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around 100 orchestral, chamber, choral and vocal works from the 19th and 20th centuries, many of which were previously unpublished or simply undiscovered.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