This week audiences will get a chance to hear a number of solo albums, including a cross-over album. And what’s more, there is also a fashion opera on offer.

Here is a look at this week’s new releases.

Songs From Far Away

Vittorio Prato releases his first CD-Book on Illiria. The book is dedicated to Francesco Paolo Tosti and Prato is accompanied by Maestro Vincenzo Scalera for the CD portion.

Beethoven Symphony No. 9 

Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra perform Beethoven’s final symphony. Reference Recordings releases the new album which features Christina Landshamer, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Werner Güra, Shenyang, and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh.

Dreams of a New Day: Songs by Black Composers

Cedille Records releases Will Liverman’s latest album featuring Damien Sneed’s “I Dream a World,” Henry Burleigh’s “Five Songs of Laurence Hope,” H. Leslie Adams’ “Amazing Grace,” Margaret Bonds’ “Three Dream Portraits,” Thomas Kerr’s “Riding to Town,” the world premiere recording of Shawn E. Okpebholo’s “Two Black Churches, “Robert Owens’ “Mortal Storm,” and Liverman on the piano in his own arrangement of Richard Fariña’s “Birmingham Sunday.” Paul Sanchez collaborates with Liverman on the new album.

In a press release, Liverman noted, “Right now, it is more important than ever to celebrate the contributions of Black composers, and I’m honored to give voice to the art songs on this album. There was an enormous amount of material to choose from; Black composers wrote so much more than just spirituals! The album is dedicated to my late mentor Robert Brown who influenced the lives of so many students through his many years of teaching at The Governor’s School for the Arts in Richmond, Virginia. I hope this album inspires you to keep striving to have our voices heard and to speak up constantly and work towards equality.”

The Tower and The Garden

GRAMMY-winning choir The Crossing, led by Donald Nally, releases its 23rd commercial album on Navona Records. The album features Gregory Spears’ “The Tower and the Garden,” Joel Puckett’s “I enter the earth,” and Toivo Tulev’s “A child said, what is the grass?” All three works were written and premiered of The Crossing.

Love the Color of Your Butterfly

Internationally Acclaimed Soprano Janinah Burnett is set to explore the Classical Repertoire with Fresh Jazz Sensibilities. The new album features Terreon “Tank” Gully, Sullivan Fortner, Christian Sands, Keith Brown, Casey Benjamin, Luques Curtis, and Ben Williams. The album explores opera, art song, oratorio, and the American indigenous music genres including spirituals, blues, jazz, and soul.

Robe 

Métier Records releases Alastair White’s ‘fashion opera’ “Robe” featuring the original cast from the premiere performance as part of Tête-à-Tête, London in 2019. The unique concept employs only four female singers with flute and piano, but also dancers and actors, in this futuristic drama.  The work, which was shortlisted for the Creative Edinburgh Award, features soloists Clara Kanter, Rosie Middleton, Sarah Parkin, and Kelly Poukens.

Britten: Complete Folk Songs for Voice and Piano 

Brilliant Classics releases the new album by tenor Mark Milhofer who performs Britten’s Folk Songs. The tenor is joined by pianist by Marco Scolastra. The album which is made up of two CDs compiles 47 songs.