This final instalment of Boris Giltburg’s Beethoven piano concertos cycle features the Third and Fourth Concertos. The First and Second are on 8.574151: ‘This may just be Giltburg’s best recorded effort to date. I hope he will give us recordings of the Third, Fourth and Fifth Concertos with Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. The performances here ... are too good not to be part of an integral cycle.’ (Fanfare) Well, the critics needn’t have worried. Boris went on to record the remaining concertos, including the so-called No. 0 which was paired with the Fifth Concerto, ‘Emperor’ (8.574153): ‘Giltburg makes you listen with new ears to one of the most familiar and greatly loved works in the repertoire.’ (International Piano) This final album in the set will no doubt attract similar plaudits and prove a distinguished addition to Boris' already extensive Naxos discography.

This album features one of Naxos’ leading artists, JoAnn Falletta, as she once again directs her Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, adding to their extensive, multi-award winning discography for our label. The all-Scriabin programme pairs the raw sensuality of The Poem of Ecstasy with his earlier Second Symphony, in which Scriabin rolls out sweeping climaxes, majestic intensity and rich orchestral colour. Pairing Scriabin’s ceaseless invention with JoAnn’s assured interpretive skills and the orchestra’s remarkable virtuosity is certain to once again impress the critics and delight the public.

This fifth volume in our series of Paul Wranitzky's orchestral works features a programme of world premiere recordings that is the result of exhaustive research amongst numerous European archives by leading Wranitzky scholar Daniel Bernhardsson. Daniel has also written the booklet notes for this series. There are precious few recordings of Wranitzky’s orchestral works in the catalogues which has enabled our edition to corner the market and considerably raise the profile of this undeservedly neglected composer. Volume 1 (8.574227) was released in April 2021: ‘I hope these recordings will spark renewed interest in this greatly imaginative composer.’(Fanfare); Vol. 4 (8.574290) followed a year later: ‘Another life-enhancing Wrantizky disc from Naxos – there is pleasure galore to be had here.’ (Classical Explorer) I predict an equally enthusiastic reception for this latest volume, which is once again in the hands of conductor and 18th-century specialist Marek Štilek and the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, Pardubice.

Offenbach’s La vie parisienne is a classic of the French operetta tradition which has remained justifiably popular since its premiere. This release brims with an energy typical of Offenbach, enhanced by Christian Lacroix’s colourful decor and costumes and the excellent Musiciens du Louvre directed by Romain Dumas. Significantly for collectors, it also enjoys the advantage of far-reaching research and a new edition from La Palazzetto Bru Zane. This restores to a significant degree the original intentions of the composer and librettists in the final acts of the work, which were severely cut after problems with the original 1866 cast. Operetta fans will most certainly want to see this restored version and revel in the excellent ARTE France recording of last year's acclaimed Théâtre des Champs-Élysées production: ‘ … beautiful and clear staging ... dynamic musical direction ... the soloists, without exception, are remarkable.’ (classicagenda.fr)

Also available in Blu-ray Video (NBD0163V)

This audiovisual release features a mix of elements that will certainly attract a wide audience. Shining new dramatic light on Schubert’s ever-popular music, the production brings together not only songs from his famous Winterreise, but also cleverly intersperses them with songs from Schubert’s other beloved cycles Schwanengesang and Die schöne Müllerin. The musical side of the production features renowned mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter with fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout, one of today’s most notable and exciting keyboard artists. Award-winning director Christof Loy provides dramatic input with a team of actors who portray such fig8.574346ures as Schubert’s disreputable friend Schober, together with other shadows from both his past and his imagined future. Altogether, a most memorable depiction of the extension of Schubert’s tragically short life through his immortal songs, and an exploration of the extremes of human feelings, from the joy of life to a longing for death.

