New oN NaxosThe world’s Leading Classical Music Label

MaRCH 2014

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Giacomo MEYERBEER (1791–1864)Ballet Music from the Operas Les Huguenots • Robert le Diable • L’Étoile du Nord • Le Prophète • L’AfricaineBarcelona Symphony Orchestra • Michał NesterowiczBarcelona Symphony Orchestra • Michał NesterowiczGiacomo Meyerbeer was one of the most significant opera composers of all time. The four grand operas represented here brought him his greatest fame, with Les Huguenots being one of the most performed of all operas. Meyerbeer’s contributions to the French tradition of opéra-ballet acquired legendary status, including the ghostly Ballet of the Nuns from Robert le Diable; the exotic orchestral colour of the Marche indienne in L’Africaine; and the virtuoso Ballet of the Skaters from Le Prophète in which the dancers famously glided over the stage using roller skates.

Justin Heinrich KNECHT (1752–1817)Le Portrait musical de la NatureOrchestra Filarmonica di Torino • Christian BendaFrançois-André Danican PHILIDOR (1726–1795)Overtures – Le Jardinier et Son Seigneur • Le Sorcier • Tom Jones • Le Maréchal-Ferrant Prague Sinfonia Orchestra • Christian Benda

Though he wrote a great deal of church music, and also composed for the theatre, Justin Heinrich Knecht is best remembered for his Grande Simphonie ‘Le Portrait musical de la Nature’. Elegantly scored and completed in 1785, the depiction of nature in this eventful five-movement symphonic work predates Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony by almost a quarter of a century. Knecht’s older French contemporary Philidor was the leading chess player of his time in addition to being a popular stage composer, whose overtures reveal the influence of the Italian school in their sparkling drama.

Félicien DAVID (1810–1876)Lalla Roukh (Opéra-comique in two acts) Marianne Fiset, soprano • Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, tenorNathalie Paulin, soprano • Bernard Deletré, bass-baritoneDavid Newman, baritone • Andrew Adelsberger, bass-baritoneOpera Lafayette • Ryan Brown

French opera owes much of its obsession with exoticism to the pivotal figure of Félicien David, a pioneer of ‘musical Orientalism’. His opera Lalla Roukh, first performed to huge acclaim in 1862, was the catalyst for the explosion in operas set in the ‘Exotic East’. The fairy-tale plot revolves around an Indian princess who travels to Bukhara (part of modern Uzbekistan) to meet the man to whom she is to be given in marriage. Along the way she falls in love with the minstrel Noureddin who is, in fact, the King of Bukhara in disguise. David’s evocative and magical orchestration is harnessed to memorable melodies, including Lalla Roukh’s deftly harmonized arias ‘Sous le feuillage sombre’ and ‘O nuit d’amour’.

Peter MAXWELL DAVIES (b. 1934)Yesnaby Ground • Farewell to StromnessPeter Maxwell Davies, pianoSuite from The Boyfriend • Suite from The DevilsSeven In Nomine Aquarius • Nicholas Cleobury

All the works on this recording have connections with the stage or theatre. The two suites are derived from scores that Maxwell Davies wrote for films by Ken Russell and could not be more different. The Boyfriend, based on a 1954 musical by Sandy Wilson, introduces a large dance band and period motifs to great effect, while dramatic extremes depicting the film’s themes of corruption, exorcism and execution within a medieval religious setting are explored in The Devils. Seven in Nomine evokes Maxwell Davies’ interest in medieval plainsong. The composer himself plays two of his most popular piano pieces with their memorable evocations of Orkney landmarks.

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Bright SHENG (b. 1955)The Blazing Mirage The Songs and Dances of Tears • Colors of Crimson Trey Lee, cello • Hui Li, pipa • Tong Wu, shengSa Chen, piano • Pius Cheung, marimbaHong Kong Philharmonic • Bright Sheng

In 2000 Bright Sheng collected music from the remote mountains and deserts along the ancient Silk Road in China. The Song and Dance of Tears combines Chinese and Western sonorities in an evocation of the deep emotional impressions made on him by the beautiful music of that region. Colors of Crimson expands the timbre of the solo marimba through a fascinating spectrum of orchestral effects, while the skilful fusion of Chinese and Central Asian classical and folk music in The Blazing Mirage was inspired by the miraculously preserved artistic and cultural treasures of the Dunhuang Caves.

