April 4, 2025 New Releases from Navona, Ravello, Big Round, and Albany Records

Woodwind Quintet music offers a treasure trove of nuance and emotional depth, with a bright and warm essence that’s playful, inviting, and exhilarating. Navona Records’ WINDSWEPT series continues its presentation of such works in its third volume. Available in Dolby Atmos and as a visual album, these works are brought to life by the celebrated Belfiato Quintet.

Mona Lyn Reese composes with unflinching artistry. Her dramatic oratorio CHOOSE LIFE melds Jewish and Christian musical traditions, Holocaust survivor accounts, and scripture into a powerful interfaith memorial. An immediate success, this work filled 1500-seat auditoriums and received spontaneous standing ovations at every concert during its initial season; and it’s easy to see why.

Internationally-acclaimed pianist Yaroslav Senyshyn demonstrates a breathtaking capability for tenderness and artistic flair on YAROSLAV SENYSHYN PLAYS CHOPIN. These behemoths of Romantic piano literature, widely considered to pose near-impossible technical and emotional challenges to the performer, are fully brought to life and vigorously commanded by Senyshyn’s impeccable pianism.

Experience the humanity and splendor of outer space with DEEP-SKY OBJECTS/STARS. Sebastian Currier’s Deep-Sky Objects, with lyrics from Sarah Manguso’s poetry, reimagines the great Romantic song cycles with electronic sounds and a tale of intergalactic longing. Trevor Weston’s Stars, with lyrics from Robert Hayden’s poetry, ponders the night sky and its profound impact on thought through the ages.

Like a subtle change to a time-honored recipe, adding a dash of something fresh to established musical forms can create something entirely new. Composer Mark Winges, hailed by Gramophone as “stylistically adventurous in setting, but strongly beholden to conventional means,” does exactly that on RED SKY OPENING, an album of music for piano.

On LET US DANCE, LET US SING, ensemble Tiny Glass Tavern invites you to sip on an eclectic brew of genre-melding delight. Classical, folk, and traditions from the world over are all represented in a joyful celebration of the global miracle that is music. This debut album showcases their finely honed musical chops through contemporary compositions to traditional English dances and Yiddish folk songs.

Albany Records is pleased to present LISTEN TO THE WORLD, an evocative choral album by Essential Voices USA. Featuring compositions by Judith Clurman, Matthew Sklar, and Robert Sirota, with texts by William Schermerhorn and Victoria Sirota, the album addresses pressing global challenges: environmental preservation, immigration, and human connection.