Here at PARMA, we have a lot to be thankful for this November. As the days shorten and evenings continue to cool, we’re taking time to be grateful for the emergence of more powerful new music. With close to a dozen new releases from Navona and Ravello Records spanning classical guitar, dance, Baroque oboe, and much more, this month has something to offer every listener.
Dive in and discover new music from Ted Coffey, Campbell Ross, Minju Choi, Les Délices, Elizabeth Vercoe, James Zingara, Scott Perkins, Phoenix Ensemble, and more…
NOVEMBER RELEASES OUT NOW
WORKS FOR DANCE
Ted Coffey
In computer music, time, sound, and movement are taken past their natural auditory limits and expanded in space. Like a dancer whose movements seem to take up more space than is possible for one body, each note is taken and manipulated until it reaches far beyond its original potential. WORKS FOR DANCE demonstrates the phenomena of both artistic mediums, as computer and mankind interact in a performance that is spellbinding and story-filled.
CONCERTANTE
Campbell Ross
CONCERTANTE, Campbell Ross’ debut on PARMA Recordings, features an array of modern works for solo guitar and ensemble that highlight both his virtuosity as a guitarist and his prowess as a composer. Performing his own compositions as well as works by composers as far ranging as Lennon, McCartney, and brothers Gerardo and Ariel Dirié, Ross’ ability to create, interpret, and improvise is here on vivid display.
SPOON HANGING FROM MY NOSE
J. A. Kawarsky
Dr. J.A. Kawarsky has been bringing his work to the PARMA Recordings playing field for years; however, this month marks a momentous occasion for both PARMA and this prolific composer. Navona Records proudly presents SPOON HANGING FROM MY NOSE, the first full album of music by Kawarsky which tells stories, reimagines pieces of old, and offers compelling challenges.
BOUNDLESS
Minju Choi
Communicating the stories of composers through your own hands, and making these stories your own while also preserving the spirit of the original narrative, is no easy task. Fortunately, pianist Minju Choi is up to the job in BOUNDLESS, a collection of works commissioned by Choi that are as unbridled as the abilities of the pianist herself.
SONGS WITHOUT WORDS
Les Délices
The three musicians who comprise Les Délices believe the space between what is known and what is unknown provides great opportunities for expansion and discovery. They’ve taken just such a creative leap on their newest album, SONGS WITHOUT WORDS.
GENTLE WINDS
Samuel A. Livingston
When composing the music for GENTLE WINDS, composer Samuel “Skip” Livingston had one overarching goal in mind: write music that people will enjoy playing and listening to. In GENTLE WINDS you’ll hear the rich effects that come with doing what one truly finds joy in.
BUTTERFLY EFFECTS
Elizabeth Vercoe
The Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi asked “Am I a human who dreamt of being a butterfly or am I now a butterfly who dreams of being a human?” This sense of oneness and the paradoxical strength of the fragile butterfly permeates through the Elizabeth Vercoe’s lastest album, establishing themes translated through woodwind instruments, vocals, and piano.
MANY NEW TRAILS TO BLAZE
The UAB Chamber Trio; James Zingara
With stunning performances by clarinet, trumpet, and piano, MANY NEW TRAILS TO BLAZE blurs the lines between classical, jazz, and world music. Trumpeter James Zingara, already a member of the PARMA Recordings family, brings two of his most acclaimed colleagues with him to the stage for performances that thrill the mind and the ear.
WHISPERS OF HEAVENLY DEATH
Scott Perkins
Contemporary song cycles generally lead a marginal existence in the shadow of Schubert’s perennial, towering example. Connecticut-native composer Scott Perkins nevertheless audaciously marches to the beat of his own drum on WHISPERS OF HEAVENLY DEATH, setting to music an awe-inducingly broad variety of poems across all ages and cultures.
JOHANNES BRAHMS / ELLIOTT CARTER: CLARINET QUINTETS
Phoenix Ensemble; Mark Lieb
The mission of New York City-based Phoenix Ensemble is resolute and clear: to bring diverse chamber music to diverse audiences. For this new PARMA Recordings release, clarinetist and artistic director Mark Lieb has chosen to contrast late Romanticism with modernity in two clarinet quintets that in some ways could not be more different, yet in other ways are surprisingly similar.
