• Catalog #: RR8110

    Release Date: October 25, 2024

    20th Century
    21st Century
    Chamber
    Piano
    Saxophone

    On saxophonist Paul Cohen’s COMMON GROUND, one can embrace the unbroken musical traditions that have defined our musical selves, and in doing so, find a contemporary relevance that is both compelling and insightful. These are magnificent compositions, yet they are rarely heard. The range of expression and emotional direction is astonishing and almost visceral. Each of the works follows a unique path; from the kaleidoscopic Ivesian treatment of American folk tunes in Hymn Variations, to the vibrant, ecstatic joy of Quartet to an Outdoor Festival, to the lush, deceptive and nostalgic Trillium Suite, and finally the introspective interlude of Terpsichord framed by outer movements of pungent rhythmic vitality. COMMON GROUND celebrates not only the expressive inclusiveness of these diverse works, but also the common ground achieved with such varied sets of instruments. All compositions on COMMON GROUND are scored for winds, strings, and piano, and all include the saxophone. The soprano saxophone is scored in Quartet to an Outdoor Festival, Hymn Variations, and Trillium Suite, while the alto saxophone is scored in Terpsichord. In these settings, the saxophone uniquely enhances the color, texture, and dynamic resources of the ensemble, while still retaining the necessary subtlety of ensemble equality. It is common ground for composers, performers, and listeners alike.

  • Catalog #: RR8109

    Release Date: September 20, 2024

    20th Century
    21st Century
    Romantic
    Chamber
    Orchestra
    Piano
    Saxophone

    Saxophonist Paul Cohen’s AMERICAN LANDSCAPES presents three centuries of original American Music for Saxophone, from Caryl Florio's concerto (1879) for saxophone and orchestra, to 20th and 21st century works (saxophone and piano) by Alec Wilder, Steve Cohen, Percy Grainger, Richard Lane, and Elie Siegmeister. Cohen is joined by pianist Allison Brewster Franzetti and the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra in this Ravello Records release.

  • Catalog #: RR8108

    Release Date: August 2, 2024

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Guitar
    String Quartet

    MISSOURI BREAKS from composer and guitarist Stuart Weber is a musical meditation on the tension between natural history and modernity. In collaboration with the Benda Quartet, Weber’s work is largely set in the untamed American West. Night Scribe considers the periodic appearance of Halley’s Comet and wonders where humanity might find itself when the comet next appears in the year 2062. Missouri Breaks takes its musical cues from the Missouri River as it flows through north-central Montana; the tempo is set by the river’s current, the shimmering sunlight reflecting off the water inspires Weber’s guitar technique. Weber is deeply familiar with his subject matter, as he credits his upbringing in the Northern Rocky Mountains for giving him the time and space to develop as an artist.

  • Catalog #: RR8106

    Release Date: August 16, 2024

    21st Century
    Avant-Garde
    Experimental
    Electroacoustic
    String Quartet

    If someone told you there was music that could lull pillowy-winged moths into a fluttery state of happiness, that the Aurora Borealis can sing even better than you and I, or that the roots of the American elm trees in Central Park are a bustling ensemble waiting for their cue, would you believe them? Matthew Burtner would, and he’d have no trouble proving it on PROFILED FROM ATMOSPHERES, the veteran ecoacoustic composer’s sixth release with Ravello Records. Burtner lifts the veil between humanity and its planet, translating its messages into an intimate medium invariably understood amongst its inhabitants. These messages make an urgent case in the titular work Profiled From Atmospheres, a collaborative work between atmospheric sound profiles derived from humanity’s top three greenhouse gas emissions and saxophone/percussion duo Michael Weiss and Elizabeth Soflin. The result is an eerie, haunting sonification that serves as a poignant reminder; if we want to continue hearing the songs of the atmosphere and the planet it blankets, it’s our responsibility to preserve it.

