November 3, 2023 New Releases from Navona Records

OUR STORIES from Navona Records aims to raise the voices of composers and performers from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in classical music. This release spans a diverse mixture of themes, from the intricacies and curiosities of human communication to fear-inducing information prevalent in the media, reflections on change and loss, and more.

Pianist Ian Gindes presents a captivating elucidation of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s solo piano works on RACHMANINOFF, a new album of discerning artistry. With meticulous care and interpretive insight, Gindes navigates the rich tapestry of Rachmaninoff’s compositions, peeling back the layers on their emotional depth and their technical intricacies.

Composer-performer Giovanni Piacentini’s ORÍGENES is an exploration of the spirit of the Americas through the guitar. Drawing on the contributions of legendary guitar composers like Manuel M. Ponce, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Astor Piazzolla, Piacentini’s ORÍGENES contributes a fresh perspective to this musical legacy.

The Slavic conception of time in music is notoriously generous, exuberant even, often expressed by endless heartfelt melodies, which allude to a “broad yearning Russian soul.” Elena Dorozhkina’s RUSSIAN PIANO GEMS introduces listeners to the rich tapestry of Russian classical piano music with all the emotional grandeur it entails.

Aptly named, A CHRISTMAS FEAST serves a bountiful collection of joyful carols from throughout the ages like O Come, O Come Emmanuel and Ding Dong Merrily on High, as well as 17th-century English songs such as Blessed Be That Maid Marie and I Saw Three Ships, the Appalachian carol Star of The East, the 15th-century French Noel Nouvolet, and many more.