Naxos Classical Spotlight
Naxos Classical Spotlight explores the world of classical music. Along the way host Raymond Bisha shares the stories about the music, and the musicians who make it.
Fri, March 28, 2025
Alexey Shor. A suite, a nocturne and a concerto.
Raymond Bisha introduces the third instalment of a collectable series of seven albums showcas ing Ukraine-born composer Alexey Shor ’s appealing personal style and superb craftsmanship. The programme features vivid portraits of literary figures for piano (Behzod Abduraimov) and orchestra (Kyiv Virtuosi), similarly an homage to Glinka, and a dazzling concerto for flute (Jasmine Choi). The conductors are Dmitry Yablonsky and Massimiliano Caldi . Commenting on a previous album of Shor's music ( 8.579061 ), MusicWeb International noted how Shor's popularity “is easy to understand. His idiom is highly melodic, lively, varied, deftly orchestrated – and could have been written at almost any time in the last century. His gift seems to be for the miniature, and he invests his pieces with great variety.”
Fri, March 21, 2025
“The Earth is going to be fine without us.” Jake Runestad unpacks his Earth Symphony.
Born in 1986, Jake Runestad is a versatile and prolific young composer whose visceral music and charismatic personality have fostered a busy schedule of national and international commissions, residencies, workshops, and speaking engagements, enabling him to be one of the youngest full-time composers in the world. In this podcast he discusses with Raymond Bisha the profound message behind his Earth Symphony , as Mother Earth recounts mankind's evolution, to lust for power and progress, to the impact this has had on the planet, and how she will move on after all that we have managed to inflict on her.
Fri, March 14, 2025
Notker Balbulus, a mediaeval marvel.
Notker Balbulus (c.840-912), also known as Notker of St Gall or Notker the Stammerer, was a renowned Benedictine monk at the Abbey of St Gall in Switzerland who made substantial contributions to both the music and literature of his time. In this podcast Michael Alan Anderson, musical director of Schola Antiqua of Chicago, explains to Raymond Bisha the challenges of marrying elaborate melodies with threadbare musical notation to unravel the mediaeval mysteries behind plainsong performance.
Fri, March 07, 2025
Karabtchevsky on Villa-Lobos.
Since the 1970s, Brazilian conductor Isaac Karabtchevsky has steadfastly developed one of the most brilliant careers across the Brazilian and international music scenes, The Guardian in 2009 hailing him as one of Brazil's living icons. He's heard in this podcast In conversation with Raymond Bisha, discussing the music of fellow Brazilian icon, the composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. Extracts from Karabtchevsky's recordings of Villa-Lobos' complete symphonies ( 8.506039 ) and cello concertos ( 8.574531 ) amplify the composer's attachment to his country's musical heritage and the conductor's assiduous scholarly approach to its performance.
Fri, February 28, 2025
Weaving intellect with emotion: Daron Hagen's cantata Everyone, Everywhere.
American composer Daron Hagen talks about his cantata Everyone, Everywhere in conversation with Raymond Bisha. Composed In 2023 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Hagen found impetus in the contemporary political status of his own nation to recontextualise the declaration's dry language and enable him to convey its emotional essence (“as a citizen, a person and a father”). Also drawing on texts by a range of significant historical figures, this sweeping work for choir, vocal soloists and orchestra marries intellect and emotion in a passionate cry for justice and peace, and in a way that only music can.
Wed, February 26, 2025
The Queene’s Masque, a courtly collection for lute.
A delightful collection of lute music from the courts of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I, played by Italian lutenist Elisa La Marca. This was a time of incredible cultural richness in England brought forth composers such as John Dowland and writers such as William Shakespeare. Because the lute was one of the favoured instruments in court during this time, many of the best composers of the time either played the lute or wrote music for it.
Fri, February 21, 2025
Pade, Krek, Batič. Denmark meets Slovenia to inspirational effect.
In this podcast, Raymond Bisha discusses a new album from the Danish National Vocal Ensemble with their chief conductor, Slovenian Martina Batič. The programme similarly melds the two nations in a programme of choral music by Slovenian composer Uroš Krek (1922-2008) and Danish composer Else Marie Pade (1924-2016), the latter a pioneer in electronic music whose greatest religious work Maria is scored for coloratura soprano, bass baritone, speaking choir, 7 trombones and electronic sounds.
Fri, February 14, 2025
Johann Sebastian Bach meets the Theorbo, Lutenist Yasunori Imamura plays transcriptions of Bach
Yasunori Imamura, whose recording of Bach’s complete lute works has been described as a ‘magnificent interpretation’ (Naxos 8.573936–37), turns his attention to the Cello Suites . Imamura has chosen to perform these iconic suites on the theorbo, the most important plucked instrument in the lute family, with a range very similar to the cello. Certain technical elements, such as the playing of arpeggios are, in fact, easier on the theorbo whose unique timbres and resonances bring a new sonic quality to these much-loved works. This album includes cello suites 1, 4 and 5.
Wed, February 12, 2025
Sir Simon Rattle looks at Haydn’s Oratorio The Creation
To mark his inauguration as Chief Conductor of the Bavarian Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle chose Joseph Haydn's oratorio The Creation . After two concerts on September 21 and 22, 2023 in Munich's Herkulessaal, the work was performed on September 24 in the historic basilica of Ottobeuren in Upper Swabia, together with the three outstanding soloists Lucy Crowe (soprano), Benjamin Bruns (tenor) and Christian Gerhaher (baritone). This album comes from these inaugural concerts.
Fri, February 07, 2025
Bach to Notre-Dame, Olivier Latry plays Bach
When Notre-Dame de Paris caught fire in 2015 the organ was not damaged - some would call it a miracle. In this podcast I talk to Olivier Latry, organist at Notre-Dame, about his album Bach to Notre-Dame which was the last album recorded at Notre-Dame before the fire. Latry was also organist when Notre-Dame reopened in 2024.
Tue, January 28, 2025
Giovanni Sollima explores the Bach Cellos Suites
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
Fri, January 24, 2025
An introduction to Christian Sinding's four symphonies
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 missing, nor a Nordic Brahms that’s been overlooked. He’s more of an amiable Stanford, Gernsheim, Raff, or perhaps Glaznuov … who wrote very pleasing works that we will not hear in the concert halls (sadly) but which will enliven our musical diet on recordings if we need to take a break from Dvořák, Brahms and Bruckner.”
