Composer Mark Dal Porto's award-winning, neo-Romantic Song of Eternity for Orchestra starts off The Music Of Mark Dal Porto in epic fashion. If Mahler and Prokofiev had collaborated on a composition, it would probably have sounded a lot like this: pensive, evocative, and nostalgic. Song of Eternity describes the eternal renewal of nature with cinematic impact. It is inspired by an ancient Chinese poem, as is the next piece, I Seek Rest for My Lonely Heart for A-Cappella Choir. This work continues the subject of nature, albeit in a more individualized fashion, capturing the sentiment of a distressed soul in search of peace in a pastoral setting. But it isn't just Far Eastern poetry which Dal Porto sets to music. Western verse receives due attention as well, and it's quite a trip through the ages: Spring, the Sweet Spring is an enthusiastic anticipation of the end of winter, based on a poem by Elizabethan poet Thomas Nashe. On the other hand, German Romantic poet Clemens Brentano laid the conceptual groundwork for Dal Porto's musical adaptation When Your Song Rang Out to Me, an unbridled, joyful choir supported by a lively piano accompaniment. Dal Porto strikes a more personal note with Romance for Oboe and Piano, dedicated to his beloved wife, oboist Tracy Carr. He also demonstrates considerable humor in his Exotic Animals Suite for Woodwind Quintet, depicting warbling birds, crawling reptiles, and growling big cats. The final piece, Mystic Mountain, evokes the sublime sensation of one overlooking a vast landscape after a breathtaking ascent to a mountaintop – with an intensity that is both uncanny and awesome. Caspar David Friedrich's "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog" immediately springs to mind, and indeed, if one were to liken the Romantic painting to an album – The Music Of Mark Dal Porto would be it.

On NO MORE WAR, composer and award-winning accordionist Semir “Sammy” Hasic shines a spotlight on the 1991 Battle of Vukovar, which plunged eastern Croatia into turmoil. Through the clever usage of dissonance, illogical harmonies, and polyrhythms, the poignant album highlights the aural terrors of a warzone, made all the more jarring by the timbre of the usually cheerful accordion. The message, however, is not all doom and gloom: melodious themes and accompaniment by members of the Philharmonic orchestra provide contrast to the horrors, highlighting the perseverance of the human spirit and how individuals can come together to find hope. More than just an album of music, NO MORE WAR is an artistic call to all countries to end the infinite cycle of violence and racism. History is plagued by hatred, and Hasic envisions a world where hope, love, and human empathy triumph over evil. When it comes to accordion, Hasic is certainly an authority. The accomplished performer has been awarded the title of Accordion World Champion, released a four-part series of instructional books and albums, and started his own school for musical instruction.

FANFARE SUITE, the latest from composer Mark John McEncroe and Navona Records, features six pieces originally scored for full orchestra on McEncroe’s 2015 album Affirmations & Aspirations. Now, with the help of the Sydney Scoring Orchestra, these sweeping and provocative pieces have been reimagined and rearranged for concert band. Evoking the promise of big horizons and wide open spaces, McEncroe’s compositions are reminiscent of Aaron Copland and Western films from the golden age of Hollywood. Still, the music of FANFARE SUITE is not rooted in a single geographic location; rather, the hopeful vitality of this music universally appeals to the human spirit.

Composer, pianist, teacher, poet, and writer, Robert Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943) is regarded as one of the most important musicians in American history, lauded in his lifetime as the first American composer to fuse African American folk idioms with the European art music tradition in a sophisticated way. On his debut album on Navona Records, MY CUP RUNNETH OVER, pianist Clipper Erickson presents the first complete collection of Dett’s piano works, a milestone for American music discography.

From the first time Dett heard Antonín Dvo?ák’s works performed at Oberlin College, he strived to incorporate African American folk music themes in the highest forms of musical art. The piano suites embrace almost all of the composer’s creative life, from Magnolia, written soon after his graduation from Oberlin, to the Eight Bible Vignettes, written during the last two years of his life. They show a great development, variety and richness of style, and his lyrical gift; truly reflecting his struggles, triumphs, and deepening philosophical interests. Erickson’s performances on this album deliver some of the most significant music of early 20th-century America to the world, reminding us of the prominent role of African American spirituals and folk music in contemporary American art, culture, and philosophy.