Also available in Blu-ray Video (NBD0165V)

This third album in our edition of Brahms’ complete songs presents twenty-eight tracks of pure pleasure, which will come as no surprise to those who invested in the first two volumes. Vol. 1 (8.574268) received significant critical acclaim, judged ‘terrifically compelling … an auspicious start to Eisenlohr’s latest endeavour’ by Opera News, referencing Ulrich Eisenlohr’s role as piano accompanist for the series. His Naxos discography is extensive and, as a Lieder specialist, the artistic direction and recording of Schubert’s complete songs has been one of his major projects for us. The programme on this latest album features folk songs that inspired Brahms to compose distinctive and expressive accompaniments. The quartet of outstanding young singers shine both individually in the 15 Volks-Kinderlieder and Book 6 of the 49 Deutsche Volkslieder, and in ensemble for Book 7 of the latter set.

Collectors of early music recordings will undoubtedly know of the fine reputation enjoyed by Ensemble Leones. Together with director Marc Lewon, they have set a new aesthetic standard for this repertoire. The ensemble’s Naxos discography includes Argentum et Aurum (8.573346), which won the Early Music category of the 2016 International Classical Music Awards. The three instrumentalists who appear on this latest album – Lewon, Romain and Rumsey – also featured on the recording of the Chasonnier Cordiforme (8.573325): ‘The performances display the sensitivity to balance, clarity, and linear movement that I’ve noted in past recordings by Marc Lewon’s Ensemble Leones.’ (Fanfare) This latest programme features twelve previously unknown chansons that were discovered in 2015. Ensemble Leones employs a range of performance possibilities, from a cappella ensemble to a mixture of instruments and voices, that will readily transport the listener back in time with great authority and even greater pleasure.

Marcus Poschner continues his exhaustive survey of Bruckner's symphonies in all their versions with this seventh album in the series, directing the Bruckner Orchestra Linz in the original 1887 version of the Eighth Symphony. As for previous releases in the series, it uses the latest edition prepared by Paul Hawkshaw for the New Anton Bruckner Complete Edition using the Eighth’s original autograph score. You can expect a rawer sound that makes fuller use of the brass and is more sparing with the woodwind, reflecting Poschner's observation: ‘I've always thought that Bruckner was at his most primal, most authentic, most forceful in his first, original versions.’ The positive critical reception each volume in the series has received to date indicates that we have a significant, authoritative and highly engaging complete edition in the making.

This is the third album from pianist Frank Dupree to showcase the unique stylistic blend of Soviet composer Nikolai Kapustin, who died in 2020. Morphing from classical to jazz, his music crosses fully notated scores with the free soul of improvisation. Frank’s first two albums certainly hit the mark, the second (C5437) receiving both the 2022 ICMA award in the Assorted Programme category and Gramophone’s Critics Choice of the Year award. This latest album offers a similar variety, featuring a solo concerto, one for two pianos and percussion, and the Sinfonietta for piano four hands. I’ll leave Frank to give a taste of what’s in store: ‘I notice at every concert that we perform Kapustin’s music, the listeners are fascinated by it and leave energised by the performance, remarking “Wow, this is great music!”’

This is the third album from pianist Frank Dupree to showcase the unique stylistic blend of Soviet composer Nikolai Kapustin, who died in 2020. Morphing from classical to jazz, his music crosses fully notated scores with the free soul of improvisation. Frank’s first two albums certainly hit the mark, the second (C5437) receiving both the 2022 ICMA award in the Assorted Programme category and Gramophone’s Critics Choice of the Year award. This latest album offers a similar variety, featuring a solo concerto, one for two pianos and percussion, and the Sinfonietta for piano four hands. I’ll leave Frank to give a taste of what’s in store: ‘I notice at every concert that we perform Kapustin’s music, the listeners are fascinated by it and leave energised by the performance, remarking “Wow, this is great music!”’

Also available in Blu-ray Video (DYN-57960) and disc (CDS7960.02)

A child prodigy, Stephan Elmas (1862–1927) met Franz Liszt and made his acclaimed Viennese performing debut in 1885. Like Chopin, Elmas combined the character of folk-music dance forms to create sophisticated and deeply personal statements. There are virtually no commercial recordings of his music available in current catalogues, so there will surely be great interest in this Grand Piano project to record his complete output for piano. Central to the project is pianist Mikael Ayrapetyan, who is a pioneer in discovering, arranging and recording rare, lost and forgotten music from his native Armenia. This world premiere recording of Elmas’ Mazurkas follows the first volume in the edition (GP914) which was released in October 2022.

