An excellent collection of contemporary collection of music around the theme of reverence and growth
Reason & Reverence: Works for Orchestra – Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra / Petr Vronský Navona Records NV6166 (6/8/2018) ****:
What a refreshingly good listen this disc from Navona is. The album starts splendidly with Christopher Keyes’ An Inescapable Entanglement. It has a minimalistic style, with some more traditional elements.
Red Rock is a symphonic poem commissioned by the Henderson Symphony and its music director, Taras Krysa. The music reflects Nevada’ Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas. It’s an interesting piece, full of invention and subtle musical color.
Fernidnando De Sena’s Deciphered Reverence explores the lofty idea of divine presence and creates an interpretation through the consistent, triumphant swelling of the orchestra.
Composed by Willem Van Twillert, multiple styles set the foundation for Branches of Singularity. Multiple developments transitions from one style to another create an interesting and attention getting piece.
Andrew Schultz’ Symphony No. 2 – Ghosts of Reason concludes the CD nicely. It’s a slower, contemplative piece.
Sometimes a mixture of composers does not make for a good listening experience. But Reason and Reverence flows together very nicely, with some very fresh voiced composers.
The performance by the Moravian Philharmonic under the baton of Petr Vronský precise and exuberant. The recording is nicely done with a very natural style and respect for the acoustics of the recording venue. The percussion sounds quite realistic, with bite and excellent transient response.
I listened to the CD mix of this album, but it has also been rendered in high resolution that should sound even better.
Recommended for lovers of contemporary music and richly recorded sound.
—Mel Martin