Fri, January 17, 2025
A Brazilian discovery. Francisco Mignone's late violin sonatas
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.
Fri, January 10, 2025
Sir Simon Rattle probes Mahler's Seventh Symphony
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.”
Fri, January 03, 2025
Regaining recognition. Paul Wranitzky's orchestral works.
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.
Fri, December 20, 2024
Christmas fizz. Black Dyke presents John Rutter.
John Rutter is the most acclaimed composer of Christmas carols alive today, w hile 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.
Tue, December 17, 2024
Apollo’s Fire perform Israel in Egypt
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.
Fri, December 13, 2024
Composer Kenneth Fuchs. The latest recordings.
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).
Tue, December 10, 2024
Naxos Classical Spotlight meets the Military Music Appreciation Society
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 Pipes and Drums, together with The Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band of the United States Marine Corps.
Fri, December 06, 2024
Two into one does go. The music of Nikolai Kapustin.
“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 Symphony Orchestra.
Fri, November 22, 2024
Convention defied. Beethoven defined. The final three cello sonatas.
Raymond Bisha introduces a new album featuring Beethoven's final three cello sonatas that are full of unexpected shifts of harmony and mood, virtuoso flourishes and experimental surprises, all of which defy convention. The cellist is Gabriel Schwabe, one of the leading cellists of his generation and a laureate of several national and international competitions; the exceptionally sympathetic pianist is Nicholas Rimmer. The first of their two volumes of Beethoven's complete cello sonatas ( 8.574529 ) was released in September: “ I was totally engrossed by the duo’s warm, keenly articulated playing.” ( Gramophone )
Tue, November 19, 2024
Conductor Vahan Mardirossian, Armenian roots, global reach.
Vahan Mardirossian grew up in Armenia surrounded by music, an upbringing that has given him a broad musical perspective and a desire to explore all kinds of music. In this podcast he talks about everything from his musical roots to his new position with the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Pardubice with whom he now has an ongoing recording program that guarantees we can look forward to many more recordings.
Fri, November 15, 2024
Dale Kavanagh & Friends
Renowned both as a distinguished soloist with some 1,800 concerts worldwide to her credit and as a member of the Amadeus Guitar Duo, Dale Kavanagh is one of the most prominent classical guitarists of her generation. Raymond Bisha discusses her latest Naxos album that features a programme of her own compositions, both solos and duos in which she is joined by an octet of acclaimed, award-winning colleagues and friends.
Fri, November 08, 2024
Latin Landscapes
Raymond Bisha 's latest podcast introduces the twenty-four strings and forty fingers of the Guitalian Quartet in a programme from a new album featuring music from Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and beyond. Effortless guitar technique combines with folksy wit and lyrical introspection in performances that will have your feet tapping and your ears purring.
Fri, October 25, 2024
Sheer Bliss
K nighted in 1950, Sir Arthur Bliss was Master of the Queen’s Music in Great Britain from 1953 until his death in 1975 . Raymond Bisha introduces a new album comprising both original works for brass band and arrangements of others for the ensemble that represent the breadth of the composer's output, from pieces of royal association ( Welcome the Queen ) to music for the concert hall (Kenilworth ) , the ballet stage ( Adam Zero and Checkmate ) and the cinema ( Things to Come ). John Wilson conducts the famous Black Dyke Mills Band, a highly distinguished contributor to the rich heritage of British brass bands. Bliss himself readily acknowledged the astonishing virtuosity of such highly disciplined amateur players, noting that “their rules are nearly as rigid as those of football teams!”
Fri, October 18, 2024
Maria Herz (1878-1950). An overdue renaissance of an extraordinary musician.
Raymond Bisha introduces the world premiere recordings of remarkable orchestral works by Maria Herz. Born in Germany, a resident of England and, her final resting place, the United States, her life was beset not only by two World Wars and ravages of the Spanish Flu, but also the attendant anchors of being a female, Jewish composer. Only two of her works were published in her lifetime. Now that her estate of manuscripts has been replanted in the Zurich Central Library, the renaissance of her engaging music has begun.
Tue, October 15, 2024
Rebeca Omordia and African Pianism
Join 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.
Fri, October 11, 2024
The VOX Elite Recordings: Susskind and Semkow conduct Rimsky-Korsakov and Smetana
Raymond Bisha's podcast spotlights two classic recordings in the Vox Audiophile Edition that were first released in the mid-1970s and feature two former music directors of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in their prime – Walter Susskind, who directs orchestral extracts from Smetana's opera The Bartered Bride , and Jerzy Semkow, who leads a performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade , one of the most popular suites in the entire orchestral canon.
Fri, October 04, 2024
Bruckner's Symphonies. All Versions. Part 4.
Marking the 200th anniversary of Bruckner's birth, this is the final podcast in Raymond Bisha's four-part survey of Naxos' project to record all 18 versions of the composer's 11 symphonies. With movements performed by the Bruckner Orchester Linz under conductor Markus Poschner, together with observations from Bruckner scholar Paul Hawkshaw, this instalment features movements from Symphonies 8 and 9.
Tue, October 01, 2024
Harry Christophers and The Sixteen, celebrating 45 years.
For all who have heard it, the sound of the choral ensemble The Sixteen, conducted by Harry Christophers is unforgettable and beautiful. This podcast features an interview with Harry Christophers, and music by William Byrd, Thomas Tallis and Arvo Pärt, from their album The Deer’s Cry. On the eve of their US tour, this podcast celebrates their 45 th anniversary.
Fri, September 27, 2024
Bruckner's Symphonies. All Versions. Part 3.
Marking the 200 th anniversary of Bruckner's birth, this is the third podcast in Raymond Bisha's four-part survey of Naxos' project to record all 18 versions of the composer's 11 symphonies. With movements performed by the Bruckner Orchester Linz and the ORF Radio Vienna Symphony Orchestra, plus annotations from music scholar Robert Simpson, this instalment features movements from Symphonies 6 and 7.
Fri, September 20, 2024
Bruckner's Symphonies. All Versions. Part 2
Marking the 200 th anniversary of Bruckner's birth, this is the second podcast in Raymond Bisha's four-part survey of Naxos' project to record all 18 versions of the composer's 11 symphonies. Featuring movements performed by the Bruckner Orchester Linz and the ORF Radio Vienna Symphony Orchestra, plus annotations from conductor Markus Poschner and Bruckner scholar Professor Paul Hawkshaw, this installment features movements from Symphonies 3, 4 and 5.
