Naxos Classical Spotlight

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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

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.”

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.