Giovanni Sollima explores the Bach Cellos Suites
Naxos Classical Spotlight
Giovanni Sollima has been exploring Bach for as long as he has been playing the cello, and the journey continues with his new album dedicated to the Bach cello suites and pieces by other composers who were inspired by Bach. In this podcast Sollima talks about the Bach Suites, and his ongoing investigation of Bach’s music
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An introduction to Christian Sinding's four symphonies
Naxos Classical Spotlight
What to make of Norwegian composer Christian Sinding, who is chiefly remembered only by ambitious amateur pianists for his Rustle of Spring? He was a more important figure in the music of his native Norway than this might suggest; there, in his time, he was second only to Grieg. Raymond Bisha introduces us to Sinding's four symphonies that reveal the composer not as an innovator, but as someone whose music can be readily enjoyed on its own merits. Editor, translator and journalist Jens F. Laurson suggests a context for exploring these works: “He’s not the symphonic Grieg we’ve been...
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A Brazilian discovery. Francisco Mignone's late violin sonatas
Naxos Classical Spotlight
Developed in collaboration with the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Naxos' Music of Brazil series is part of the Brasil em Concerto project, presenting around 100 orchestral, chamber, choral and vocal works from the 19th and 20th centuries, many of which were previously unpublished or simply undiscovered. Such was the case of Francisco Mignone's (1897-1986) three late violin sonatas that lay dormant for fifty years. Hear how they were brought to life by violinist Emmanuele Baldini and pianist Lucas Thomazinho in Raymond Bisha's latest podcast.
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Sir Simon Rattle probes Mahler's Seventh Symphony
Naxos Classical Spotlight
This podcast features conductor Sir Simon Rattle in conversation with Raymond Bisha as they reference his new recording of Mahler's Seventh Symphony with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Sir Simon outlines his personal history with the work, from being overwhelmed at hearing it for the first time as a young schoolboy to his mature understanding of the symphony as “the point at which Mahler decided to start writing the music of the future.”
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Regaining recognition. Paul Wranitzky's orchestral works.
Naxos Classical Spotlight
A student of Haydn, a masonic brother of Mozart and a fine composer in his own right, Paul Wranitzky (1756-1808) left behind 45 symphonies that are at long last stepping out of the shadows thanks to ongoing recordings and increased access to published scores. Raymond Bisha introduces Vol. 8 in Naxos' series of Wranitzky's orchestral works, which includes the Grand Characteristic Symphony for Peace with the French Republic, completed in Vienna with eager anticipation in 1797. The symphony happily survived, but the peace negotiations sadly failed, and the war resumed in 1799.
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Christmas fizz. Black Dyke presents John Rutter.
Naxos Classical Spotlight
John Rutter is the most acclaimed composer of Christmas carols alive today, while the Black Dyke Band occupies the highest rank in the worldwide brass band community. Raymond Bisha introduces a new album that bridges these two pinnacles in arrangements for brass of Rutter's celebrated seasonal works, together with three in their original choral versions, representing a span of some sixty years of Rutter's captivating output.
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Apollo’s Fire perform Israel in Egypt
Naxos Classical Spotlight
George Frederic Handel was one of the leading composers of the baroque, especially known for his Italian operas. When he presented his dramatic oratorio Israel in Egypt in 1739 it flopped. It has since returned to favour, and this recording by Apollo’s Fire shows why this turnaround has happened. Put simply, the music is stunning.
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Composer Kenneth Fuchs. The latest recordings.
Naxos Classical Spotlight
American composer Kenneth Fuchs discusses the programmes of his two most recent albums in conversation with Raymond Bisha; both recordings feature the Sinfonia of London and soloists under conductor John Wilson. Fuchs describes the unusual conception of his Concerto for Bass Trombone (a commissioning consortium of 21 bass trombonists was involved!) and the formative inspiration and sustained friendship he derived from abstract artist Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011).
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Naxos Classical Spotlight meets the Military Music Appreciation Society
Naxos Classical Spotlight
The Military Music Appreciation Society was founded in 2008 by Roger Kennedy so he could share his passion for this music with other like-minded individuals. The Society now has more than 5000 members, with new people joining every day. In this podcast, Roger talks with host Raymond Bisha about the society and about his love for this music. This podcast includes performances by the Royal Marine Band, the Royal Artillery Band, the US Army Band, the Black Dyke Mills Band and the Band of the Coldstream Guards …. The opening and closing music features the Canadian Scottish Regiment...
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Two into one does go. The music of Nikolai Kapustin.
Naxos Classical Spotlight
“As soon as I started playing jazz, I understood it was something for me. I understood that I had to combine the two musics.” These were the words of composer Nikolai Kapustin, born in Ukraine in 1937 and a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory, the “two musics” being classical and jazz. From Kapustin's pen came an impeccable fusion of the two genres, with no trace of shallow crossover. Raymond Bisha introduces the programme on a recent recording that includes Kapustin's Second and Sixth Piano Concertos, with soloist Frank Dupree accompanied variously by the SWR Big Band and the SWR...
info_outlineJoin Rebeca Omordia as she continues her exploration of African piano music with her new album African Pianism, volume 2. It is a collection of music that combines European music with the traditional music of many different countries in Africa. The results are by turns joyous, beautiful and challenging as this music shows how classical music can be enriched by embracing other cultures. This multicultural heritage is also part of Rebeca’s own background, raised in Romania by a Romanian mother and a Nigerian father.