With its wonderfully poetic and sensual score, Rusalka is Antonín Dvořák’s most beloved opera, filled with musical effects that evoke the beauty and magic of a world inhabited by nymphs and water sprites. Jaroslav Kvapil’s libretto is based on a famously tragic children’s fairy tale, but in this acclaimed reinvention by directors Philipp Stölzl and Philipp M. Krenn Rusalka is depicted as a young woman from the dark fringes of society. She trades her power of speech to live in Hollywood at the side of a handsome movie star but is doomed to remain an outsider and a lost soul.

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José Antônio de Almeida Prado’s music is the result of a unique combination of influences, moving through different styles and techniques while always displaying a recognisably strong personal imprint. Chamber music accounts for a large part of Almeida Prado’s output. The Trio de Fontainebleau is infused with the ambience of his studies in France with Nadia Boulanger. The Balada is characteristic of the composer’s mature style with textures based on resonances, free modalism, consonant ‘transtonal harmony’ and alternation between simple and complex rhythms. Trio Marítimo evokes the Portuguese poetry of Fernando Pessoa, while the Cello Sonata, with its richly expressive palette of references, was considered by the composer to be one of his greatest achievements.

Francis Poulenc was a fluent writer of sonatas for solo wind instruments with piano, but, after some difficulties in completing the Cello Sonata, he enlisted the help of the work’s dedicatee, Pierre Fournier, who enabled him to finish the piece. Samuel Barber’s stormy Cello Sonata has close links with Brahms through its passionate declamations from thes cello and meaningful counterpoint in the piano. The influence of Brahms is also deeply felt in Ernő Dohnányi’s Cello Sonata with its tense standoffs, beautiful lines and jubilant conclusion.

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The prizewinning guitar duo Bluvenduo present a versatile selection of transcriptions for two guitars, several of which have never previously been arranged for this format. The freshness and sense of discovery in Schubert’s Sonata in A major is a product of the music’s inherent songful lyricism, perfect material for a guitar duo. So, too, is Franck’s Prélude, fugue et variation, a work of variety, elegance and light textures. The three Rachmaninov Preludes provide subtly contrasting moods, while Schumann’s Kinderszenen offers a wealth of intimacy, excitement and expressive refinement.

The full range of Ernest Bloch’s music for violin and piano can be heard on this album, which journeys from his fiery early works to one of his last compositions. Both violin sonatas explore personal themes. The First, in its barbarism, alludes to the First World War, while the Second, subtitled Poème mystique, was inspired by a dream and is suffused with lyrical episodes from Gregorian chant. The melancholy and ecstasy evoked in Baal Shem derive from Hebrew music, including pre-existing synagogal melodies. The economy of the neo-Baroque Suite No. 1 for Solo Violin reveals a more reserved but no less inventive side of Bloch’s violin writing.

Even though Cipriani Potter’s desire for lessons with Beethoven did not materialise, he benefitted from the great composer’s advice and showed in his own music a thorough understanding of German models. As an admired soloist he also introduced piano concertos by Mozart and Beethoven to Britain. Potter’s Sonata in E minor shows these influences alongside some inventive flourishes and dramatic turbulence, whereas the three expertly written Toccatas reveal the influence of Bach. Enigma Variations was written in the style of five named contemporary composers, an example of witty, ingenious and warm-hearted composition. Luke Jones’ recording of the Fantasia in G major on Mayr’s ‘Chi dice mal d’amore’ is available for streaming and download on a digital single 9.70391.

9.70391

Cipriani POTTER
Fantasia in G major on Mayr’s
‘Chi dice mal d’amore’

WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING

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Sacred choral music played a critical role in Mendelssohn’s life. The steady stream of Psalm settings made throughout his career provided a means through which he could make heartfelt responses to the texts of his faith. This first volume in the series reveals Mendelssohn’s skill in conveying the emotions behind each text, from the festive jubilation of Psalm 98, Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, to an expansive setting of Psalm 42, Wie der Hirsch schreit, regarded by Robert Schumann as the highest point Mendelssohn reached as a composer for the church.

With A German Spirit, the Margaretha Consort completes the trilogy following A German Christmas (2018) and A German Passion (2023). This release, too, is more than a historical reconstruction: it is a living musical experience in which sound, spirituality and heritage meet. Through the combination of historical awareness, artistic curiosity, creativity and passion, this centuries-old music sounds fresh and contemporary, building a bridge between past and present.

The New & Now playlist features all that is new and exciting in the world of classical music, whether it’s new music, new presentations or new performers. With more than 200 new releases each year, and artists from around the world, there is always something new to discover with Naxos.