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Naxos Classical Spotlight explores the world of classical music. Along the way host Raymond Bisha shares the stories about the music, and the musicians who make it.  Raymond has been involved in classical music as a professional French Horn player, broadcaster, opera tour manager, concert organizer and since 2005 as a podcaster for Naxos.

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  2. Two Spanish Highs. Violin concertos by Édouard Lalo and Joan Manén.

Oct 21, 2016

Violinist and composer Joan Manén may be a relatively unknown figure today, but in his time (1883–1971) his popularity was in the same league as fellow Spaniard and cellist Pablo Casals. As a performer Manén gave more than 4,000 concerts, travelled around the world five times, and made the first recording of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Fortunately he also had time to compose. Raymond Bisha introduces his little-known but highly attractive Violin Concerto No. 1, Concerto espagñol. It’s paired on this new release with Édouard Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole that brims with attractive melodies and bristles with ingenious and virtuosic passagework reflecting the phenomenal technique of its dedicatee, Pablo de Sarasate.