Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra - Prisma Vol. 3 (2020)

Navona Records exhilarating PRISMA VOL. 3the latest in the PRISMA seriesunveils the diverse faces of contemporary orchestral music. Featuring the works of seven composers, PRISMA VOL. 3 follows up the success of the first two PRISMA installments with symphonic music that is both innovative and deeply alluring. The album opens with Ascension for Solo Clarinet and String Orchestra by Ahmed Alabaca, which pairs tender yet excitable clarinet lines with the cinematic grandeur of a string orchestra. Next comes Dark Glass Sinfonia by Sarah Wallin Huff, in which crumpled dissonances flower into exuberant tonality, capitalizing on the full dynamic range of the orchestra. The Defiant Poet by Noam Faingold follows, which lovingly commemorates the outspoken Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko. Then, Raisa Orshanskys Spring Fantasy explores themes of birth and renewal in nature, as inspired by another Russian poet Alexander Blok. Next, Songs of the Seasons by Craig Morris utilizes chromaticism to evoke colorful images from nature, with all its hope and uncertainty. The second-to-last piece on the album is Restoration by Scott Brickman, which he describes as a symphony in one movement; the music, with its flirting allusions to Eastern European folk songs, celebrates Brickmans Latvian and Polish heritage. Lastly, in Prelude & Fugue for Orchestra, Audun G. Vassdal takes liberties with classical forms to create music that is at once playful and intensely evocative. The symphony orchestra is a powerful instrument; writing orchestral music presents significant obstacles and tantalizing opportunities for even the most skilled composer. In PRISMA VOL. 3, seven masters of this challenging artform rethink what a symphony orchestra is capable of, and in so doing, present their audience with a unique and gratifying musical experience.

Track List:
[07:51] 01. Karel Dohnal - Ascension for Solo Clarinet & String Orchestra
[07:38] 02. Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra - The Dark Glass Sinfonia (We See Through a Glass Darkly)
[11:50] 03. Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra - The Defiant Poet (Elegy in Memory of Yevgeny Yevtushenko)
[05:12] 04. Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra - Spring Fantasy
[02:26] 05. Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra - No. 1, Winter Snowfall
[02:28] 06. Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra - No. 2, Spring Raindrops
[03:32] 07. Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra - No. 3, Summer Waves
[03:37] 08. Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra - No. 4, Fall Colors
[10:54] 09. Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra - Symphony No. 4 "Restoration"
[11:16] 10. Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra - Prelude & Fugue for Orchestra