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www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6003/

Praised for his “bold and expressive” playing (Gramophone Magazine), cellist Ovidiu Marinescu and Navona Records present MOTO CONTINUO, a collection of six contemporary solo cello and piano trio works – from the intense, dark, and expressive to the calm, light, and austere – performed by Marinescu and his colleagues from Trio Casals, violinist Sylvia Ahramjian and pianist Anna Kislitsyna.

Osias Wilenski’s Variations for Trio, written in 1984, is based on a passage from Beethoven’s Great Fugue (Große Fuge), Op. 133, creating a blend of opposing phrases and virtuosic lines. Adirondack Tableau by Nicholas Anthony Ascioti, adapted from his earlier work Adirondack Suite, is a three-movement sonic reflection of his experiences at Adirondack Park. Diane Jones’ Three Songs, written for Trio Casals, provides distinct imagery throughout its three movements, from the discomfort and rush of crowded city streets, to the serenity of the natural world, to a new spirit watching from above.

Inspired by the tragic events of 9/11, John A. Carollo explains the basic concept behind his Piano Trio No. 1: “Just as rivers flow and meander down varied landscapes, music should mimic nature, where every moment is alive with newness. In its most exalted state, music should be fresh and new, resembling the moment, which is always unique.” Robert Fleisher’s solo cello piece, Ma mère, deconstructs, reorders, and expands the cello parts from “Jeux de Vagues” (“Play of the Waves”), the middle movement of Debussy's orchestral work, La mer. Underlying Brian Noyes’ Piano Trio Op. 38 (…in the spirit of Ave Maris Stella) is the chamber work by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, providing impetus for the viscerally exciting rhythmic drive and expressive lyricism of his new chamber piece.