A recent new album of American organ concertos featuring multi-award-winning artists brought together the artistry of organist Paul Jacobs and the contemporary music pedigree of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Giancarlo Guerrero. The high expectations generated by such a rare programme were met with distinction and this podcast conversation between Raymond Bisha and Paul Read More ... The post Podcast: Manual overdrive. American organ concertos. appeared first on The Naxos Blog ..read more

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 Read More ... The post Podcast: Janna Gandelman: a recital of Catalan violin works appeared first on The Naxos Blog ..read more

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 Read More ... The post Podcast: Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s 3 String Quartets. appeared first on The Naxos Blog ..read more

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. View album details Catalogue No.: 8.559933 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST The post Podcast: Margaret Brouwer. Orchestral colour, imagery an ..read more

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 fifty. Raymond Bisha introduces the world premiere recording of the powerful First Symphony, and the first modern studio recording of the programmatic Second Symphony. View album details Catalogue No.: 8.574412 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST The post Podcast: The Music of Brazil. Oscar Lorenzo Fernández (1897–1 ..read more

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. Raymond 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. View a ..read more

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. View album details Catalogue No.: 8.559894 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST The post Podcast ..read more

JoAnn Falletta, conductor of the Buffalo Symphony 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.   View album details Catalogue No.: 8.559938 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST The post Podcast: Lukas Foss. A composer on the podium. appeared first on The Naxos Blog ..read more

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. View album details Catalogue No.: 8.574550 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST The post Podcast: Gerald Peregrine. A truly mobile music machine. appeared first on The Naxos Blog ..read more

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.   View album details Catalogue No.: PTC5187109 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST The post Podcast: Plucked and perfectly prepped. Alon Sariel’s Bach transcriptions for mandolin. appeared first on ..read more