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Review:

It’s surprising that no one until Clipper Erickson has essayed Dett’s complete piano output on disc. However, the wait was worth it, for this music is simply wonderful, while Erickson’s idiomatic, colorful, technically adroit, and caring interpretations do the repertoire full justice. The music’s consistent creativity always holds interest. This historically and musically important release not only fills a crucial catalog gap but sets reference standards. No serious aficionado of the history of American piano music can afford to miss it.

– Gramophone (Jed Distler)

One does not have to be religious to appreciate the depth, inspiration, and melodiousness of PSALMS, Eloise Hynes Stowe's new album from Navona Records. Scored for voice and piano, and occasionally supplemented by flute and violin, these psalms and hymns immediately demonstrate the literary and emotional grasp of the biblical texts and ecclesiastical interpretations. Stowe effortlessly manages to clothe the scripture into a tonal tapestry which is equal parts tender and listenable, in an appealing style which wouldn't be out of place in a Christian musical. Exuberant and optimistic, they are a testament not only to the church’s teachings, but also to the intuitive power of music.

A 2020 GRAMMY nominee for Best Choral Performance!

GRAMMY-winning chamber choir The Crossing is back with their latest installment in a multi-album series with Navona Records. In this latest offering, artistic director Donald Nally leads the choir through six striking pieces by composer James Primosch that confront the most elemental questions of Western philosophy. CARTHAGE opens with Journey, a solemn meditation in which the men of The Crossing chant text based on the work of 13th-century monk and mystic Meister Eckhart: “There is a journey you must take./It is a journey without destination./There is no map./Your soul will lead you./And you can take nothing with you.” Next comes the title track, Carthage, on prose by Marilynne Robinson from her novel Housekeeping, which employs the devastated city of Carthage as a metaphor for desire and imagination: “For to wish for a hand on one’s hair is all but to feel it.” Composer James Primosch evokes images of once-fertile fields now salted and wasted, with Nally teasing out the dynamic subtleties of a work that is nevertheless full of hope and rebirth. Following is Mass for the Day of St. Thomas Didymus. Here, four soloists sing the Latin Mass texts, while the main choir sings Denise Levertov’s cycle of poems which gives the work its title. In pulling together these texts, Primosch celebrates the feast of St. Thomas Didymus, plumbing the depths between unbelief and faith in which true spirituality so often resides. The ancient texts are strangely illuminated by the highs and lows of Levertov’s journey. The album closes with One with the Darkness, One with the Light, a setting of poetry by Wendell Berry. True to its title, the music employs cascading harmonic textures to explore the tension between light and dark, waking and sleeping, life and death.

PARMA Recordings presents Legends & Light, a compilation album featuring works by composers Hans Bakker, Jan Järvlepp, Clive Muncaster, and Shirley Mier. Each has a different, unique story to tell, and the narratives are brought to life by the orchestra and string ensemble. Hans Bakker showcases his ‘Canzona III: Hidden in Her Light’ in ternary form. Described by the composer as a “hymn to the sun,” this tone poem is reminiscent of the symphonic storytellings of such greats as Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov — with a heritage of folk melodies and rhythms to boot. The extraordinary balance between strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion is expressed so fluidly, yet individually, the listener is immediately enveloped into the epic saga Bakker is telling. Jan Järvlepp expresses his unique composition style in Suite for Strings. In this incredible pedagogical work, Järvlepp brings the listener through a gamut of emotions. Clive Muncaster’s Redcliffe Gardens Suite for Strings follows suit perfectly with a romantic “Petronella,” enormously expressive in every way. “Pastorella” takes it down a notch, toeing the line between major and minor, somewhat demonstrating the complexity of romantic love. But, obviously, love wins. “Stella” is the heroic ballad to profess it. “Fuga Romantica” layers the sweetness together using one of composition’s most complex forms. Shirley Mier’s Of Lakes and Legends, a programmatic work written for the Century Chamber Orchestra, closes the album. Each movement is set at White Bear Lake in Minnesota, the city where the Century College and the ensemble are located. This celebration of music is tinged with nostalgia, as it both recalls these concerts and reflects on the fact that they now exist only in time past. This, hands down, is contemporary composition at its best. This album has been perfectly curated to offer continuity in the listening experience. PARMA patrons, old and new, will find enormous satisfaction in this collection.