Fri, September 13, 2024
Bruckner's Symphonies. All Versions. Part 1
Marking the 200 th anniversary of Bruckner's birth, Raymond Bisha dips into the fruits of Naxos' project to record all 18 versions of the composer's 11 symphonies. Featuring movements performed by the Bruckner Orchester Linz and the ORF Radio Vienna Symphony Orchestra, plus annotations from conductor Markus Poschner and Bruckner scholar Professor Paul Hawkshaw, Raymond Bisha opens his 4-part survey with an introduction to Symphonies 0, 1 and 2. The Complete Symphonies Box Set is now available, Naxos catalogue number 8.501804
Fri, September 06, 2024
Manual overdrive. American organ concertos.
A recent new album of American organ concertos featuring multi-award-winning artists b rought together the artistry of organist Paul Jacobs a nd the contemporary music pedigree of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Giancarlo Guerrero. T he high expectations generated by such a rare programme were met with distinction and this podcast conversation between Raymond Bisha and Paul Jacobs reveals both the practical challenges and the musical rewards behind the making of the recording.
Fri, August 30, 2024
Janna Gandelman: a recital of Catalan violin works
In the first half of the 20th century, Catalan instrumental music was dominated by works for the piano and the cello. As a result, the importance of Catalan violin repertoire is often overlooked. Raymond Bisha introduces a new album of such works for violin and piano that's full of captivating contrasts, featuring twelve works by five composers that were written over the course of more than a century.
Fri, August 16, 2024
Fischer hallmarks Haydn: the effect, not the sound.
Conductor Adam Fischer and the Danish Chamber Orchestra have already persuaded audiences to absorb the symphonies of Brahms and Beethoven through their distinctive lens. Now they're midway through a series of recordings of Haydn's great late symphonies. Raymond Bisha's conversation with Fischer draws the curtain on just how he fathoms Haydn's essence: “He's hiding his ideas in the scores, and we have to discover them.”
Fri, August 02, 2024
Castelnuovo-Tedesco's 3 String Quartets.
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, perhaps best known for his numerous film scores and works for guitar, also composed in a variety of other genres, from transcriptions for cello to violin concertos, piano works and orchestral music. Raymond Bisha turns our attention in this podcast to his three string quartets, written respectively in 1929, 1948 and 1964, and heard in authoritative performances on a new album by Italy's noted Quartetto Adorno.
Wed, July 24, 2024
An interview with pianist and composer Danilo Pérez
Grammy winning Panamanian jazz musician Danilo Pérez is many things - pianist, composer, educator, humanitarian, organizer of the Panama Jazz Festival, UNESCO Artist for Peace and Panama's Cultural Ambassador. In this podcast he talks about his new album Lumen that he recorded with Sweden's Bohuslän Big Band.
Fri, July 19, 2024
Margaret Brouwer. Orchestral colour, imagery and emotional power.
In this podcast, Raymond Bisha talks with American composer Margaret Brouwer about the inspiration and compositional approach behind the orchestral pieces on the programme of her new album. Spanning a period of twenty-four years, the works are brilliantly performed by Marin Alsop and the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, vividly capturing the music's wide range of expression, from sparkling sonorities to virtuosic challenges and beautiful evocations of nature.
Fri, July 05, 2024
The Music of Brazil. Oscar Lorenzo Fernández (1897-1948)
Five years into the celebrated Naxos Music of Brazil series, we reach Vol. 21 and the music of Oscar Lorenzo Fernández (1897-1948) , who was a key figure in the cultural life of Rio de Janeiro. Lorenzo Fernández’s two symphonies suffered neglect after the composer’s untimely death at the age of f ifty. Raymond Bisha introduces the world premiere r ecording of the powerful First Symphony, and the first modern studio recording of the programmatic Second Symphony.
Fri, June 28, 2024
The Muses Restor'd: a new album from violinist Rachel Podger and Brecon Baroque
Rachel Podger talks about the joys of consort music, the Brecon Baroque Festival, and "The Muses Restor'd", her new album with Brecon Baroque with music from George Frideric Handel, William Lawes, John Blow, Matthew Locke, Henry Purcell, John Jenkins and many others.
Fri, June 21, 2024
Smetana, Susskind & St Louis. An Elite Recording
Smetana's Má vlast is an unprecedented cycle of six related symphonic poems that evoke Czech legends and celebrate the beauty of the country’s landscapes. Received with “unending storms of applause” at its 1882 premiere, Má vlast reflects the unique characteristics that form the heart and soul of the Czech nation. R aymond Bisha introduces an acclaimed 1975 recording of the work by the St Louis Symphony under Walter Susskind, which has been given a new lease of life by returning to the original Elite Recordings master tapes and effecting a high-definition transfer of the original sound.
Fri, June 07, 2024
Paul Chihara's complete piano works. Quynh Nguyen's complete absorption
Pianist Quynh Nguyen discusses her recording of the complete piano works of Paul Chihara, the distinguished American composer whose output includes the scores for over 100 motion pictures and television series. Past exchanges between performer and composer about the items on the programme reflect an intensely deep and detailed collaboration, with AllMusic.com warmly welcoming the album as “ ingenious and richly evocative and beautifully and quietly played … this is a wonderful release.” Raymond Bisha presents.
Fri, May 31, 2024
Forgotten Sounds – the Loeffler Octet rediscovered.
During his lifetime, Charles Martin Loeffler was one of the most performed American composers. His octet was completed in 1896, played twice the following year and then forgotten. Clarnetist Graeme Steele Johnson rediscovered the manuscript in the Library of Congress, took a year to create a performing edition from the score, and recorded the work for Delos, DE3603. In this podcast, he talks about that journey.
Fri, May 24, 2024
Lukas Foss. A composer on the podium
JoAnn Falletta, conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, discusses a programme of orchestral works by composer/conductor Lukas Foss, who was both a predecessor of hers in Buffalo and a mentor to her. Highlighting his eclecticism as a composer, who went wherever his mind took him, Raymond Bisha discusses the performers' latest album, which features four works that colourfully reflect Foss' wide embrace and expert craftsmanship.