Jack BODY (b. 1944)Poems of Love and WarNew Zealand Symphony Orchestra • Kenneth Young

Three Arias from ‘Alley’ David Greco, baritone & counter-tenorMy Name is Mok Bhon Somara Ouk, recorded voicePalaran: Poems of Love and War Budi Surasa Putra, Javanese vocalistMeditations on Michelangelo Martin Riseley, violinPoems of Solitary Delights Amitai Pati, tenor • Robert Easting, narrator

Jack Body is one of New Zealand’s leading composers. His fascination with Asian traditional music has had a profound impact on music which often tells ‘dark stories of repression and unjust political imprisonment’ (New Zealand Listener). Body’s opera Alley tells the extraordinary life of Rewi Alley, whose powerful experiences in China are reflected in these specially orchestrated arias. Palaran: Poems of Love and War draws on the subtleties of Javanese gamelan and traditional vocal styles, while Poems of Solitary Delight gives a musical context to Japanese poet Tachibana Akemi’s light-hearted meditations on solitary pleasures. In contrast My Name is Mok Bhon references Cambodian traditional music to express the trauma and anguish of the Khmer Rouge years.

Frederic MOMPOU (1893–1987)Complete Songs, Volume 1 Marta Mathéu, soprano • Jordi Masó, piano

Cantar del alma (Song Of The Soul) • Combat del somni (Dream Battle)Deux mélodies • Quatre mélodies • Quand l’amant sortit (When Her Lover Left)Cinq mélodies sur des textes de Paul Valéry • Mira quina resplendor (See What Splendour)La cançó de l’àvia (Grandma’s Song) • L’hora grisa (The Twilight Hour) • Psalm

Frederic Mompou’s purely intuitive music has a unique place in Catalan history. He was initially inspired by the music of Fauré, but the early La cançó de l’àvia also represents an affinity with traditional Catalan folk-tunes, and his Quatre melodies reflect a love of brevity. Jordi Masó’s six-volume set of the complete piano works of Mompou has been widely acclaimed.

Matthew LOCKE (c. 1621–1677)The Broken Consort, Part ISuite in G major from Tripla ConcordiaSuite in E minor from Tripla ConcordiaWayward Sisters

Matthew Locke was the most prominent English musician of the generation before Purcell, occupying a unique place between the Renaissance consort tradition and Baroque chamber music. The Broken Consort refers to a group with mixed instruments, and Locke’s pieces entertained royalty with their ambitiously chromatic tonal language and rhythmic quirkiness.

Toshio HOSOKAWA (b. 1955)Orchestral Works, Volume 1 Royal Scottish National Orchestra • Jun Märkl

Horn Concerto ‘Moment of Blossoming’ Stefan Dohr, French hornLotus under the moonlight – Piano Concerto Momo Kodama, pianoChant Anssi Karttunen, cello

Japanese musicians have often taken the connection between man and nature as their theme and award-winning composer Toshio Hosokawa stands strongly in that artistic lineage. His Horn Concerto ‘Moment of Blossoming’ imagines the solo instrument as a lotus flower and the orchestra as the cosmos. The theme of the blossoming lotus continues in the piano concerto Lotus under the moonlight and in the songful Chant for cello and orchestra, influenced by Shômyô singing (the ceremonial music of Japanese Buddhism). The Horn Concerto was co-commissioned by the Berlin Philharmonic, the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam and London’s Barbican Centre.

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Peter BOYER (b. 1970)Symphony No. 1Silver Fanfare • FestivitiesThree Olympians • Celebration Overture London Philharmonic Orchestra • Peter Boyer

Peter Boyer is one of the most frequently performed American orchestral composers of his generation, widely admired not least for his GRAMMY®-nominated Ellis Island: The Dream of America (Naxos 8.559246). The composer writes, “The five works included on this recording represent a cross-section of my orchestral music. Three Olympians reflects my interest in mythology and history. Often I have received invitations to compose music for celebratory concerts, and three of the works included here – Silver Fanfare, Festivities and Celebration Overture – were created for such occasions.” Symphony No. 1 is a lyrical and rhythmically charged work, dedicated to the memory of Leonard Bernstein.