  • Catalog #: RR8104

    Release Date: July 12, 2024

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Clarinet
    Viola da gamba

    NOCTUARY DUOS from composer Gerardo Dirié explores sonic worlds of shifting hues, puzzling lyricism, and dramatic trajectories. Inspired by the enigmatic beauty of the night sky and the rich astronomical knowledge of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, NOCTUARY DUOS is a collection of contemporary chamber music featuring Diego Montes on bass clarinet and Johanna Rose on viola da gamba. The compositions borrow from Gregorian chant, heavy metal, and even include a quote from Stephen Hawking and a nod to particle physics. At once playful and deeply reflective, NOCTUARY DUOS invites listeners to consider their place in the cosmos.

  • Catalog #: RR8103

    Release Date: June 28, 2024

    21st Century
    Solo Instrumental
    Cello

    THE PETRIFIED FOREST PROJECT from cellist Rhonda Rider pays homage to the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, where Rider carried out a residency in 2015. The forest is home to Triassic fossils and an over 200 million-year-old ecosystem. The works here, all commissioned as part of the residency, highlight elements that make the park so special. Pari by Mischa Salkind-Pearl takes its movement titles from flora native to the park. Raven Chacon created a piece, Invisible Arc, inspired by a traditional Navajo hunting song. Kurt Rohde’s credo petrified is for amplified cello, and personifies both life and glacial decay in nature. In Meditation on Impatience, Ian Gottlieb evokes sediment through coalescing layers of sound. Laurie San Martin’s Vast Steppe and Eric Moe’s Verklaerte Holz reflect on the idea of natural beauty and the many transformations it endures. Rich in metaphor and imagination, THE PETRIFIED FOREST PROJECT resonates at the intersection of music and ecology.

  • Catalog #: RR8102

    Release Date: April 19, 2024

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Saxophone

    Contemporary music is often difficult to access, both for audiences and performing musicians, and doubly so if it involves unorthodox musical setups. Paul Cohen, leader of the TTF Saxophone Quartet, is here to challenge this conundrum. DANCES AND DECLAMATIONS compiles a treasure trove of saxophone quartets that are a pleasure to play — and to experience. This eclectic collection includes modern, minimalist constructions, Brucknerian soundscapes, waltzes, fugues, and not least Cohen's own arrangements of Renaissance dances. Each of the pieces on DANCES AND DECLAMATIONS are imbued with genuine cheer, liveliness, and appeal. It's music that speaks to the mind, yes, but even more importantly, puts a spring in your step.

  • Catalog #: RR8101

    Release Date: April 5, 2024

    21st Century
    Concertos
    Orchestra
    Percussion

    Owing to the collaboration and performance of hundreds of students, faculty, and staff collaborators, the Penn’s Woods Festival Orchestra, the University of Maryland Wind Orchestra, and the Penn State University Wind Ensemble perform alongside Lee Hinkle to acclaim the percussion concerti of three modern American composers. Hinkle meets the evolving modal complexity of Maurice Wright’s Concertpiece for Marimba and Orchestra with the same central drumset vivacity that breathes life into Evan Ziporyn’s Impulse Control, while still saving space for the solemn anthem layered in the rich solo instrumentation of Steven Stucky’s Concerto for Percussion and Wind Orchestra. Whether on marimba, drumset, or any percussive tool between, Hinkle shines solo in the seven-year cumulation of a monumental musical undertaking, coming together as MODERN AMERICAN PERCUSSION CONCERTI.

  • Catalog #: RR8100

    Release Date: February 9, 2024

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Solo Instrumental
    Saxophone

    Indianapolis saxophonist Cecily Terhune dives headfirst into an exploration of heroism on her genre-defying debut album BOON BESTOWED. Harnessing the principles laid out in Joseph Campbell's seminal theory of mythology, Terhune creates a captivating, musical microcosm in which the listener is invited to take center stage as the audacious protagonist. The theory goes as follows: Most myths in human history have an archetypal heroine/hero who answers a call to journey through a supernatural world. After undergoing a transformation of strength and character, the heroine returns equipped with material and/or incorporeal boons to bestow upon her community. Marveling at the highly diverse and exquisite mastery of the saxophone on BOON BESTOWED, one is apt to wonder what supernatural landscapes Terhune might have traversed herself.