This new double-album by pianist Lars Vogt, violinist Christian Tetzlaff and cellist Tanja Tetzlaff presents some of Franz Schubert’s greatest chamber works, including breathtaking interpretations of his Piano Trios and the Arpeggione Sonata. It also stands as a great testament to the outstanding chamber musicianship of Lars Vogt, who tragically passed away in September of this year, fittingly performing here alongside his long-time chamber music partners with whom he shared so much musical affinity. All the performers are well represented in various roles in the Ondine catalogue. As a trio, their album of Brahms’ Piano Trios (ODE1271-2D) received five stars from The Guardian (‘already a favourite CD’), and I’m certain these Schubert performances will receive an equally enthusiastic response.

Here’s an interesting audiovisual double bill that pairs two masterpieces of early English opera, recorded in Sweden’s beautiful Confidencen Theatre. John Blow’s Venus and Adonis, composed in 1683, is considered the earliest example of opera in England, while Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas from 1689 has become one of the most famous and beloved operas from the Baroque era. The casts for both operas feature the same singers. For the title roles, Swedish mezzo soprano Ida Ränzlöv plays both Venus and Dido (‘magnetic stage presence and consistently accomplished vocalism’ Opera Magazine), and Norwegian baritone Bernt Ola Volungholen plays Adonis and Aeneas (‘highly polished ... a lively performance and superior singing skills.’ kulturteil). The director is William Relton (‘Opera is about music, and [rarely] have I seen someone illustrate this better than Relton.’ Expressen)

Also available in Blu-ray Video (OABD7308D)

‘Outstanding performances.’ (nachtkritik.de); ‘Every minute is full of excitement.’ (Der Standard); ‘The cast is superb.’ (Deutschlandfunk Kultur). These comments typify the critical reception for this production of Anna Gmeyner’s Automatenbüffet, directed by Barbara Frey and recorded at the Burgtheater in Vienna, where Gmeyner was born in 1902. Lke the heroines of her stage plays she remained an independent outsider. During the Weimar Republic she worked in Berlin as a dramatist and theatrical adviser, but as a political exile she moved to Paris and London, where she wrote film scripts and novels. Her first stage play Automatenbüffet dates from 1932 and was inspired by the technological innovations of her age as well as by the reactionary attitudes of the bourgeoisie. The play proved a draw in major theatres in Hamburg, Berlin and Zurich before Gmeyner was forced to flee in the face of persecution by the National Socialists. This audiovisual recording is performed in German with English and German subtitles.

I’m very pleased to announce the launch of the new Audiophile Edition from Vox which is bringing new life to recordings originally made by the legendary producers and GRAMMY Award winners Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz. Considered by audiophiles to be among the very finest sounding orchestral recordings ever made, those original analogue tapes have now been carefully restored and remastered in high-definition transcriptions, with stunning results. Joanna Nickrenz was the first woman to receive a nomination for the GRAMMY Award for Producer of the Year, Classical. During her long career she received eight such nominations and won the distinction twice. In 1983, she shared the award with Marc Aubort. This album’s Rachmaninov programme, from 1978, was conducted by leading Naxos artist Leonard Slatkin, who himself has received six GRAMMY Awards and 35 nominations. Aubort and Nickrenz recorded Rachmaninov's entire symphonic output for VOX in the 1970s. Throughout their partnership they worked with more than 45 conductors over 32 years and the brilliant sound of their productions made them highly sought-after collector’s items. I predict they will be even more sought after now.

This second album from the new Audiophile Edition, also dating from 1978, presents two Mozart piano concertos performed by Walter Klien (1928–1991), who recorded all of Mozart’s piano works during his illustrious career, together with those of Brahms. Conductor Stanisław Skrowaczewski (1923–2017), who worked with many of the world's leading orchestras, here directs the GRAMMY Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra. As with the Rachmaninov album described above, collectors can be confident of enjoying superb performances in the context of stunning sonics.