Instrumentation: Piano

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.

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.

Composer Mark Edwards Wilson and Ravello Records present TIME VARIATIONS, a stirring journey through the dimensions of musical style. Wilson blends soprano vocals with piano and electroacoustic synthesizers, flute with electronic tape, and experiments with the stylistic boundaries of solo violin and chamber ensembles in works inspired by poetry, Greek mythology, and various musical expressions throughout time. By fusing the idioms of early music with contemporary compositional concepts, Wilson has created a modulating and continuously transforming stylistic synthesis that awaits listeners.

Ravello Records presents SOPRANO SUMMIT from revered saxophonist Paul Cohen. Alongside his work as a performer, Cohen is known for his passionate scholarship, rediscovering long-forgotten saxophone works as well as arranging related music for the instrument. In this, his latest contribution, Cohen presents an album of music for the soprano saxophone in chamber and solo settings.

KEEP GOING: THE MUSIC OF ELIAS TANENBAUM features the chamber and solo works of the late Elias Tanenbaum performed by Ensemble Pi. The pieces demonstrate Tanenbaum's ability to turn his emotional reactions to world events into music that illustrates both the life-changing grief and need for change that those events cause. As Tanenbaum himself said, "What is there left in any of us but to keep going?" Ensemble Pi is a new music ensemble dedicated to performing the music of both living composers and undiscovered composers of the past. Keep Going is the ensemble's tribute to Tanenbaum, whose beautiful and thought-provoking music has never received the widespread recognition it deserves.

Amy Briggs brings to life a variety of tangos from different composers on TANGOS FOR PIANO. Proposed by composers from UC Davis, the disc features works from Laurie San Martin, Yu-Hui Chang, Pablo Ortiz, Ross Bauer, Yvar Mikhasoff’s International Tango Collection, Astor Piazzolla, and many more. The different backgrounds and compositional variety of each composer highlight the breadth and possibilities of the tango, which Briggs captures impeccably on the solo piano.

EXCURSIONS is a two-disc set featuring the works of Utah composer Marie Nelson Bennett. Bennett paints beautiful portraits with her music, musically illustrating the scenery of a field of flowers, the movements of the ocean, the sorrow of a funeral, and more. Featured performers on EXCURSIONS include Richard Stoltzman, Holly Gornick, and Solveig Lunde Madsen.

THE FOUR SEASONS was originally released in 2008 and was lauded as “consistently absorbing” and “one of a new kind” (AllMusic). Featuring stellar performances from sixteen performers, THE FOUR SEASONS highlights Pierre Schroeder as a master of jazz-classical fusion.

CON MOTO, VOLUME 2 is a the second release in the Ravello Records Con Moto series of digital releases featuring unreleased works for orchestra and ensemble. Included on this volume are the modern orchestral and ensemble compositions of Stephen Kemp, Stephen Rush, Larry Barnes, Raymond E. Fahrner,, HyeKyung Lee, Paula Diehl, and Paula Diehl. All of the pieces on this release are completely original, contemporary compositions for orchestra, ensemble, and solo instruments.

This release from Robert Baksa was originally released in 1991 and was lauded as “brilliantly stated” (Phoenix Gazette) and “courageously and attractively retrograde” (Arizona Daily Star). Featuring stunning interpretations by The Virtuosi Quintet and pianist Aeree Kim, this album is a highlight in contemporary collections of accessible classical music.

NO SUGGESTION OF SILENCE was originally released in 2001 and was lauded as "truly refreshing " (21st Century Music) and "sophisticated" (New Music Connoisseur). Featuring performances by pianist John Root, flutist Hugh Williams, The Next Stage Speaking Chorus, The Barbad Chamber Orchestra with violinist Sebu Sirinian and conductor Ramin Heydarbeygi, The Choir of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, and the Goliard Chorale with the P.S. 122 Children's Chorale, clarinetist Thomas Piercy, cellist Jane Lawson, and pianist Judith Olson.

TRAVELER’S TALE was originally released in 2007 and features on-disc performances by flutist/composer Byron Petty, pianist Shuko Watanabe, clarinetist Roger Quigley, hornist Wallace Easter, guitarist Robert Trent, trumpeter Chris Magee, organist Daniel Brinson, and violinists Mark Taylor and Janice Vincent.

Violist Shelly Tramposh has led an extensive career as chamber musician, orchestral player, and teacher, and her varied experiences allow her to play her instrument with an effortless grace that can only be described as having SPREZZATURA. Tramposh, accompanied by Cullan Bryant—one of the most active collaborative pianists in New York—performs works by Paul Chihara, Paul Siskind, Benjamin Britten and Paul Hindemith with the emotion and intensity of each piece’s inspiration, whether it be the doldrums of illness and celebration of health in Chihara’s Sonata for Viola and Piano or Hindemith’s tumultuous sonata, written after being blacklisted by the Nazi party in Germany. Tramposh and Bryant form a masterful duo, and are able to capture the tone of each piece with virtuosic flourish and clarity.

A CONCERT OF MUSIC BY ALLEN BRINGS was originally released in 2008 and features stunning performances by pianists Allen Brings and Eric Huebner, soprano Jennifer Foster, the Atlantic String Quartet, Talujon, and Flexible Music.

Paul Kirby's FOUR SONATAS was originally released in 2008, and features stellar performances by Rodger Lee, Steve Graff, Erin Lesser, James Noyes, and Yegor Shevtsov.

Richard Crosby's AN AMERICAN PORTRAIT was originally released in 1999, and features stellar works by Charles Tomlinson Griffes, Amy Beach, Lee Hoiby, William Grant Still, David Guion, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, and George Gerswhin.

Bruce Mahin's SHADOWS was originally released in 1991, and features adept performances by Elizabeth Curtis, Al Wojtera, Caryl Conger, Adam Mahonske, Mark Lortz, Kujit Rehncy, and David Shunway.

David Bennett Thomas' CHAMBER WORKS was originally released in 2005, and was lauded as "immediately engaging" (Philadelphia Music Makers) and "concise and comprehensible" (American Record Guide).

OBSTRUCTED VIEW was originally released in 2005 and was lauded as "deft, challenging and eclectic" (Washington Post), and features composer Jessica Krash performing the pieces for solo piano.

SIDEWALK MUSIC was originally released in 2002 and represents the composer’s quest “to write electronically-made music that communicates any number of different ideas or emotions.” The music on this release is an enticing exploration into the endless possibilities of expression through the manipulation of pre-recorded and electronic sounds.