Vincent PERSICHETTI (1915–1987)Works for Violin and Piano Violin Sonata, Op. 15 • Masques, Op. 99Serenade No. 4, Op. 28Sonata for Solo Violin, Op. 10 • Piano Sonatinas Nos. 1-5 Hasse Borup, violin • Heather Conner, piano

Vincent Persichetti was one of the most important twentieth-century American composers but, despite a prolific output of superbly crafted and highly approachable works, his name remains neglected. This program of world première recordings includes the Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 15 which was rediscovered by Hasse Borup after being lost for over 70 years. The educational Piano Sonatinas range through styles from charmingly plaintive melodies to virtuoso toccatas, while Masques is a lovely set of miniatures.

EARTHRISE: Music for Wind BandMiddle Tennessee State University Wind Ensemble • Reed Thomas

Nigel CLARKE Earthrise • Heritage Suite • Their Finest HourKit TURNBULL Griot David Loucky, TromboneJesús SANTANDREU Sortes Diabolorum

This program presents exciting new works by three composers whose backgrounds range from military bands to rock and jazz music. Nigel Clarke’s Earthrise represents the drama of the entire NASA Apollo 8 flight. This contrasts with the Heritage Suite, a representation of the day-to-day life of the historic market town of West Malling in Kent, England. Celebrating the Battle of Britain in 1940, Their Finest Hour uses the actual alarm bell which called the RAF fighter pilots to their planes. In Kit Turnbull’s striking evocation the trombone assumes the rôle of the Griot, a poet, storyteller and musician who chronicles West African tribal stories through words, mime and movement. Jesús Santandreu’s Sortes Diabolorum evokes the violence of The Inquisition and the ultimate triumph of common sense over superstition.

My First Orchestra BookWritten by Genevieve Helsby and illustrated by Karin Eklund

A delightfully colourful introduction to the orchestra, aimed to fire the imagination of children aged 4–9 years. There is a special guide in the book: a little green creature called Tormod. He is a troll who has come all the way from the top of a mountain in Norway to discover music. As he searches for the music that will help him to find his way home, readers learn about the different instruments – what they look and sound like, and how they belong in different families. Throughout the book children are referred to the accompanying CD so that they can hear examples as they read. There is a musical quiz at the end, with multiple choice answers.

Max REGER (1873–1916)Organ Works Volume 14Chorale Preludes, Op. 67, Nos. 1-15; Preludes and Fugues, Op. 56 Josef Still, OrganJohannes Klais Organ, Trier Cathedral

Reger’s contrapuntal mastery has earned him the accolade of the greatest German composer for organ since Bach. Though a Catholic he drew on Lutheran traditions as can be heard in his Easy Chorale Preludes, Op. 67. Totalling 52 in number, in three volumes, the first fifteen are performed here by Josef Still, one of Reger’s most critically admired contemporary champions, whose performance in Volume 9 of this series (8.555905) was dubbed ‘utterly compelling’ by Gramophone.

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DESCRIPTION A delightfully colourful introduction to the orchestra, aimed to fire the imagination of children aged 4–9 years. There is a special guide in the book: a little green creature called Tormod. He is a troll who has come all the way from the top of a mountain in Norway to discover music. As he searches for the music that will help him to find his way home, readers learn about the different instruments – what they look and sound like, and how they belong in different families. Throughout the book children are referred to the accompanying CD so that they can hear examples as they read. There is a musical quiz at the end, with multiple choice answers. 37 classical music tracks on the CD include: Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy, Mozart’s Overture to The Magic Flute, Tchaikovsky’s ‘Russian Dance’ from The Nutcracker, Copland’s Clarinet Concerto, Wagner’s Overture to Tannhäuser, Grieg’s ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ from Peer Gynt – and many more.

SALES & MARKETING POINTS • An original, colourful and lively approach to

learning about music.