  • Catalog #: RR8099

    Release Date: December 8, 2023

    21st Century
    Stage Works
    Vocal Music
    Percussion
    Piano
    Voice

    WHAT SHE SAW features two epic, large-scale works from composer Douglas Anderson. These gripping vocal works focus on the lives of two archetypal women: Cassandra of ancient Greece and The Woman of modern times. The first work, Cassandra Songs, tells the story of a Trojan priestess gifted with the power of prophecy but cursed to never be believed. The 11 songs that comprise this first work depict the arc of her tragic struggle. THROUGH/IN, the second major work on the album, is a one-woman chamber opera in which the modern Woman confronts herself through the looking glass. With words by Andrew Joffe, WHAT SHE SAW is a dramatic tour-de-force.

  • Catalog #: RR8098

    Release Date: December 1, 2023

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Flute
    Orchestra
    Piano

    Korean-born Hee Yun Kim returns with a compelling selection of works that reflect her unwavering curiosity about social justice, Eastern philosophy, and transformative change at large on VOYAGE WITHIN. This Navona Records release is first and foremost a journey into the self, and only second a musical exploration. Kim adeptly weaves her insights into profound and harmonious compositions, capturing the essence of her experiences and contemplations. The resulting music is both introspective and reflective, with a foresight and precision that’s almost scientific in nature.

  • Catalog #: RR8097

    Release Date: December 8, 2023

    21st Century
    Avant-Garde
    Flute
    Orchestra
    Voice

    ASHES TO IMPULSE is an extroverted, highly expressive album of redemption and realization, where harmonies become metaphors and dissonance transforms into catharsis. Conceived by Berklee music professor Gregory T. Glancey, these compositions delve into the core of human struggle, mirroring the very process of creation – a journey from the ashes of doubt to the ignition of artistic impulse. A glimpse into Glancey's labyrinthine mind, ASHES TO IMPULSE unearths emotions as if from a hidden wellspring. These are all chamber music pieces, but they are almost symphonic in their profundity. As a flicker becomes a flame, these musical landscapes transcend with unbridled energy and fiery candor.

  • Catalog #: RR8096

    Release Date: January 19, 2024

    21st Century
    Avant-Garde
    Solo Instrumental
    Piano
    Saxophone

    Saxophonist Jeffrey Siegfried explores new possibilities for his instrument's dynamic and versatile voice on SHADES from Ravello Records. The title work, Shades, composed by Sean Friar, is a dark and capricious piece, pairing bursts of musical complexity with unsettling stillness. The album also includes Candlewood by Gala Flagello and water-witching by Nicholas Cline, and and Homage to C.P. by Joan Arnau Pàmies, all of which were composed specifically for Siegfried.. The works are inspired by the natural and supernatural worlds; Siegfried aims to express the ineffable through saxophone techniques like multiphonics, which require careful control of the embouchure, fingering, and air-pressure. The resulting music is hauntingly beautiful and deeply compelling.

  • Catalog #: RR8095

    Release Date: October 27, 2023

    21st Century
    Solo Instrumental
    Percussion

    Montréal percussionist David Therrien Brongo dexterously creates dynamic musical worlds on CONFLUENCE, a highly melodic album of solo percussion compositions by French Canadian contemporary composers. Both meditative and stimulating, the album makes for an impressive demonstration of the possibilities of this rare genre. Brongo's world-class performance is not only highly virtuosic in the technical sense, but also emotionally rich, nuanced, and deeply saturated with empathy. There is a zen-like quality to his interpretations, in which the silences are given as much gravitas as the sound around them, and both notes and rests are searing with constant energy. It's a remarkable approach, and instantly recognizable.

