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around 100 orchestral, chamber, choral and vocal works from the 19th and 20th centuries, many of which were previously unpublished or simply undiscovered.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.

This podcast features conductor Sir Simon Rattle in conversation with Raymond Bisha as they reference his new recording of Mahler's Seventh Symphony with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Sir Simon outlines his personal history with the work, from being overwhelmed at hearing it for the first time as a young schoolboy to his mature understanding of the symphony as “the point at which Mahler decided to start writing the music of the future.”

A student of Haydn, a masonic brother of Mozart and a fine composer in his own right, Paul Wranitzky (1756-1808) left behind 45 symphonies that are at long last stepping out of the shadows thanks to ongoing recordings and increased access to published scores. Raymond Bisha introduces Vol. 8 in Naxos' series of Wranitzky's orchestral works, which includes the Grand Characteristic Symphony for Peace with the French Republic, completed in Vienna with eager anticipation in 1797. The symphony happily survived, but the peace negotiations sadly failed, and the war resumed in 1799.

John Rutter is the most acclaimed composer of Christmas carols alive today, while the Black Dyke Band occupies the highest rank in the worldwide brass band community. Raymond Bisha introduces a new album that bridges these two pinnacles in arrangements for brass of Rutter's celebrated seasonal works, together with three in their original choral versions, representing a span of some sixty years of Rutter's captivating output.

George Frederic Handel was one of the leading composers of the baroque, especially known for his Italian operas.  When he presented his dramatic oratorio Israel in Egypt in 1739 it flopped.  It has since returned to favour, and this recording by Apollo’s Fire shows why this turnaround has happened.  Put simply, the music is stunning.

American composer Kenneth Fuchs discusses the programmes of his two most recent albums in conversation with Raymond Bisha; both recordings feature the Sinfonia of London and soloists under conductor John Wilson. Fuchs describes the unusual conception of his Concerto for Bass Trombone (a commissioning consortium of 21 bass trombonists was involved!) and the formative inspiration and sustained friendship he derived from abstract artist Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011).

The Military Music Appreciation Society was founded in 2008 by Roger Kennedy so he could share his passion for this music with other like-minded individuals.  The Society now has more than 5000 members, with new people joining every day.  In this podcast, Roger talks with host Raymond Bisha about the society and about his love for this music. This podcast includes performances by the Royal Marine Band, the Royal Artillery Band, the US Army Band, the Black Dyke Mills Band and the Band of the Coldstream Guards …. The opening and closing music features the Canadian Scottish Regiment Pipes and Drums, together with The Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band of the United States Marine Corps.

“As soon as I started playing jazz, I understood it was something for me. I understood that I had to combine the two musics.” These were the words of composer Nikolai Kapustin, born in Ukraine in 1937 and a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory, the “two musics” being classical and jazz. From Kapustin's pen came an impeccable fusion of the two genres, with no trace of shallow crossover. Raymond Bisha introduces the programme on a recent recording that includes Kapustin's Second and Sixth Piano Concertos, with soloist Frank Dupree accompanied variously by the SWR Big Band and the SWR Symphony Orchestra.

Raymond Bisha introduces a new album featuring Beethoven's final three cello sonatas that are full of unexpected shifts of harmony and mood, virtuoso flourishes and experimental surprises, all of which defy convention. The cellist is Gabriel Schwabe, one of the leading cellists of his generation and a laureate of several national and international competitions; the exceptionally sympathetic pianist is Nicholas Rimmer. The first of their two volumes of Beethoven's complete cello sonatas (8.574529) was released in September: “I was totally engrossed by the duo’s warm, keenly articulated playing.” (Gramophone)