• Follows the huge success of My First Classical Music Book and Meet the Instruments of the Orchestra! from Naxos.

• 37 classical music tracks on the CD.

• Every instrument is featured, with clear audio examples.

• 60 beautifully illustrated pages that children will love.

ALSO AVAILABLE

ISBN: 978-1-84379-770-8

Barcode: 9781843797708 Subject classification: Music

Publisher: Naxos Books

Includes: Full-colour illustrated book plus CD

Retail price: UK £7.99; US $12.99; CA $16.95 UK dealer price: £5.19

Format: Hardback Size: 250mm x 250mm

Extent: 68 pages

No. words: 6,500

Age range: 4-9

Author: Genevieve Helsby Author location: Welwyn, Hertfordshire

Illustrator: Karin Eklund

Rights: World Publication date: March 2014

BIC: YAVJ

My First Orchestra Book

BOOK + CD

N E W R E L E A S E I N F O R M A T I O N

My First Classical Music Book

ISBN: 978-1-84379-118-8

Meet the Instruments of the Orchestra!

ISBN: 978-1-84379-112-6

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8.505239 / 5 CDs

TIANWA YANGLIVE IN CONCERT, St Petersburg , Russia, on 8 June (Tchaikovsky), 12 June (Bach) & 17 June (Brahms, Ysaÿe) 2011. Tianwa Yang, violin St Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra • Vladimir Lande

TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35BRAHMS Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77YSAŸE Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor ‘Ballade’J.S. BACH Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 BONUS

This is the accomplished and stylish Russian debut of Tianwa Yang – one of the most unusual and energetic violinists of our time. To an enthusiastic audience within the walls of the beautiful Court Capella in St Petersburg, she performs the much-loved concertos of Tchaikovsky and Brahms with the St Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra under the sensitive direction of Vladimir Lande.

ELDAR NEBOLSINLIVE IN CONCERT, St Petersburg, Russia, on 8 June (Tchaikovsky), 12 June (Beethoven) & 17 June (Rachmaninov) 2011. Eldar Nebolsin, pianoSt Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra • Vladimir Lande

TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major, Op. 7 BONUS Against the backdrop of St Petersburg’s beautiful Court Capella, Eldar Nebolsin performs the piano concertos of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov with a passion and sincerity as palpable on screen as live in the hall. With such evident pleasure and seemingly with ease, he transforms the familiar into something fresh and wonderful. He is seen live with Vladimir Lande and the St Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra.

The Essential John TavenerSong for Athene; Svyati and other choral works (8.555256)Lament for Jerusalem (8.557826)Ex Maria Virgine (8.572168)The Protecting Veil; In Alium (8.554388)Piano Music: Pratirūpa; Ypakoë; Palin; Mandoodles (8.570442)

“John Tavener is a master of sonic masonry, constructing vast cathedrals of both solemnity and exultation within the head and heart. Religious proclivity is not a prerequisite to uncovering the ecstasies in these scores, and the magnetism of each infuses even the most vexed of minds with hope and tranquility.”

— DOYLE ARMBRUST TIME OUT CHICAGO

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2.110283 DVD

2.110284 DVD

The All-Star Orchestra gives you a front row seat to the world’s greatest music, performed by top players chosen from over 30 great American orchestras, and conducted by Gerard Schwarz. The programs feature complete performances of popular masterpieces and world premières of new works by leading American composers. Filmed in High-Definition with 19 cameras during a once-a-year ‘summit’ in New York’s historic Grand Ballroom at Manhattan Center, the All-Star Orchestra celebrates the symphonic experience in the 21st century.

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The All-Star OrchestraPrograms 1 & 2Program 1: Music For The TheatreProgram 2: What Makes A Masterpiece?

The All-Star OrchestraPrograms 5 & 6Program 5: Relationships In MusicProgram 6: The Living Art Form

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The All-Star OrchestraPrograms 3 & 4Program 3: The New World And It‘s MusicProgram 4: Politics And Art

The All-Star OrchestraPrograms 7 & 8Program 7: Music‘s Emotional ImpactProgram 8: Mahler: Love, Sorrow And Transcendence

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