  • Catalog #: RR8094

    Release Date: September 22, 2023

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Cello
    Electroacoustic
    Percussion

    CYCLES OF FORMATION from John Ritz presents varying degrees of prescribed musical material and open-form elements. Each piece explores the potential interactions between human performance and interactive computer signal processing algorithms within a particular musical context. Featuring jazz pianist Gabe Evens, and classical percussionist Greg Byrne, and Ritz himself as the album’s composer, cellist, and analog synthesist, this Ravello Records release delivers a stimulating world of electroacoustic sound, a smooth blend of suspense and innovation.

  • Catalog #: RR8093

    Release Date: September 22, 2023

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Electroacoustic

    If you crave a deep dive into a new and exciting solar system of starry digital soundscapes, Jeffrey Hall’s EARMOVIE II is certain to take you on an interstellar ride. This digitally synthesized album is described by its composer as “the musical equivalent of science fiction,” and delivers in all aspects. Hall likes his listeners to think of his compositions as an EARMOVIE — a soundtrack to an imaginary film inside your head. In this way, Hall opens up the door for the listener to build their own understanding of EARMOVIE II; the titles of its movements are only a guideline to the experience; what the music truly evokes and tells is entirely up to you.

  • Catalog #: RR8092

    Release Date: September 22, 2023

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Piano
    Saxophone

    On ROOT, classical saxophonist and music theorist Jessica Dodge-Overstreet harnesses the ethereal, almost-vocal timbre of the soprano saxophone. Accompanied only by pianist Wan-Ting Yu, Dodge-Overstreet performs music written by a culturally-diverse cast of female composers including Ika Peyron, Germaine Tailleferre, Dora Pejačević, and Teresa Milanollo. From the technically demanding Sonate Slave, with its stratospheric leaps high into the instrument’s uppermost register, to the playful Variations Humouristiques sur l’air de Marlborough for violin and piano which sets the popular folk tune Bear Went Over the Mountain, Dodge-Overstreet brings this versatile and too-often overlooked instrument into the limelight.

  • Catalog #: RR8091

    Release Date: September 22, 2023

    21st Century
    Avant-Garde
    Electroacoustic

    The critically-acclaimed MIND & MACHINE series from Ravello Records returns with its fifth edition with an all-new roster of today’s electro-acoustic composers. This installment taps into and unpacks the foundations of our universe, from the hidden corners of our psyche to the fibers that hold our world together. Offering meditative reflections on the ephemeral moments in our lives and exploring resemblances between music and scientific concepts, MIND & MACHINE, VOLUME FIVE delivers a sprawling artistic soundscape that allows for deep introspection and self-discovery.

  • Catalog #: RR8090

    Release Date: May 12, 2023

    21st Century
    Experimental
    Electroacoustic
    Electronic
    Flute

    On the coasts of the Atlantic, sparrows whistle atop the trees, Eastern winds whisper through spartina grasses, and fiddler crabs skitter within their sandy burrows — a great symphony of shorelines soon to be left incomplete. As rising sea levels continue to threaten coastal reefs, shores, and the hundreds of lifeforms inhabiting them, the Coastal Conservatory urges us to consider our efforts of restoration and offers us an avenue for restoring coastal futures, a meditation on the music of the most integral barriers to the ever-pressing Atlantic. SOUNDSCAPES OF RESTORATION is both an exploration and a reflection, a listening experience that leaves one changed with the desire to make change further. It is a journey that cannot, and should not, be forgotten.

  • Catalog #: RR8089

    Release Date: April 7, 2023

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Experimental
    Jazz
    Percussion
    Piano

    Whim Ensemble musically explores Dutch painter Piet Mondrian’s artistic abstractions of nature on TREES from Ravello Records. Employing the skills of prepared-piano player Ofer Pelz, percussionist Preston Beebe, and double-bassist Stéphane Diamantakiou, the ensemble combines their years of experience as composers and performers to unearth new textures and timbres for their instruments. The resulting album effuses influences of free jazz, contemporary experimental music, and more to foster a unique take on Mondrian’s creative process and influential artistic output.