Fri, May 10, 2024
Gerald Peregrine. A truly mobile music machine.
Irish cellist Gerald Peregrine introduces his latest album of early 20th-century British works for cello and piano, interweaving the classical and folk-based music with a personal narrative of community engagement, in which his live music-making initiatives have achieved truly significant and touching results.
Fri, April 26, 2024
Plucked and perfectly prepped. Alon Sariel's Bach transcriptions for mandolin
This podcast spotlights Israeli mandolinist Alon Sariel, who provides an entree into the engaging world of the mandolin, an instrument that perhaps enjoys a relatively low profile but commands a fascinating global reach. Alon Sariel's second album of transcriptions of works by J. S. Bach for mandolin blends technical precision with nuanced artistry and masterly adaptations. The presenter is Raymond Bisha.
Fri, April 19, 2024
Alsop + Adams + The Groove
Marin Alsop discusses her latest release – an album of orchestral works by John Adams – with Raymond Bisha, exploring just what it is about Adams' music that makes him the leading nominee for the title of America's greatest living composer, not least for scores that inhabit 'the groove' with conspicuous relish.
Fri, April 12, 2024
Standing with Eagles. The music of Louis Wayne Ballard
Louis Wayne Ballard (1931-2007) – also known as 'Honganozhe', which means 'Stands with Eagles' in the Quapaw language – was the first indigenous North American composer of art music, and his extensive knowledge of the music, dance and mythology of this culture informed his compositions. This podcast reviews a new album of his works that are eclectic in style, uniquely varied and thoroughly engaging. The presenter is Raymond Bisha. The guests are conductor John Jeter and Jerod Impich-chāachaaha Tate, who was a student, friend and colleague of the composer.
Fri, March 29, 2024
Rameau meets the accordion
In January 2024, Finnish accordionist/conductor Janne Valkeajoki released a captivating album of music by French Baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau, which Valkeajoki himself arranged for his instrument. Raymond Bisha's conversation with the performer delves into the various musical transformations and performance mechanics that were involved in the masterly transfer from harpsichord strings to accordion reeds.
Fri, March 15, 2024
Breathing new life into Orfeo Vecchi's motets for six voices.
Orfeo Vecchi was held in high regard by his contemporaries for the sacred music he produced towards the end of the 16th century. Raymond Bisha introduces a new recording of the twenty pieces that comprise his third book of Motets for Six Voices. The works form a rich, eclectic programme, and the performances by Cappella Musicale Eusebiana directed by Don Denis Silano elegantly express the pictorial aspects of the texts that Vecchi achieved through subtle dialogue, antiphony and counterpoint.
Fri, March 08, 2024
Florence Price and Leo Sowerby String Quartets
Raymond Bisha introduces a new album of works for string quartet by Florence Price and Leo Sowerby, who were both prominent members of the Chicago music community in the 1930s and 1940s. Most of Florence Price’s compositions remained unpublished at her death, and her String Quartet in A minor was not performed in her lifetime. Her Five Folksongs in Counterpoint entwine and enrich the famous melodies with African American vernacular idioms and colourful harmony, while Sowerby’s String Quartet in G minor reveals music undeserving of its decades of obscurity in the Avalon Quartet's world premiere recording of the work.
Fri, February 23, 2024
Bach-Rheinberger - The Goldberg Variations
Raymond Bisha's latest podcast introduces the world premiere recording of Joseph Rheinberger's arrangement for two pianos of Bach's Goldberg Variations. Composed by Bach in 1741, the work fell into oblivion before re-emerging as part of a movement of discovery generations later. In order to breathe new life into them, such masterpieces might undergo arrangements, transcriptions and other manipulations. In this case, Rheinberger's 1883 version adds new parts to Bach's original score.
Mon, February 19, 2024
Introduction to Peter Boyer's Rhapsody in Red White and Blue
George Gershwin's ever popular Rhapsody in Blue was first performed in February 1924. To mark the centenary of that celebrated event, pianist Jeffrey Biegel commissioned composer Peter Boyer to write a work for piano and orchestra that would be a 21st-century partner to Gershwin's original. Raymond Bisha talks to both composer and soloist about the gestation of this celebratory new work that captures a similar propulsive energy, while interweaving allusions to blues influences and lyrical evocations of American vistas.
Fri, February 09, 2024
Abbey Simon plays Chopin
Raymond Bisha introduces a programme of works for piano and orchestra by Chopin, performed by legendary pianist Abbey Simon. Once hailed by renowned critic Harold C. Schonberg of The New York Times as a “supervirtuoso”, Simon was a great American pianist in the great Romantic tradition, who imbued his effortless virtuoso technique with a uniformly clear sound. Having passed away in 2019 at the age of ninety-nine, most of his recorded output was for the VOX label. This album includes Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1, Fantasy on Polish Airs and the Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise Brillante.
Fri, January 26, 2024
Same River Twice
Raised in Medellín, Colombia, Billy Arcila has lived in the United States for over 40 years, where he teaches and performs as one of California’s foremost guitarists. In this podcast, Raymond Bisha presents the first album to be made of his music. Performed by the composer himself, it contains works written across Ancila's entire compositional life, from his first published work to his most recent. Interspersed with the music of other admired composers, Arcila’s autobiographical guitar music embraces the nostalgic, the verdant and the vibrant. This album also includes music by Fabio Salazar Orozco, Jorge Becerra, Gustavo Gómez Ardila, Sam Bigney and others.
Fri, January 12, 2024
The Valencia Baryton Project plays Haydn
A podcast featuring the Valencia Baryton Project and their new recording of music by Franz Joseph Haydn. Haydn was music director of the Esterházy Court at Eisenstadt for twenty-five years. It was where Prince Nikolaus commissioned him to write trios for the baryton, a bowed, stringed instrument similar to the viol but with extra plucked strings that enabled performers to accompany themselves. Haydn wrote string trios (baryton, viola, cello) of elegance, refinement and poise that encapsulate a rich variety of moods, a selection of which is introduced on this podcast by Raymond Bisha. Seldom performed or recorded, the baryton trios attest to Haydn’s limitless powers of invention in every medium.
Fri, December 22, 2023
Leopold Godowsky Complete Piano Works with Konstantin Scherbakov finally finished!
