Here is what the critics have to say about the recording of Symphonies (re-released as AmCam ACR10305CD):
"The Annapolis Brass Quintet and the American Camerata have given us a real winner in Lawrence Moss' Symphonies. Moss writes that the specters of Stravinsky and Debussy loom large behind this work (the title is from Stravinsky), and indeed the washes of sound and the effective use of instrumental forces reflect the sensibilities of other composers. This is not, however, derivative music; the sound is modern and bristling, and the music is infused with an interest and excitement that is Moss' own. Good performances." (William Chase in The New Records, May 1980.)
"Lawrence Moss (b.1927) is a composer of much variety and musical color. He is now represent4ed on a good cross-section of record companies from CRI to Opus One. The present work (Symphonies) is smooth and attractive ... The combination of brass and orchestra here is surprisingly blended into attractive pastels and enjoyable juxtapositions of sonorities, resulting in a piece that one wishes were longer than it is." (Moore in American Record Guide, July/August 1980).
Symphonies by Lawrence Moss is a kind of delicious concerto grosso for brass qujintet and orchestra. The musical gestures and textures are quite fluid, colorful and imaginative. This performance of this work projects the intriguing qualities of this work with a continual sense of freshness as if casting a spell." Contemporary Record Society News, Spring, Summer 1984).
Robert Finn wrote in the Cleveland Plain Dealer about a performance of Symphonies by the Cleveland Chamber Society:
"Most notable, perhaps, was Moss' Symphonies for Brass Quintet and Orchestra in which the Metropolitan Brass Quintet was featured. This is a brief three-movement piece that shows its composer's imaginative ear for unusual sound combinations in a moderately modern idiom. In the first section there were seductive washes of trills and glissandi, in the second a certain amount of aleatoric-sounding instrumental chatter set off by broader statements, and in the finale a bright, almost playful mood.
Moss varied his sonic options in several ways. He posted three additional brass players in an isolated spot behind the other players, and he indulged himself in a piano and some percussion to a lend bite to the sound. His piece was enjoyable to listen to, with quirky ideas skillfully carried out..." Cleveland Plain Dealer, Oct. 23, 1984.
Availablity
Download PDF of "Symphonies"
Please contact Lawrence Moss for further availability details.
