Naxos Classical Spotlight

Raymond Bisha introduces the latest release in the Naxos Beethoven anniversary digital album series. Ranging from a solo piano to the huge resources required for his final symphony, the programme comprises ten works that define the last ten years of Beethoven’s creative life, exemplifying his ever more technically challenging pieces, their novel structures, and the frequent incorporation of contrapuntal music that had been a hallmark of giants of the Baroque period.

Join Raymond Bisha in a podcast of artistic discovery as he unveils yet another American classic—Randall Thompson’s Requiem. Reckoned by many to be his most ambitious work, the composer himself considered it to be his masterpiece, yet it has languished for decades on the periphery of the choral performance repertoire. This world premiere recording from Naxos serves notice that the work’s rehabilitation is overdue, with an outstanding performance by the Philadelphia Singers directed by David Hayes setting the bar high.

Beethoven’s concertos enjoy the spotlight in this podcast from Raymond Bisha. It serves as a companion resource to the latest digital album in our series marking the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth. The technical and musical demands Beethoven makes of his concerto soloists shine centre-stage in this compilation of wonderful performances of movements from his five piano concertos, his violin concerto, and the triple concerto for violin, cello and piano. The line-up of soloists is world-class; and there’s the bonus of several other Beethoven works written in concertante form that are generally less well-known.

Raymond Bisha introduces Richard Danielpour’s oratorio The Passion of Yeshua, a 105-minute work for large chorus, six soloists and orchestra that takes the listener back to Jesus’ final day on earth, removing as much as possible the accretions of history since that moment in an attempt to provide a fuller understanding of the connection of Jesus of Nazareth to the Jewish tradition. It does this through both the Hebrew and English languages. Danielpour’s gift for vocal writing and astonishing orchestral colour makes this a highly significant work in the enduring oratorio tradition, described as “a classic for all time” by conductor JoAnn Falletta.

Raymond Bisha presents an overview of works written by Beethoven during his middle years period. It’s a companion resource to the latest release in Naxos’ monthly digital album series featuring the music of Beethoven in this 250th anniversary year of his birth. February’s compilation album (9.30206) presents a programme of works written between 1802 and 1815, those dates marked respectively by performances of his ‘Kreutzer’ Violin Sonata and his Fourth Cello Sonata by major Naxos artists violinist Takako Nishizaki and cellist Maria Kliegel. Fine examples of his choral, chamber, concerto and symphonic works make up the rest of this attractive compilation.

The guest host of this podcast is Ashley Jackson. She is an accomplished musician, who has studied the music of both Margaret Bonds and Florence Price, who composed and worked during the civil rights movement in the United States. In this podcast, Dr. Jackson gives us both an historical and a personal perspective on how the struggles of these composers, and those of her grandmother, helped make possible what she does today.

Raymond Bisha presents an overview of Beethoven’s nine symphonies as a companion resource to the first of Naxos’ monthly digital albums presenting the music of Beethoven in this 250th anniversary year of his birth. January’s compilation album (9.30209) spotlights the symphonic journey and stylistic progression from Beethoven’s Second Symphony to his Ninth Symphony, ‘Choral’. The majority of the works were written during Beethoven’s 40s and are interspersed with engaging examples of his other accomplishments in orchestral writing.

Raymond Bisha introduces this new release from the Grand Piano label. It’s the opening volume in what is to be the first complete series of recordings of Nino Rota’s works for solo piano, performed by Eleanor Hodgkinson. Nino Rota embraced neo-Classical, neo-Romantic and even neo-Baroque affiliations. His music prized melodic directness and communicative generosity, so it’s not surprising that he should be best-known for his 150-plus film scores, pre-eminently the music for The Godfather. The programme on this new release comprises three works: the 15 Preludes, Fantasia in G and 7 Pezzi Difficil per Bambini (7 Difficult Pieces for Children).

On January 10, 2020, Naxos releases Sanctuary Road, the world-premiere recording of composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell’s incisive, deeply moving tribute to the men and women of the Underground Railroad and to one heroic man in particular, conductor William Still, a chronicler of the inspiring stories of its “passengers” and their valiant flights north from slavery to freedom. Naxos Classical Spotlight presents  a 20-minute audio documentary featuring interviews with the oratorio’s two Pulitzer Prize–winning creators, its conductor, and its five solo singers by popular WQXR radio host Terrance McKnight.

You’ll find it hard to resist joining in with the magical performances of popular Christmas repertoire on the latest release from the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir and Chamber Orchestra. From eternal classics to cracking new carols, this is an irresistible seasonal spread presented in a tempting tasting menu by your host Raymond Bisha.