Raymond Bisha introduces the fifteenth and final volume in Konstantin Scherbakov's recordings of the complete piano works of Leopold Godowsky, on the Marco Polo label, in which the programme comprises a number of the arrangements Godowsky made of Chopin's Études. Reflecting on his mammoth undertaking, the virtuoso pianist notes that “this project to record Leopold Godowsky's complete piano works began in 1997 and has taken me 26 years to complete. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this is one of the largest and most important recording projects of the piano repertoire, through which many works have received their premiere recordings.”
Fri, November 17, 2023
VOX Audiophile Edition: Stanisław Skrowaczewski and the Minnesota Orchestra
Conductor Stanisław Skrowaczewski spent 19 years as music director of the Minnesota Orchestra, from 1960 to 1979, during which time he developed it into one of the finest orchestras in North America. They made many recordings together, mostly for the VOX and Mercury labels, from which Raymond Bisha has selected two remastered albums from the VOX catalogue that demonstrate their distinguished achievements. The programmes of music by Beethoven and Mozart include Mozart’s Piano Concertos Nos. 17 and 27, featuring Walter Klien as soloist.
Tue, November 07, 2023
Music of Brazil • Villa-Lobos • Works for Cello and Orchestra
Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos was also an accomplished guitarist and cellist, and his wonderful music for the latter instrument takes full advantage of the lyrical and dramatic capabilities of the instrument. In this episode of Naxos Classical Spotlight, Raymond Bisha explores a new recording of his two Cello Concertos, together with his Fantasia for Cello and Orchestra, that features solo cellist Antonio Meneses and the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Isaac Karabtchevsky.
Sun, October 29, 2023
Celebrating Delos Productions and pianist Carol Rosenberger
As the record label Delos Productions turns 50, we celebrate with an interview with pianist Carol Rosenberger who, with her friend Amelia Haygood, helped create the Delos label for which Carol also did many recordings. As a concert pianist, record executive and also as polio survivor, Carol's story is one of courage, determination and grace.
Sun, October 22, 2023
United at Last, 2 Operas by James P Johnson.
This podcast features Raymond Bisha in conversation with conductor Kenneth Kiesler about the rediscovery, rescue and reconstruction of two operas by James P. Johnson (1894–1955), De Organizer with a libretto by Langston Hughes, and The Dreamy Kid, with words by Eugene O'Neill. JP Johnson was renowned as an influential jazz pianist but was largely unknown as a composer of opera. It was Johnson’s express hope that two of his short stage works, written in the late 1930s, would one day form a double-bill. Which they did, but not until they were finally performed in 2006, and released on disc in 2023.
Fri, October 06, 2023
VOX The Legacy of Maurice Abravanel and the Utah Symphony
Another podcast featuring historic recordings on the VOX label, this one explores the recordings of Tchaikovsky’s music by the Utah Symphony Orchestra under Maurice Abravanel, who was the ensemble’s music director for more than 30 years. From the performances, to the production team of Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz, the liner notes by Richard Freed, and of course Tchaikovsky’s music itself, there are many reasons why these from the 1970s are still so popular.
Sun, September 17, 2023
Jennifer Higdon. 2 Spectacular Concertos • 1 Sizzling Recording
This podcast features American composer Jennifer Higdon in a wide-ranging conversation with Raymond Bisha, during which she describes the long swathe of influences on her composing career. The musical spotlights comprise extracts from her latest recording for Naxos of two powerfully engaging works: the Concerto for Orchestra, written in 2002 and demanding virtuosity from principal players, individual sections and the entire orchestra alike; and her pyrotechnic Duo Duel, a concerto for two percussionists written in 2020, that boasts a killer cadenza (during which you should hold on to your hat) and a diaphanous opening (for which you should hold your breath, and with which this podcast begins…). This recording features solo percussionists Matthew Strauss and Svet Stoyanov, with the Houston Symphony conducted by Robert Spano
Sat, August 26, 2023
VOX Recording, Restoring a Unique Voice
In this episode of Naxos Classical Spotlight, Raymond Bisha presents the first in a series of podcasts that explore newly remastered recordings on the VOX label dating from the 1970s. This episode features four albums by the St Louis Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin, in which the orchestra and solo pianists Abbey Simon and Jeffrey Siegel variously perform works by Rachmaninov and Gershwin. The ‘silent stars’, however, are Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz, the albums’ original, legendary recording engineers who are credited with producing some of the finest ever examples of recorded orchestral sound.
Thu, July 20, 2023
Claudio Santoro, a musical explorer from Brazil
Brazilian composer Claudio Santoro (1919–1989) proved a dynamic force for his country’s classical music scene. His life was both intertwined with, and deeply influenced by, the political and social events playing out around him, from the building of the Berlin Wall in Europe to political upheavals in his homeland. Through it all, his compositions reflected a life of distinctive musical exploration. This album is part of Naxos's ongoing Music of Brazil series.
Sun, July 02, 2023
Jonathan Leshnoff - Recent Orchestral Works
Raymond Bisha introduces Naxos’ fifth album devoted to the music of leading American composer, Jonathan Leshnoff. The themes of this mixed programme of his recent works are remembrance, memorialisation and hopefulness. The works on this album are Elegy, Second Violin Concerto, and Of Thee We Sing. As the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing was approaching, conductor Alexander Mickelthwate reached out to Leshnoff to propose a memorial commission, a piece for chorus and orchestra “that transcends the atrocity and focuses on all the good that came out of it in the last 25 years. A city growing together." Leshnoff called composing Of Thee We Sing “the most serious commission I have ever received”. The soloist in the Second Violin Concerto is Noah Bendix-Balgley. The Oklahoma City Philharmonic and the Canterbury Voices are conducted by Alexander Mickelthwate.
Sat, June 10, 2023
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. A polymath in Paris.
Naxos Classical Spotlight looks at the life of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745–1799) – a brilliant swordsman, athlete, violin virtuoso and gifted composer – might well lay claim to being the most talented figure in an age of remarkable individuals. Raymond Bisha gives an overview of this remarkable life, binding the disparate elements of his career with the constant beauty of his violin concertos.
