This New Music Friday, Navona and Ravello Records present three albums that innovate, with electronically-infused choir, lines blurred between mathematics and music, and a full tour of the saxophone’s extensive capabilities.
Dive in and discover new music from: Gregory W. Brown, Bill Whitley and Nicki Roman.
FALL AND DECLINE
Gregory W. Brown
With Gregory W. Brown’s FALL AND DECLINE on Navona Records, the composer chronicles the heights to which humanity can soar—but also the depths to which it may come crashing down. Scored for the solo voices of virtuosic vocal sextet Variant 6 and electronics, the sounds range from typical choral textures to angular and aggressive electronic soundscapes.
ABSENT LIGHT
Bill Whitley
Peeling back the complex layers of Bill Whitley’s ethereal ABSENT LIGHT, one is astounded to see how this music could at once be so serene, yet technically intricate. Blurring the lines between mathematics and music, the mesmerizing and intense ABSENT LIGHT is a shining example of intricate acoustic architecture.
UNQUIET WATERS
Nicki Roman
On Ravello Records’ UNQUIET WATERS, Nicki Roman takes listeners on a tour of the saxophone’s capabilities, from Leonard Bernstein’s jazzy syncopated rhythms to lyrical wedding marches, to complex works free of barlines. Each piece is different from the last, showcasing not only the breadth and potential of saxophone repertoire, but Roman’s own virtuosity and technique as a performer.
