From the mysterious magic of our darkest corners to the exuberant atmosphere of Carnival, infinite possibilities lay within Inviting Worlds from Navona Records. The musical dimensions of several composers are explored by the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra, Zagreb Festival Orchestra, and the National Moravian-Silesian Theater Choir in this dynamic journey, offering insight into new realms through imaginative approaches to composition. Even in far away lands, close-to-home concepts are explored in thought-provoking soundscapes, showcasing the rhythmic dexterity and textural nuance of today’s orchestras across a wide breadth of compositional styles...

The first volume of Inviting Worlds represents an incredibly rich and varied collection of impressive orchestral work which conjures up so many emotions and visual imagery.

I recently got back into the virtual reality version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on the Playstation 5 and one of the aspects of that, which really tugs at the heartstrings, is the wonderfully immersive music. Listening to Inviting Worlds I was struck by how incredible it would work as a soundtrack to the game... and so I tried playing it in place of the game's music and it really did elevate the suspense, the beauty and the overall feeling of the game.

I only mention this because I was already blown away with what the composers delivered as a standalone collection and wanted to see how it would enhance something that it almost seemed to be designed to compliment.

On its own merits, this is a rich and varied collection of works that really do conjure up imagery of other worlds, be they medieval fantasy lands or strange alien worlds.

This is a flawless and compelling collection off beautiful pieces that is well worth seeking out.

Track listing:

John Wineglass
Zagreb Festival Orchestra - Ivan Josip Skender (conductor)
01. Bonny Doon: From the Misty Redwoods Down to the Mighty Pacific Ocean (5:46)

Michael Wittgraf
Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava - Stanislav Vavrinek (conductor)
02. A Marriage of Seasons (10:23)

John A. Carollo
Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava - Jiří Petrdlík (conductor) - National Moravian-Silesian Theatre Choir
03. Dark Days (10:49)

Brian Belet
Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava - Jan Kučera (conductor) - Jakub Černohorský (violin), Roman Buchal (flügelhorn)
04. Fantasia: Nocturne (11:02)

Richard E Brown
Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava - Stanislav Vavrinek (conductor)
05. Expansions for Orchestra (7:56)

Liova Bueno
Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava - Stanislav Vavrinek (conductor)
06. Two Moods: Dusk & Carnaval: I. Dusk (3:43)
07. Two Moods: Dusk & Carnaval: II. Carnaval (4:05)

Jan Van der Roost
Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava - Stanislav Vavrinek (conductor) - Eddy Vanoosthuyse (clarinet)
08. Céad Míle Fáilte (5:57)

William Copper
Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava - Jiří Petrdlík (conductor)
09. This Full Bowl of Roses, Part I (3:03)

10

Darren Rea