Sat, June 10, 2023
One genius through the eyes of another, an interview with Marin Alsop
Conductor and Naxos artist Marin Alsop discusses Robert Schumann’s four symphonies in the wake of her recordings of the works as reorchestrated by Mahler ( 8.574429 and 8.574430 ). Following observations about instrumental developments of the time, Mahler’s myriad tweaks to the score, and the somewhat bipolar flavour of the music (with counterpoint always at hand as a periodic stabiliser), she moves on to a detailed appreciation of each symphony, demonstrating Schumann’s distinctive contribution to the development of the genre “with one foot in the past, and one in the future.”
Sat, June 10, 2023
John Corigiano and his music for solo piano
In this eposode of Naxos Classical Spotlight Raymond Bisha introduces Naxos’ new album of the complete works for solo piano by leading American composer John Corigliano. During their conversation together, the composer gives insight into the creative genesis of all the works on the programme, which span a period of some fifty years: from the 1968 Piano Concerto (“The first piece I ever wrote for orchestra”) to Prelude for Paul , written in 2021 with an unusual conception. The solo pianist is Philip Edward Fisher, hailed by John Corigliano for his “consummate technique and great musical intelligence.”
Fri, November 12, 2021
A forgotten treasure. Marin Alsop discusses Hindemith.
"A forgotten treasure. Marin Alsop discusses Hindemith. This podcast features Marin Alsop in conversation with Raymond Bisha following the release of her first album for Naxos as chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. She assumed the post in 2019 and the programme reflects that of her first public appearance in the role. Marin's advocacy of Hindemith's music is rooted in her days as a violin student and her subsequent period of tutelage under Leonard Bernstein. The educational projects she initiated during her time with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra also feature in the broadcast."
Fri, October 22, 2021
Paired to perfection. Tianwa Yang plays Prokofiev’s violin concertos.
Violinist Tianwa Yang marks her fifteenth year as one of Naxos’ leading artists with a new album featuring Prokofiev’s two violin concertos. The works’ stylistic contrasts reflect the fact that they were written some twenty years apart, but they receive the same scrupulous attention to technical and musical details that hallmark every one of Tianwa’s performances. Little wonder that they consistently attract accolades and awards. Fellow Naxos artist Jun Märkl conducts the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. Raymond Bisha presents.
Fri, October 22, 2021
Un Mexicano en Nueva York, música de Samuel Zyman
El compositor mexicano Samuel Zyman junto a la flautista Marisa Canales nos hablan en este podcast acerca de su nueva grabación bajo el sello Urtext en donde interpretan las dos sonatas para flauta y piano Zyman.
Thu, October 07, 2021
Malcolm Arnold: Complete Symphonies and Symphonic Dances
An introduction to the Symphonies and Dances of composer Malcolm Arnold featuring conductor Andrew Penny who recorded all these works for Naxos. Arnolds orchestral works are a study in contrasts, from his optimistic and tuneful dance suites to his deeply personal symphonies.
Fri, September 24, 2021
Mapping a musical monument. Giltburg’s Beethoven 32.
Raymond Bisha presents an overview of Boris Giltburg’s project to learn and record all of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas, which are now released in a 9-CD box set edition following their inception as critically acclaimed digital releases. The recordings reflect only one facet of Giltburg’s gem of an undertaking, in that performances were also filmed and subsequently fleshed out by his extended and informative notes that accompany the albums. Giltburg’s personal exploration and Beethoven’s panoply of expression unite in a cycle that runs the full gamut of human emotion.
Fri, September 10, 2021
Versatilité sans frontières. Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint–Georges (1745–1799).
Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was a brilliant swordsman, athlete, violin virtuoso and gifted composer, with a claim to being the most talented figure in an age of remarkable individuals. He was an early and important exponent of the hybrid symphonie concertante , a genre that draws on both the symphony and concerto traditions. In this podcast Raymond Bisha talks with Dr Allan Badley, co-founder of Artaria Editions, the music publishing house that has created performance editions for hundreds of previously unpublished 18th-century works, many of which have been recorded for Naxos.
Fri, August 27, 2021
String Quartets from Jurgis Karnavicius
Lithuanian composer Jurgis Karnavičius was born in 1884, and became one of the early classical music leaders in his country. His 3rd and 4th string quartets were composed and first performed in the 1920's, and then ignored for decades. This podcast, and the new recording by the Vilnius String Quartet show why Karnavičius deserves to be remembered.
Fri, August 13, 2021
Jazz idioms, classical structures. Symphonic works by Nikolai Kapustin (1937–2020).
Significantly influenced by his experience of playing in some of the earliest Soviet jazz bands, Nikolai Kapustin trained as a pianist at the Moscow Conservatory but subsequently devoted himself to composition. His output includes many works for piano, two of which are featured on this new album — the Fourth Piano Concerto and the Concerto for Violin, Piano and Orchestra, along with his Chamber Symphony, Op. 57. Raymond Bisha introduces both the music and the propulsive energy of Frank Dupree who appears variously as piano soloist and conductor throughout the program.
Fri, July 23, 2021
Music of Brazil. The Villa-Lobos violin sonatas.
Raymond Bisha prefaces his latest podcast with this introduction: “Heitor Villa-Lobos, the prolific Brazilian composer of some 2,000 works, conductor, cellist, guitarist and music educationalist, wrote his three violin sonatas between 1912 and 1920. When he wrote the first sonata, he was still a struggling young composer trying to make a name for himself, while playing all kinds of gigs to pay the bills. By the time he wrote the third sonata in 1920, he was a much more assured composer, and well on his way to international fame and success.”
Fri, July 16, 2021
Camille Saint-Saëns. A symphonic collection.
French composer Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) is remembered as someone who could spin melodies as easily as he breathed. Naxos is marking the centenary of his death with a 3-CD box set that comprises all his symphonies and a sequence of atmospheric and dramatic symphonic poems, including Phaéton and the ever-popular Danse macabre . Raymond Bisha presents an overview of these recordings by the Malmö Symphony Orchestra and conductor Marc Soustrot, a noted French music specialist.
Fri, July 09, 2021
The Power of Tower
With multiple GRAMMY nominations and wide critical acclaim to her credit, Joan Tower’s latest album in the Naxos American Classics series demonstrates why she is so often performed, and why she is such a respected person among American composers. Raymond Bisha presents the programme on her new release that comprises four world premiere recordings. Soloists Dame Evelyn Glennie (percussion) and Blair McMillen (piano) feature alongside David Alan Miller and the Albany Symphony Orchestra.
