘Everything about this production feels right.’ – The Guardian
| CAST | |
| Andrew Woodall | Julius Caesar |
| James Corrigan | Mark Antony (Julius Caesar) |
| Alex Waldmann | Brutus |
| Josette Smith | Cleopatra |
| Antony Byrne | Mark Antony (Antony & Cleopatra) |
| David Troughton | Titus Andronicus |
| Nia Gwynne | Tamora |
| Hannah Morrish | Lavinia |
| Sope Dirisu | Coriolanus |
| Haydn Gwynne | Volumina |
| Angus Jackson | Director (Julius Caesar / Coriolanus) |
| Iqbal Khan | Director (Antony & Cleopatra) |
| Blanche McIntyre | Director (Titus Andronicus) |
| Mira Calix | Composer (Julius Caesar / Coriolanus) |
| Laura Mvul | Composer (Antony & Cleopatra) |
| Matt Woodward | Composer (Titus Andronicus) |
Extra Features: Cast Interviews; Interviews with the Directors; Director’s Commentaries; Cast Galleries; Laura Mvula: Making Music for the Stage
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 2,800 full-length videos, accessible anytime, anywhere.
50% Off Hi-Res Downloads
Naxos Special Offer: 50% Off Hi-Res Downloads
Renowned for its outstanding catalogue featuring works by both popular and lesser-known composers, Naxos has produced over 900 recordings in Hi-Res audio. The pinnacle of modern digital audio, Hi-Res files retain the higher definition used by sound engineers in the mastering process. This enables a considerably greater range of dynamics and frequencies, and more closely replicates the sound quality that engineers and musicians worked with in the studio.
Until October 7, 2019, Presto Classical is offering 50% off all Hi-Res downloads from Naxos – this is the perfect opportunity to try these great recordings in the best possible sound.
|
|
SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS
the Month
Artist of the Month – Papillon
There is a new artist on the East African music scene by the name of Papillon. He not only writes all of his own music – in several languages – but he designs and creates his own instruments. Papillon looks at African musical instruments with an eye to re-design, combining and upgrading them for a new musical experience.
|
|
|
His new album is titled Moyo, which means ‘heart’ in Swahili, and ‘life’ or ‘spirit’ in Mbeere, Papillon’s mother tongue. The music on this album is inspired by the singing of birds in the morning, the roaring of lions and the cries of monkeys – it is Mother Nature speaking. With his soaring voice and haunting melodies, coupled with an abundance of African instruments, many of his own making, Papillon is a musical force to be reckoned with.
The Music of Brazil – Violin sonatas take new directions
Leopoldo Miguez and Glauco Velásquez were both leading figures in Brazil’s classical music scene at the turn of the 20th century, bringing back influences from Europe to a homeland in a state of enormous social upheaval. The lyrical character of Miguez’s ambitious Violin Sonata, Op. 14 is developed in a far more sophisticated and contrapuntal manner than anything previously experienced in Brazil, while Velásquez’s two sonatas are even richer in nuance. The tropical Romanticism of these three works marked an important change in Brazil’s chamber music, from pieces intended largely for domestic use to works suitable for public performance in concert halls.
‘The music of these two composers for me represents what was most interesting in Brazilian Romanticism, each with its own characteristics. We decided to record these pieces because they are musically interesting and very little played; at the time of our recording session there was still no other version of the two sonatas by Glauco Velásquez.’ – Karin Fernandes
‘With a life story worthy of a film or an opera, Glauco Velásquez was unintentionally one of the last adventurers in music. And, despite his very short life, his music displayed great maturity and was full of ideas! His two unknown sonatas, together with Leopoldo Miguez’s substantial work, are shining examples in all of Brazil’s literature for violin and piano.
Two very different composers, both influenced deeply by late romantic European music and, at the same time, both with a solid and deep Brazilian soul. This programme of their works makes it the ideal repertoire for a duo formed by an Italian violinist who lives in Brazil, and one of the most respected Brazilian pianists of today.’ – Emmanuele Baldini
Other recommended recordings of Brazilian classical music
– The WholeNote
|
|
|
|
★★★★
|
★★★★
|
– American Record Guide
– ClassicsToday.com
|
|
– Minor 7th
|
|
★★★★
|
Enjoy this playlist of some of the best of Classical music from Brazil!
Playlists for August
Looking for new classical music? Our selection of curated playlists has you covered with music to complement the season, moment, or activity! This month, experience the harp like never before with stunning performances in our Harp Sounds playlist, take a musical trip to the beach with Music for Beach Vacation, and take a moment to relax with unCLASSIFIED’s Ambient Unwind playlist. Then, explore the rich European piano repertoire in Grand Piano’s latest playlist! Happy listening!
|
|
|
|
concert pianists play
piano studies
Finger Finesse – concert pianists play piano studies
The name of Friedrich Burgmüller (1806–1874), the German pianist and composer, is well known to generations of piano students. In 1832 he settled in Paris where he became internationally admired for his salon pieces and studies. At a time when demand for new teaching material had reached unprecedented heights, he supplied a sequence of works that appealed to the amateur market by virtue of their musical interest and appropriate technical demands.
Swedish pianist Carl Petersson performs Burgmüller’s 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100 and 18 Characteristic Studies, Op. 109 with great insight and flair. These works may have been written as study exercises, but Carl’s nuanced performances turn these pieces into delightful miniatures.
‘I've known about Friedrich Burgmüller forever, but was familiar with only a few of his pieces, such as the Arabesque. I remember thinking that this is beautiful, really charming and inviting, but I had no idea that these were études because they seemed like real musical pieces. Each study is really short, but each is like a small universe in itself. Aside from some of the more technical études, I would recommend these to listeners of all ages because they're so charming. They are a joy to listen to and a joy to perform.’ – Carl Petersson
Watch more videos of Carl Petersson discussing Burgmüller’s Études
The Grand Piano label’s Finger Finesse is a new initiative that centres on recordings of a range of piano studies for technical dexterity on the keyboard. Titles released in this series serve as an essential resource for teachers and students alike. These recordings are presented by concert pianists who add their own performance voice and style to these exercises, elevating them beyond dry and dusty technical drills.
Another Finger Finesse release features the programme of Carl Czerny’s 30 Études de mécanisme, Op. 849 (30 Technical Studies) performed by Nicolas Horvath. These studies were composed for young pupils to serve as an introduction to his School of Velocity, and are therefore a perfect study guide for achieving technical mastery.
MORE RECORDINGS OF ÉTUDES FOR PIANO
– American Record Guide
– Musica ★★★★
– MusicWeb International
– Fanfare on Glassworlds Vol. 2 [GP690]
through a musical prism
Newsletter Archive
