An up-and-coming soprano makes her debut on record, while another noted baritone, also in his CD debut, presents a series of unique and rarely heard songs by a wide range of composers. Finally, a tribute to brave men and women takes center stage in the final major release of the week. Check it out.

Romance 

Valentina Naforniţa releases her debut album entitled “Romance” via OMF. The debut CD will showcase the soprano in arias by Mozart, Dvorak, and Moldovian music with Kerri-Lynn Wilson conducting the Munich Rundfunkorchester. The CD will be appear first in Europe followed by a U.S. release date later this month.

Whither Must I Wander

Odradek Records is set to release baritone Will Liverman and pianist Jonathan King’s debut album. The new album is set to showcase a selection of song with the theme of travel by composers by Ralph Vaughan Williams, J. Frederick Keel, Herbert Howells, Aaron Copland, Steven Mark Kohn, Nikolai Medtner, and Robert Schumann.

In a press release the artists noted, “’Whither Must I Wander’ is born out of our own adventures, each song curated to tell a story inspired by our experiences. As lifelong friends and musical colleagues, we hope always to wander; towards new destinations, new discoveries, new relationships, and always home to share our story. The CD takes its name from one of the Songs of Travel by Ralph Vaughan Williams, a song cycle that is at the heart of this release. From the trudging ‘Vagabond’ to the more playful ‘Roadside Fire’ and the radiance of ‘Youth and Love,’ Vaughan Williams explores every bittersweet nuance of journeying.”

Sanctuary Road 

Naxos is set to release the world-premiere recording of composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell’s tribute to the men and women of the Underground Railroad and to one heroic man in particular, conductor William Still, a chronicler of the inspiring stories of its “passengers” and their valiant flights north from slavery to freedom.

The recording features music director Kent Tritle leading his Oratorio Society of New York Orchestra and Chorus and  soloists soprano Laquita Mitchell, mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis, tenor Joshua Blue, baritone Malcolm J. Merriweather, and bass-baritone Dashon Burton. The album also includes a 20-minute audio documentary featuring interviews with the oratorio’s two Pulitzer Prize–winning creators, its conductor, and its five solo singers by popular WQXR radio host Terrance McKnight.