Fri, June 18, 2021
Anne-Louise Brillon de Jouy (1744-1824). Piano sonata premieres.
Anne-Louise Brillon de Jouy ran one of the finest salons in pre-revolution Paris. She was well educated and well connected, with a circle of friends that ran from Luigi Boccherini to Benjamin Franklin. She was also a fine composer. Because of the social norms of the day, however, her role within Parisian culture was restricted, and none of her music was published during her lifetime. Raymond Bisha presents the world premiere recordings of her piano sonatas by Nicolas Horvath.
Fri, May 28, 2021
Dancing elegance, melodic flow. Overtures by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber.
Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (1782-1871) was one of the most famous composers of the 19th century. Working with his lifelong collaborator, the renowned dramatist and librettist Eugéne Scribe, he gave definitive form to the uniquely French genres of grand historical opera ( La Muette de Portici ) and opéra-comique ( Fra Diavolo ). His overtures were famous all over the world, as much for their engaging titles (The Bronze Horse, The Black Domino, The Crown Diamonds ) as for their dancing elegance and fluent melodies. Raymond Bisha introduces a new programme of overtures and entr’actes from Auber’s stage works conducted by Dario Salvi, a specialist in the restoration and performance of rare works, in particular those of Meyerbeer and Auber.
Fri, May 14, 2021
Introducing guitarist Mabel Millán. From lyrical beauty to dramatic virtuosity.
Raymond Bisha introduces Spanish guitarist Mabel Millán in her debut album for Naxos. A fast-rising star in the guitar world, she has already appeared at international festivals and prestigious Spanish venues, and gained numerous awards at international competitions. Her combination of nuanced musicality and technical ease illuminate her programme, from the Andalusian rhythms and atmosphere of Turina and Malats and the Romantic expressiveness and national colours of Ponce and Mertz, to the lyrical beauty and dramatic virtuosity of Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Capriccio diabolico .
Fri, April 23, 2021
Music networking on the Inca Trails.
In this podcast, Raymond Bisha takes us on a journey across South America, making musical stops in the countries of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and Colombia. The Inca Trails that connected these lands and their people produced a sharing of ideas and cultures: ancient traditions of indigenous sounds and rhythms fused with cultural influences of European colonisers. The composers of the works on this new album — a number of which are receiving their first commercial recording — were all inspired by this musical legacy, by the people of their homeland, and by the land itself.
Fri, April 09, 2021
Archivo de Guatemala. Where indigenous styles meet courtly life.
Raymond Bisha’s latest podcast finds him in conversation with world-renowned guitarist and lutenist Richard Savino who introduces his debut recording for Naxos that also features his renowned ensemble El Mundo. The focus of the album is a programme compiled from the remarkably fine music held in the archive of Guatemala City Cathedral, works that reflect the essence of Spanish colonies in Central and South America as wellsprings of cultural activity throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. While these recordings are founded on detailed research, El Mundo’s strong affinity with the stylistic features of this largely unknown repertoire ensures that their performances step well beyond any academic constraints to connect with the still living spirit of its original creators and audiences.
Fri, March 26, 2021
Colour-contrast-surprise. The symphonies of John Abraham Fisher (1744-1806)
Described as having ‘natural genius’, John Abraham Fisher was a significant figure in London during the second half of the 18th century. A virtuoso violinist, he also wrote admired stage works for the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. His orchestral works are largely forgotten today, but his symphonies display a surprising awareness of contemporary continental trends in their use of dynamic variations, revealing the influence of the Mannheim School. Raymond Bisha introduces a selection of his symphonies that possess a richness of colour, contrast and surprise, typical of Fisher’s expanding Classical style.
Fri, March 26, 2021
Colour-contrast-surprise. The symphonies of John Abraham Fisher (1744-1806)
Described as having ‘natural genius’, John Abraham Fisher was a significant figure in London during the second half of the 18th century. A virtuoso violinist, he also wrote admired stage works for the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. His orchestral works are largely forgotten today, but his symphonies display a surprising awareness of contemporary continental trends in their use of dynamic variations, revealing the influence of the Mannheim School. Raymond Bisha introduces a selection of his symphonies that possess a richness of colour, contrast and surprise, typical of Fisher’s expanding Classical style.
Fri, March 12, 2021
Piano music by Aram Il’yich Khachaturian (1903-1978), ‘mouthpiece of the entire Soviet Orient’.
Aram Il’yich Khachaturian once described how he “grew up in an atmosphere rich in folk music, popular festivals, rites joyous and sad, events in the lives of people always accompanied by music… deeply engraved in my memory, that determined my musical thinking.” He remains the most renowned of 20th-century Armenian composers, whose unmistakable style came with an urge to invent new forms that reconciled Western practice with Eastern idiom. Raymond Bisha introduces a new album of his piano works performed by Maltese pianist Charlene Farrugia. Her programme comprises Khachaturian’s 2 Children’s Albums and the 7 Recitatives and Fugues.
Fri, February 26, 2021
Villa-Lobos and the art of choral transcription.
Raymond Bisha introduces a new album of choral transcriptions by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) that forms part of Naxos’ Music of Brazil series. The programme represents part of Villa-Lobos’ efforts to create a body of music education resources, following his invitation in 1932 to set up an ambitious programme in the public school system in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The result was an amazing body of music for the benefit of both students and teachers, with choral music playing a central role. These choral transcriptions of classical favourites by composers that include J. S. Bach, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Schubert and Mendelssohn enabled them to reach a far wider audience than in their original setting.
Fri, February 12, 2021
Orchestral works by Žibouklé Martinaityté – a textural magician.
Raymond Bisha introduces a new album of orchestral works by Žibouklé Martinaityté (b. 1973). Born in Lithuania and now based in New York City, she was awarded both a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Lithuanian Government Award in 2020. The four works on the programme were written between 2013 and 2019 and employ a fascinating use of orchestral colour, leading New York’s classical music radio station WQXR to describe her as “a textural magician.”
Fri, January 22, 2021
Hit and bliss. Dame Evelyn Glennie performs mallet percussion concertos.
Raymond Bisha introduces a new album of 21st-century mallet percussion concertos performed by virtuoso percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong under Jean Thorel. The works by Alexis Alrich and Karl Jenkins put the marimba in the solo spotlight, while Ned Rorem’s 7-movement Mallet Concerto — written in 2003 and presented here in its world premiere recording — features Dame Evelyn in dynamic displays on both marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel and xylophone.
