The Naxos Blog

Antonio Salieri was a contemporary of Mozart's and one of the most influential composers of his time. He remained a lesser known colleague of Mozart for almost 200 years, when the movie "Amadeus", with F. Murray Abraham in the role of Salieri made him a household name, and led to a renewed interest in his music. This podcast looks at this new recording of his Requiem in C minor, one of the only recorded versions of this piece. It features the Gulbenkian Chorus and Orchestra of Lisbon, under the direction of Lawrence Foster. Album details... Catalogue No.: Pentatone PTC5186359

William Schuman was at various times President of the Juilliard School and President of Lincoln Centre. Despite being one of America's finest arts administrators, Schuman also found time to be one of America's most important composers of the 20th century. In this podcast, Dr. Joseph Polisi, Schuman's friend, author of "American Muse: The Life and Times of WIlliam Schuman", and the current President of Juilliard, talks about Schuman's Symphonies. The performances included in this box set at podcast feature the Seattle Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gerard Schwarz. Album details... Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.505228

Mozart Carmargo Guarnieri is one of the finest Brazilian composers of the 20th century. Unfortunately, except for Naxos recordings, he is all but unknown outside his native country, having been overshadowed by his flamboyant landsman Heitor Villa-Lobos. In this podcast, Latin American music scholar James Melo talks about Guarnieri's place in Brazilian music, and about his Piano Concertos 4 - 6, which offer an introduction to his music. Musical excerpts feature pianist Max Barros, with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Conlin. Album details... Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.557667

Czech composer Antonin Dvořák had, among his many talents, the gift of seemingly endless melody. His symphonies are filled with these marvelous tunes that seem to grow out of each other. This is one of the qualities that conductor Marin Alsop loves about his music, especially his symphonies. In this podcast, she talks about his Symphonies Nos. 7 and 8 and Symphony No. 9, and about recording them with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Album details... Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.572112 and Naxos 8.570714

Gabriel Prokofiev is the founder of The NONCLASSICAL Club in London, England. It's a place where musicians and composers explore music beyond the constraints of the term "classical". Out of that club came the record label Nonclassical, and out f that label came this CD featuring Gabriel Prokofiev's Piano Book No. 1. These pieces, beautifully played by pianist Genia, draw their inspiration from the "Piano Albums of the 19th and 20th centuries, when pianos, rather than televisions and computers, were the centre of the home. Album details... Catalogue No.: Nonclassical nonclss006

Henry Vieuxtemps was one of the greatest violinist-composers of the 19th century, along with people like Paganini and Beriot. However, unlike many of his fellow violinists, Vieuxtemps wrote music that used the full romantic orchestral sound palette. In this podcast, violinist Misha Keylin talks about this music, it's challenges, and why he hopes Vieuxtemps finds his way back onto the concert stage. On this CD, Misha Keylin is accompanied by the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Andrew Mogrelia. Album details... Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.570974

Although millions and millions of music students know the name Shinichi Suzuki, few of them have ever had the chance to me, let alone study with him. In this podcast, violinist Takako Nishizaki talks about being one of Suzuki's first students, and how those experiences inform her own ideas as a teacher today. Musical highlights in the podcast feature her playing the pieces she would have first studied with Maestro Suzuki. She is accompanied by pianist Terence Dennis, and the Strings of the National Youth Orchestra of New Zealand, conducted by Peter Walls. Album details... Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.572378

Eric Whitacre is now the unquestioned superstar of American choral composers. Whether he is setting the poetry of Octavio Paz, e.e. cummings, Rumi or the Bible, his marriage of poetry with beauty of sound creates a unique and enchanting sonic world. This sound world is beautifully captured on this CD by the Elora Festival Singers, pianist Leslie De'Ath, percussionist Carol Bauman, and conductor Noel Edison. In this podcast, Eric Whitacre talks about choosing poetry for music, his love of e.e. cummings, his Youtube choir, and his brand new music theatre piece "Paradise Lost". Album details... Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.559677

Ernő von Dohnányi was one of many European composers whose work was overtaken by 20th century history. Thanks to people like conductor JoAnn Falletta, pianist Eldar Nebolsin, and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, new generations of listeners can now re-discover his music. This podcast features an interview with JoAnn Falletta in which she discusses the music of Dohnanyi, and the upcoming 75th anniversary of the Buffalo Philharmonic, an orchestra she has led for more than a decade. Album details... Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.572303

When lute player Ronn McFarlane released "Indigo Road" his first CD of all original compositions, it was a smash hit - and was nominated for a Grammy Award. His new CD, "One Morning", continues this same journey, but he is now joined on his travels by his own folk/classical band Ayreheart. Ronn McFarlane - daring to go where no lute players have gone before!! Album details... Catalogue No.: Dorian Sono Luminus DSL-92111

Einojuhani Rautavaara is one of Finland's best composers, a musician whose work has transcended musical and national boundaries. This podcast looks at the world premiere recordings of two recent works by Rautavaara - Before the Icons, and A Tapestry of Life. This CD, on Finland's Ondine label, features the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Leif Segerstam. Album details... Catalogue No.: Ondine ODE1149-2

Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin spent some of his childhood in the small town of Aleksin, south of Moscow, where his uncle was an Orthodox priest. There, with no radio, television or recorded music, he listened to the townspeople make music as part of their daily lives. Choirs singing in town, shepherds singing in the fields, and the townsfolk playing the accordion and balilika. That experience profoundly affected the way he has approached music as a composer, especially in his Concertos for Orchestra. This podcast, and this CD present the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kirill Karabits, in world premiere recordings of Kristallene Gusli, and his Concertos for Orchestra 4 and 5. Album details... Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.572405

Sondra Radvanovsky is one of the greatest Verdi singers of our time, at home on the stages of the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, Vienna State Opera, and other of the world's finest opera houses. The music of Giuseppe Verdi is particular dear to her - music that has also played a major role in her career and development as a singer. In this podcast she talks about that music, and about her brand new CD featuring her favourite arias from seven different Verdi operas. Album details... Catalogue No.: Delos DE3404

The charismatic St Petersburg-born Vasily Petrenko has really been turning things around at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra since he took over as Principal Conductor in 2005. With both standards and audiences on the up he has embarked upon his first major recording project – to record all 15 Shostakovich Symphonies for the Naxos label. The two previous releases have received tremendous notices and in this exclusive podcast he talks to Edward Seckerson about the project in general and the latest release - the war-torn 8th Symphony - in particular. Album details... Catalogue No. Naxos 8.572392

Gary Green, Director of Bands at the University of Miami, talks about their new CD featuring new works by three of America's finest contemporary composers: Michael Daugherty, David Maslanka, and Christopher Rouse. Joining Gary Green and the Frost Wind Ensemble on this CD are soloists Glenn Basham, violin and Tim Connor, trombone. Album details... Catalogue No.: Naxos 8.572439