Catalog

Navona records presents LAUDATO SI: IN THE SPIRIT OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, a tribute to the 13th century Italian friar and preacher. Beloved over the world for his charity, devotion to poverty, and delight in Creation, St. Francis portrays his love for the beautiful in his poetic writings. In this exquisitely crafted vocal-organ program soprano Charlene Canty, countertenor Andrey Nemzer, and organist Nicholas Will present a fresh musical take on the Franciscan poetic tradition with world premiere recordings of three contemporary settings of texts by (or attributed to) St. Francis written by the composer Eli Tamar. These works are complemented by a series of solos and duets from various settings of Stabat Mater from the Baroque period to the mid-twentieth century.

The Jitro Czech Girls Choir, under the leadership of conductor and music director Jiří Skopal, presents yet another vivid exploration of the depths of traditional Czechoslovakian music on their fourth release with Navona, JITRO IN HEAVEN. The tone for the album is set by Liturgical Chants, five pieces which express the spiritual and musical code of European culture. These pieces are composed by Petr Eben, an icon of 20th-century Czech music.

Judging by Navona's VOICES OF EARTH AND AIR VOL III, this century is facing a significant paradigm shift in contemporary composition. The third installment of the trailblazing series again showcases contemporary choral music, and once more, it is mesmerizing – mesmerizingly tonal and aesthetic.