Internationally-renowned Serbian-Austrian classical accordionist Jovica Ivanovic has released his newest album — PIAZZOLLA & GALLIANO — with Navona Records. The program features concertos from Astor Piazzolla and Richard Galliano, both legends in their own rights. Recorded with the Ukrainian Chamber Orchestra, Ivanovic’s performances bring these masterworks to life with persuasive passion. PIAZZOLLA & GALLIANO is the result of Ivanovic's partnership with violinist Valeriy Sokolov. With Ivanovic's capable hands on the accordion, Sokolov as concertmaster and Protasov as conductor of the chamber orchestra, the three set out to recreate the music of these two much revered composers. The album opens with Piazzolla's Aconcagua, a concerto for bandoneon, string orchestra, and percussion. The music bursts forth from the outset, full of the tantalizing excitement of Argentinian tango. Ivanovic’s sensitive-yet-fiery style immediately sets him apart; the soloist glides effortlessly above the orchestra, lending a rich voice to the melody. It is not lost on Ivanovic that Piazzolla himself especially loved this piece, playing the bandoneon himself at performances in the 1980s. Ivanovic treats Aconcagua with the same loving care as its composer did. And, now, thanks to state-of-the-art recording technology, we hear each note with sublime clarity. Galliano’s Opale Concerto is a mix of Balkan, nostalgic Parisian, and American influences. From the outset, Opale is a pulse-quickening adventure; Ivanovic reveals the depths of his classical training by making every fiery note sound rounded and deliberate. As with Aconcagua, Ivanovic’s performance of this piece makes clear that it is particularly dear to his own heart. The music of PIAZZOLLA & GALLIANO is perennially contemporary and exciting. Bridging cultures and generations, it speaks deeply to the human heart. Ivanovic’s virtuosic performances are supple and thoughtful.

Acclaimed international piano trio Trio Casals makes a triumphant return with the fourth installment of Navona Records' MOTO series, zestfully interpreting nine new American compositions – virtually all of them either tailor-made or arranged for the ensemble. The opening track, Three for Three by David Nisbet Stewart, could almost be considered a neoclassical piano trio – if you're thinking along the lines of Prokofiev's Love for Three Oranges. Like his Russian predecessor, Stewart chose to endow his composition with a perspicacious structure, along which the motives and modulations climb like vines on a trellis. By contrast, the structure of Joanne Carey’s Piano Trio No.2 evolves from its themes and motifs which are varied and transformed throughout. Marked by sudden changes of mood, the trajectory of the piece is an overcoming of inner turmoil through the musical flow itself. In a similar vein, Keith Kramer utilizes Japanese and Northern Hindustani musical materials in a Modernist context in the aptly-titled In Suspension of Disbelief. Of course, where there is emotion, there must also be sentiment. Allyson Wells' Since Then is a wistful meditation about the fact that mostly it is loss that teaches us about the value of things. L Peter Deutsch presents a lyrical, uncompromisingly aesthetic reminiscence about a day's end in a Southern French town in Sunset at Montelimar. In Day Tripping, the listener joins Clare Shore in two cherished kayak paddles down memory lane; in the first movement, down Florida’s eponymous Peace River; in the second movement, down the agitated, surging, snaking, treacherous Juniper Run in the Ocala Forest. The outstanding attention to detail paid by Trio Casals as a whole is interspersed with works of solo performers in two instances. One of them is Emma-Ruth Richards' Dark Radiance, a somber piece for solo cello (performed by Tim Gills). The other, Christopher Brakel's Poem (performed by Ovidiu Marinescu), reflects the cryptic, subjective nature of modern poetry, with its dramatic sense involuntarily alluding to the madrigals of Carlo Gesualdo. In the closing minutes of MOTO QUARTO, Mathew Fuerst's Totentanz (literally: death dance) somewhat belies somber expectations, for it refuses to ever be a mournful piece: rather, it examines the problem of (over-)population with mathematical mirth.

