July 22, 2022 New Releases from Navona and Ravello Records

This New Music Friday, Navona and Ravello Records present albums that celebrate and challenge the conventions of classical music with modern themes, new modes of expression, and innovative sound production.

Dive in and discover new music from: Benjamin Shorstein, John Wineglass, Michael Wittgraf, John A. Carollo, Brian Belet, Richard E Brown, Liova Bueno, Jan Van der Roost, William Copper, Eddy Vanoosthuyse, Anthony Brandt, Ayala Asherov, Natasha Stojanovska, Mara Helmuth, Andrea Vos-Rochefort, Avik Chari, Gina Biver, and Juro Kim Feliz.

On FANTASY FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO, composer Benjamin Shorstein examines the conventions of musical structure and transforms them into inspirational foundations on which to build narratives. Expanding upon three mainstay forms in classical music, Shorstein keeps their spirit intact with new methods of expression.

From the mysterious magic of our darkest corners to the exuberant atmosphere of Carnaval, infinite possibilities lay within INVITING WORLDS from Navona Records. Close-to-home concepts are explored in thought-provoking soundscapes, showcasing the rhythmic dexterity and textural nuance of today’s orchestras across a wide breadth of compositional styles.

On KASSANDRA, composer Anthony Brandt and librettist Neena Beber explore two leading issues of our times — climate change and sexual harassment. Based on a Greek myth, Brandt and Beber tell the tragic yet familiar story of Kassandra, a scientist whose forecasts of climate change are discredited as a result of rejecting sexual advances from a venture capitalist.

TIME AND THE HOUR from Israeli-born composer Ayala Asherov is a selection of chamber works tied together by the theme of the passing of time. This carefully curated collection of Asherov’s pieces commissioned and performed throughout the years provides a thorough taste of the composer’s communicative and powerful musical style.

UNCOMMON VOICES from Natasha Stojanovska offers a long overdue celebration of female composers from Eastern Europe, as interpreted by the capable hands of Natasha Stojanovska. This collection of piano works includes the music of Croatia, North Macedonia, the former Soviet Union, and other Eastern European countries combined with elements of the western musical tradition.

Lauded by critics as “interesting and captivating” (Cinemusical), the MIND & MACHINE series from Ravello Records returns in its fourth installment with a fresh roster of today’s electro-acoustic composers. Innovatively-captured sound samples intertwine with contemporary social issues in this album, commenting on climate change, justice and inequality, and more.