“Once Upon a Time” becomes a new “happily ever after”

The Skylark vocal ensemble anchors a compelling and fresh take on familiar tales   If you thought you were familiar with “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” or “The Little Mermaid,” take a listen to a stunning recent release by the vocal ensemble Skylark. Director Matthew Guard would be quick to point out that the…

A Second Dive into Beethoven’s “Kitchen Sink”

Six more CDs sampled from the Naxos 90-disc every-note-he-wrote collection After what was mostly a taste of major and personal favorite works a few weeks ago, this installment of reviews from Naxos Records 90-CD ultra-complete Beethoven collection stays mostly off the beaten path. And in sum…it was a whole lot of fun! From the Orchestral…

Beethoven—and His Kitchen Sink

Being the first of three reviews of the Naxos 90-CD boxed set   In case you hadn’t checked your calendar and done the math—or somehow hadn’t heard yet—2020 marks the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. Since his birthday was December 16, we’re still more than a year away from the actual celebration, but that hasn’t…

A True Operatic Rarity, a Major Masterpiece Masterfully Realized, and Something Truly New

Three recent releases from the Naxos family, each uniquely compelling   Charles Gounod: La nonne sanglante (Naxos DVD) Mention Gounod and at once Faust, and probably Romeo et Juliette come to mind. What…he wrote another dozen operas? Yes, and the story behind how La nonne sanglante came and got buried so quickly is fascinating; better…

A Testament of Greatness

New documentary of Birgit Nilsson reminds us of what we had—and can still treasure I’ve spent most of my life believing that Birgit Nilsson was the greatest Wagnerian soprano of my lifetime. A 2018 Unitel DVD, “Birgit Nilsson: A League of Her Own,” (distributed by Naxos), gives ample evidence to even make the argument she…

A Requiem Review for a Birthday

We celebrate John Harbison’s 80th birthday with a review of the first recording of his Requiem   We don’t need a reason to join thousands of other music lovers around the world in honoring John Harbison, the Pulitzer Prize-winning (among many other high honors) composer born December 20, 1938. But it is particularly fitting (even…

Harbison and Stucky Headline a Stirring Naxos CD

Fascinating program from conductor David Alan Miller   A recent CD in the “American Classics” series from Naxos offers a compelling combination of works, masterfully played by the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic, conducted by David Alan Miller. John Harbison headlines the booklet, but the first work on the disc is the earliest, Sun-Treader, by Carl…

A Pair of New CDs from JoAnn Falletta

Naxos releases of Kodaly and Wagner highlight the Buffalo Philharmonic’s polish If there’s a busier conductor than JoAnn Falletta in the recording studio these days, please let me know: she has released nearly two dozen CDs since 2015, about half of them with the Buffalo Philharmonic. She has been music director there since 1999, and…

“Copland Conducts Copland” a Real Time Capsule

Naxos DVD reissue provides a powerful encounter with two American icons   It certainly is to be expected that many folks have personal reasons for their eager anticipation of hearing a particular recording, seeing a film, et al. I surely did as soon as I learned that Naxos was releasing a “new” DVD titled “Copland…

Sono Luminus Label Does It Again…

CD featuring violinist Irina Muresanu as eclectic as it gets   In the space of less than two years, the recording company Sono Luminus (distributed by Naxos) has proven to be the go-to label if you’re looking to break out of a listening rut. One of their latest releases features a violinist few are familiar…