Kamyar Mohajer’s Pictures of the Hidden honors the composer’s “four Grand Masters:" Johann Sebastian Bach, Persian poet Hafez, and his parents. In this album, Mohajer shares his artistic upbringing by combining his roots in Persian modality with his love of Western classical music. The eponymous piece, a set of five songs for voice and piano, feature the works of the Persian poet Hafez. In the multi-tiered composition, Mohajer draws from childhood memories of his mother’s singing. Used with Hafez’s poetry, which adores a superior spirit called “Beloved,” Pictures of the Hidden reaches towards a higher meaning, honoring the perfection of an all-powerful Spirit. Each song, sung in Persian by soprano Raeeka Shehabi-Yaghma, brings a motherly passion to the depth of Hafez’s poetry. With Karolina Rojahn on piano, the composer combines the story-like motifs and counterpoint of Bach-inspired piano composition with the brilliant virtuosity of Shehabi-Yaghma. In Reng, Mohajer shares the conventions of his native music. The dance , for instance, is built on a syncopated 6/8 rhythm characteristic of Persian dances throughout history. The dance signals a release, a giving up of self to the joy of music and movement. The album concludes with a stunning performance by the acclaimed Alexander String Quartet, who communicate the contrasting feelings of melancholic longing and swift energy - a task perfect for strings and their ability to produce sound across the dynamic spectrum. Though the album is Mohajer’s debut, Pictures of the Hidden is more than just an artistic expression of self. Rather, the album celebrates the past figures who shaped his present context, and demonstrates how art can leave humanity in a better place for having experienced it.

PARMA is proud to present THROUGH TIME AND PLACE, an ambitious cross-section of James Lentini's extensive catalog. The award-winning guitarist and composer impresses with massive tonal landscapes which can be considered exemplary in contemporary American serious music. THROUGH TIME AND PLACE's title is aptly chosen: the album contains a collection of previously unreleased recordings made over the course of Lentini's long career. Almost all of them are commissioned works or competition winners, which is obvious at first listen. They are united by the same level of craftsmanship and recurring qualities: for instance, there is a deceptive calm to Lentini's pieces – characteristic, one might even say. Expectations of tonality and form are often confirmed, only to be shattered in the very next measure. Then, of course, one finds the inevitable contrast of mood and expression: energetic phrases juxtaposed with serene lyricism, sadness mixed with humor, the sacred next to the secular. The only exception to this rule may well be Three Sacred Meditations, which powerfully remains committed to simplicity and unity. Thanks to this, in combination with the gigantic orchestral and choir setup, these works may well be the hidden gem of the album. But it's not all ethereally objective. In fact, there are plenty of personal notes on THROUGH TIME AND PLACE, such as the intimate The Angel's Journey. Lentini wrote the piece in memory of his grandparents, utilizing the letters of their names to create the main motifs. With this level of creativity on display, it is easy to see why James Lentini is such a popular choice, not only for festivals and competition committees. After all, his compositions perfectly embody the spirit of which all American contemporary music is capable. There is the fittingly vast grandeur, a sheer endlessness of sound, a tremendous spaciousness and almost otherworldly concept of time – filled to the brim with elaborate expression.

A historical feast awaits listeners on Ganesh Kumar's first NAVONA release SPIRIT OF HUMANITY. Half intended as an homage to Beethoven, half a musical portrayal of a little-known refugee crisis in World War II, it aims to be an epically emotional orchestral experience. The distinctly Indian twist of SPIRIT OF HUMANITY is not only owed to Kumar's nationality, but also to the commissioner of the recorded works, the Dhahara Vidhya Foundation. Why Kumar would be asked to create Rise, a symphony inspired by Beethoven in time for the 250th birth anniversary of the great composer appears obvious. The piece draws heavily on Beethovian elements from the first measure to the last, and includes, among others, reminiscences of Beethoven's most popular themes, such as the opening motif of the composer's Fifth Symphony, but consciously introducing a rising figuration signifying positivity and perseverance. Much less apparent is the provenance of the other recorded work, The Journey – From Despair to Hope – A Symphonic Poem. This large piece of program music reminds the listener of the little-known, terrible hardships of Polish refugees in the early 1940's, when thousands of displaced Poles in Russia, owing to a great humanitarian act by Maharaj Jam Saheb Digvijay Singhji, embarked on an arduous journey to India, and found a new home in the then-princely Indian state of Nawanagar. Kumar's uncanny ability to paint the deprivation, depletion, and truculent perseverance of the refugees in stark tonal colors is nothing short of jaw-dropping; and the finale, an extolment of the Maharaj's generosity, vividly evokes satisfaction and relief in the face of suffering overcome. The symphonic poem makes a powerful case for pacifism on the 75th anniversary of the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, to the Allied forces in 1945, thereby ending World War II in Europe.

