The Naxos Blog

Ives String Quartets Now on Naxos with the Blair Quartet

Last Tuesday, Naxos released a new recording of Charles Ives' two String Quartets, performed by the Blair Quartet of Nashville, that has already received a positive response from one influential taste-maker: in an earlier post this week, Jerry picked this disc as one of his favorites for November and praised the ensemble for "play(ing) up a storm."

Cornelia Heard, violinist for the Blair Quartet, sat down for an interview recently about the new Ives recording with Naxos' podcast host Raymond Bisha; you can hear the podcast version of this discussion on Naxos.com.

This new recording is the first for the Blair Quartet, in residence at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University, on Naxos. The group will perform a program tonight at Ingram Hall on the Vanderbilt campus that will include Kurtag's Officium Breve: In Memoriam Andrae Szervanszky.

posted by Mark Berry 10:21 AM

Friday, October 27, 2006

Elliott Carter, Stravinsky, Boulez Films at MoMA November 4th

On November 4th, the Museum of Modern Art will present documentaries by Dutch filmmaker Frank Scheffer of Elliott Carter, Boulez, and Stravinsky, an all-day event entitled "Music and Film/Film on Music."

All three films are available on DVD in the US as part of the Juxtapositions series of music documentaries, distributed by Naxos of America.

In his work, Scheffer adapts the structure and style of individual works by the composers he features. The Final Chorale, for example, focuses on Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms; Eclat imitates the compositional process of Boulez's famous piece of the same name.

In A Labyrinth of Time, Scheffer uses the energy of New York City, Carter's life-long home, as a metaphor for the composer's approach to temporality.

Following the films, MoMA will present a "docu-concert" programmed by Scheffer of music by Carter interspersed with film clips of the composer. Carter and Scheffer will both attend.

posted by Mark Berry 12:23 PM

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Spectrum Concerts Berlin at Zankel Hall November 3 and 5

Naxos artist Spectrum Concerts Berlin--whose new disc of music by Ernst Toch comes out October 31st--will perform two concerts at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall on November 3rd and 5th.

The first concert includes music by Robert Helps, Brahms, and Schoenberg; the second concert includes music by Penderecki, Schulhoff, and Schubert.

Spectrum Concerts Berlin, led by Artistic Director Frank Dodge has, over the past 18 seasons, been acclaimed for producing eclectic, adventuresome concerts of European and American chamber music. The Germany-based ensemble includes expatriate Americans and such European stars as Janine Jansen and Julian Rachlin.

Tickets are available at the Carnegie Hall box office at 212-247-7800 or on www.carnegiehall.org.

posted by Mark Berry 11:25 AM

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Elliott Carter DVD Review in Dallas Morning News

The Dallas Morning News published a lengthy review on Saturday by Scott Cantrell of the new DVD Labyrinth of Time: Elliott Carter, directed by Frank Scheffer.

The DVD, distributed by Naxos of America, is part of the Juxtapositions series on contemporary composers (www.ideale-audience.com), including Arvo Pärt, Philip Glass, and Luciano Berio.

posted by Mark Berry 12:13 PM

Friday, September 29, 2006

New Elliott Carter DVD Now Available

Idéale Audience, one of the DVD labels we here at Naxos of America distribute, have just released a new documentary DVD on Elliott Carter. Labyrinth of Time: Elliott Carter, directed by Frank Scheffer, includes commentary from Daniel Barenboim, Charles Rosen, Pierre Boulez, and others. The DVD is part of Idéale Audience's Juxtapositions series of on contemporary composers (http://www.ideale-audience.com/), including Arvo Pärt, Philip Glass, and Luciano Berio.

I just got my copy of the Carter DVD and haven't seen it yet, but the others in the series are really good, high-quality productions.

posted by Mark Berry 4:22 PM

Friday, September 22, 2006

New Glenn Gould Documentary DVD September 26th

On September 26th, the DVD of Glenn Gould Hereafter will arrive in stores. This documentary by Bruno Monsaingeon, a long-time friend of Gould's who also directed the 1974 film Glenn Gould: The Alchemist, opens Glenn Gould Unveiled, A Film Festival on October 20th, part of Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series.

Famously, Gould retired from live performance in 1964 to devote his time to making records and in the film we see Gould expounding on this decision. According to Gould, recording is an "art form with its own laws" that "turns performance into composition" and "frees the listener to participate" in the listening experience in ways that are not possible with live shows.

The film also shows the lengths to which fans go to show their appreciation, from travelling to Toronto to commune with a statue of Gould to tattooing the core motive of Gould's own String Quartet to their back.

To view a clip of Glenn Gould Herafter, visit http://www.ideale-audience.com/glenngould/glenngould.htm

posted by Mark Berry 12:43 PM

Monday, September 11, 2006

Ned Rorem at Lincoln Triangle Barnes and Noble September 11th

Ned Rorem will join conductor Jose Serebrier, violinist Philippe Quint, and flutist Jeffrey Khaner at the Lincoln Triangle Barnes and Noble in New York City (Broadway and West 65th) tonight at 7 pm to discuss the recent Naxos CD of the composer's Flute and Violin Concertos.

Soprano Carole Farley will also be on hand to discuss the recetn VAI DVDs of Poulenc's La Voix humaine and Menotti's The Telephone, on which she appears and on which Serebrier conducts.

posted by Mark Berry 12:45 PM

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