August 22, 2025 New Releases from Navona and Ravello Records

On SONG OF THE STARS, harpist Rita Costanzi performs a program of Celtic folk pieces and melodies, showcasing the enduring, timeless quality of the instrument. This poignant music holds a special place in Costanzi’s heart, as each night she played for a dear friend in palliative care, lulling her to sleep with the calming, dreamlike sound she masterfully evokes.

THE DARKNESS OF FURY is Navona Records’ second album of cross-cultural compositions by Iranian-American composer Reza Vali. The five pieces for large ensemble are a stunning display of impeccable study paving the way for something new, as Vali’s scholarly knowledge of Iranian folk music and Persian forms combine with Western temperaments to create music with epic, immersive, and tale-telling qualities.

Folk songs always require delicacy and tact, and the Bechtler Ensemble is up to the task on THE DESTINY OF ARMENIA IS ITS CROSS. The string quartet arrangements of Armenian folk songs mirror the country’s rich musical heritage: at times reminiscent of Schubert and Dvořák, these pieces offer a stunning glimpse into the soul of a splendid culture, tingling with lyrical melancholy. 

With EL CAMINANTE, the Boston University Opera Institute unearths a one-act operatic gem by Cuban composer Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes: a microcosm where the boundary between miracle and mirage dissolves into incense and silk. A paraplegic girl is touched – and healed – by a dazzling stranger who promises everything, then vanishes like dew at sunrise.

PARALLEL PLAY explores the timbral and lyrical possibilities of the flute-piano duo as a uniquely expressive partnership. From the restive intimacy of the title track to the euphoric turbulence of All You Can Do Is Hang On For Dear Life, Andonovska and Raineri’s performances weave together emotional extremes with clarity, virtuosity, and control.

Christopher O’Riley’s THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER BOOK II continues the pianist’s exploration of Bach’s masterpiece. A true expedition into the second set’s finest of details, O’Riley delves beyond the notes themselves and into the spaces between them, sifting through the silence for every last possibility of rhythmic flexibility and potential for expression.

Joel Gressel’s UNMEASURED TIME is a compelling collection of 21 electronic works composed between 1998 and 2024. Created using the same custom Fortran-based synthesis software and a consistent pitch and rhythmic system, each piece showcases Gressel’s unique sonic language — meticulously coded rather than sampled.