Can you satisfy God with one sound? This question was repeatedly posed to Lachlan Skipworth by his shakuhachi teacher during a three-year period of intensive study in Japan. It sparked a deep exploration of cross-cultural aesthetics that finds expression in this self-titled Navona Records album. At the beginning of each shakuhachi lesson, student and master begin by repeatedly playing a single note on the end-blown bamboo flute. This focuses their minds on core questions of technique: “have I made progress? Am I closer to mastery of this, shakuhachi’s most fundamental note?” A focus on fundamentals permeates this collection of chamber works composed by Skipworth, a rising star in Australian contemporary music. In the first moments of the Clarinet Quintet, listeners are drawn into his unique sound world with its cascade of angular string entries. Against this, the round cool tone of the main clarinet line articulates, expanding slowly from a single note into the beautiful and at times dramatic melodic line. It sets the scene for the rest of the album, which includes works that reflect traits of the shakuhachi’s honkyoku repertoire; a palindromic reverse-canon evoking Reichian phasing; propulsive, Shostakovich-esque melodies; and meditative explorations in using silence as texture that is indebted to the principles of classical Japanese aesthetics. There may not be an answer to whether God can be satisfied with one sound. Listeners, however, will be drawn into Skipworth’s innovative and singular musical language in this meditative and original collection of works.

Michael Kurek's Parma Recordings debut, The Sea Knows, is a charming collection of works written with an emphasis on that which is beautiful and emotive. Composing in a tonal idiom reminiscent of the great melodists of the early 20th century, Kurek creates music that tugs at the heartstrings without ever pandering, that is rich in emotive content without feeling surgary. The works on The Sea Knows plumb the depths of musical sensitivity and will appeal to anyone who listens to music seeking intimacy and an emotionally-grounded experience. In today's contemporary musical world, composers are often all too aware that a piece may be premiered and then performed again rarely, if ever. These pieces seem likely to defy that cruel cycle. Thoroughly ''road-tested,'' and listener-approved, the works making up The Sea Knows have been performed before many audiences and seem likely to be enjoyed by many more to come. The expansive opening Serenade for Violoncello and Harp is constituted by a single sweeping movement. Melodic materials presented by the cello are built around the expansion of two central themes. These themes, described by the composer as ''simple,'' are explored and transformed until they become anything but. This melodic transformation, rendered here by Ovidiu Marinescu, exists atop a virtuosic harp tapestry of harmonic filigree admirably played by Rita Costanzi. Also featuring cellist Ovidiu Marinescu, a Parma labelmate, the album title track is a tour de force for cello soloist and string orchestra. The work unfolds in sonata form and was written as a programmatic depiction of a poem of the same name written by the composer. In both music and poem, vastness is a central theme, and the emotive lines played by the cello sometimes crash against the waves of the orchestra and sometimes allow the musical tides to pull them along.

Navona Records proudly presents HIGH VOLTAGE CHAMBER MUSIC, the latest album from composer Jan Järvlepp. Following close on the heels of CONCERTO 2000 and FLIGHTS OF FANCY, Järvlepp carries forward the momentum with this newest release. Featured on the album is String Quartet No. 1, the composer’s first full-length string quartet—an important milestone for any composer. The album also features a couple of Järvlepp’s quintets, both of which undoubtedly live up to the album’s title. In the midst of a global health crisis, HIGH VOLTAGE CHAMBER MUSIC comes as an exhilarating triumph in the midst of adversity—a triumph to be enjoyed by listeners everywhere.