September 10, 2021 New Releases from Navona and Ravello Records

This New Music Friday, Ravello and Navona Records present long forgotten saxophone repertoire, a classical guitar compendium, contemporary art music with electronics, and more.

Dive in and discover new music from: Ovidiu Marinescu, Richard E Brown, Mark G Simon, Trio Casals, George David Kieffer, Paul Cohen, James Dashow, William Anderson, and Jan Järvlepp.

Inspired by traditional melodies and cultural flavors, A GRAND JOURNEY gives us contemporary chamber works performed by internationally acclaimed Trio Casals. These distinct works immerse listeners in varying motifs drawn from diverse cultures, simulating a journey of melodic Korean folk patterns, Greek mythological icons, Irish fiddling, tango, and sensations garnered from the Black Sea and English countryside. ‌

Composer George Kieffer and Navona Records present THE AMBASSADOR’S WIFE, a collection of stories and dialectical thought conveyed through the sounds of the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. This album features a piece dedicated to the sacrifices made and triumph achieved by Olympic athletes, which premiered at the 2015 Special Olympics, and works inspired by various timestamps in Kieffer’s life, from vivid dreams to exposure to great literature, and encounters with distinctive individuals and their powerful stories.

From compelling solo interpretations to dramatic instrumental flourishes, saxophonist Paul Cohen revives original works for saxophone that were lost or unknown for decades. On HEARD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME, Cohen is joined by the Eastern Wind Symphony under Todd Nichols and an impressive roster of soloists who breathe fresh life into this centuries-spanning collection.

SYNCHRONIES from composer James Dashow offers a selection of the composer’s work for traditional instruments with and without electronic sounds. His approach to these two musical resources combines the intimacy and flexibility of beautifully designed chamber music with full scale sonorous constructions: some achieved by finely textured orchestrations of the classical instrumental ensemble, others by the symphonic use of rich electronic timbres that are characteristic of the composer’s music.

Guitarist William Anderson presents GENIUS LOCI, an anthology highlighting his storied career as a composer and performer. Deemed “the alert guitarist,” by The New York Times, his playing reveals his passionate attention to detail. Works with ensembles and solo guitar capture the color and breadth of Anderson’s decades in music.