Fri, January 08, 2021
The art and craft of John Adams.
Raymond Bisha introduces a programme of orchestral music by the Pulitzer and Erasmus Prize-winning American composer John Adams. The two works on this new album from the Nashville Symphony under Giancarlo Guerrero demonstrate why Adams is one of today’s most widely performed and recorded composers. Adams describes My Father Knew Charles Ives as “an homage and encomium to a composer whose influence on me has been huge”, while Harmonielehre expands his trademark minimalist style, retaining its energetic pulse but embracing rich tonal resources of the past.
Fri, January 01, 2021
Bruckner’s Latin motets. Devotions of distinction.
Choral music formed an important part of Anton Bruckner’s output throughout his career, even though the genre was widely underappreciated by a public more inclined to large-scale symphonic and operatic works. Although the big-boned structure of such music also made its presence felt in Church masses and oratorios, there was always a need for smaller sacred choral works, not only because of listeners’ preferences but also because of pragmatic performance considerations. Raymond Bisha introduces a programme of Bruckner’s Latin motets that were composed to meet these demands, performed by the renowned Latvian Radio Choir conducted by Sigvards Kļava.
Fri, December 25, 2020
Vítězslav Novák. Orchestral Works Vol. 1
Czech composer Vitězslav Novák (1870-1949), who was one of Dvořák’s composition students, rose to prominence with a series of increasingly ambitious orchestral works that fused elements of folk music, impressionism and late-Romanticism. Raymond Bisha introduces Vol. 1 of his orchestral works performed by Marek Štilec and the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra. The programme pairs the heady intensity of Toman and the Wood Nymph with the subtle folk song undertones of the South Bohemian Suite .
Fri, December 11, 2020
Bernard Herrmann in the round
Raymond Bisha discusses a release of music by the American composer Bernard Herrmann with Joseph Horowitz, co-founder of PostClassical Ensemble, a group dedicated to stepping across normal repertoire boundaries. The album’s programme showcases Herrmann’s talents not only as a composer of film scores, but also as a consummate provider of music for the forgotten genre of radio plays, and a composer of consequence in his legacy of concert works.
Mon, November 23, 2020
Simply unmissable
Once in a while you hear such incredibly beautiful music for the first time that you just can’t understand why it has remained under wraps for so long. The Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 by the Italian-born composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco are a case in point. Originally championed in the 1920s and 30s by no less an artist that Jascha Heifetz, they now have a 21st-century advocate in the brilliant Beijing-born violinist Tianwa Yang. Raymond Bisha introduces us to these hugely attractive concertos that bear the colourful and lyrical hallmarks of a prolific composer and seasoned writer of film scores.
Fri, October 23, 2020
From elegance to wild abandon. Corelli & Co.
Raymond Bisha introduces a new release of Baroque violin sonatas by 18th-century Italian violinists trained in the tradition of Arcangelo Corelli, spreading his elegant, expressive and virtuosic style on their travels throughout Europe. Giovanni Mossi’s sonatas retain Corelli’s dramatic contrasts and structure, while Giovanni Stefano Carbonelli also incorporates features found in music by Vivaldi. Both composers’ works combine formal elegance with wild abandon, lyrical charm and virtuosity alongside plenty of room for improvisation from acclaimed soloist Augusta McKay Lodge.
Fri, October 09, 2020
New medium. Same magic. Bach’s cello suites transcribed.
Raymond Bisha introduces recordings of J. S. Bach’s cello suites, transcribed for guitar and performed by Jeffrey McFadden. Bach himself made arrangements of other composers’ works, as well his own, recycling them for new uses, a practice that continues with these two new volumes. Pablo Casals (1876–1973), the eminent cellist who was pivotal in resurrecting the practice of giving complete performances of the original suites, summed up their importance: “They are the very essence of Bach; and Bach is the very essence of music.”
Fri, October 02, 2020
Found in Translation.
Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds (b. 1977) has demonstrated his versatility by writing in a variety of genres, from orchestral and film scores to electronic and multi-media works. Choral music, however, features in much of what he does. The richness of texture and variety of colour in his music for choirs reflects his practice of dividing the vocal parts into as many as sixteen parts. This complexity in construction is counterbalanced, however, by the simplicity and beauty of the music’s expressivity. Raymond Bisha introduces Translations , an album of Ešenvalds’ music released in March 2020 and performed by the Portland State Chamber Choir under their conductor Ethan Sperry.
Fri, September 25, 2020
Music by Hans Rott (1858-1884). A legacy of powerful potential.
No lover of classical music from the Romantic period should miss an opportunity to become acquainted with the music of Hans Rott, a little known composer (even in his day), but one who made a significant impact before his untimely death at the age of 25. Improbable though it may seem, it’s likely that not a single one of Rott’s works was performed in public during his lifetime. When Gustav Mahler is on record as having said that “It simply cannot be gauged what music has lost with him”, people can be confident that there are treats in store with the Capriccio label’s new edition of his orchestral works, a welcome opportunity to help correct Rott’s neglect and experience exactly what Mahler was referring to. Raymond Bisha presents.
Fri, September 11, 2020
Peter Breiner’s Slovak Dances, Naughty and Sad
Peter Breiner is one of the world’s most performed composer/arranger/conductors with record sales in the millions and over 200 CD titles to his credit. Slovak Dances, Naughty and Sad , the latest of his many releases for Naxos, consolidates his outstanding reputation as an arranger. It features Breiner’s typically colourful orchestrations that include a wide variety of tuned and untuned percussion. It’s also an extraordinary mix of world music, improvisation and symphonic composition, enhanced by the involvement of acclaimed specialist soloists such as multi-instrumentalist Marian Friedl and virtuoso accordionist Boris Lenko. This really is a hit not to be missed. Raymond Bisha is your host.
Fri, September 04, 2020
Music for wind band by Kenneth Fuchs.
Considering the size of the wind band industry in the United States, the occasion of an established classical composer writing for the medium comes as a rare but highly welcome treat. Raymond Bisha introduces a programme of wind band music by Kenneth Fuchs, during which the American composer describes the progression of his experience and opportunities, from high school through college, and acknowledges the people who inspired and guided him along the way.
loading...