Reviews

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Selected from sections of the press reviews dealing with the works presented in the Music Page of this website.  Other aspects of the concerts, including performance have been deleted in order to focus on the works themselves.

I. VOICE AND ORCHESTRA

1 – "I Have a Dream" symphonic cantata.  Esther Hinds, soprano, University of Maryland Chorus conducted by Paul Traver, FMMC Orchestra conducted by Robert Gerle.  Kennedy Center Premiere.  Commissioned by the Washington Performing Arts Society, Patrick Hayes, Director Emeritus the National Endowment for the Arts, the Meyer Foundation, the Kipplinger Foundation, and the Dreyfus Foundation for the Centennial of the FMMC of Washington.

2 - "Ariel" Symphony No. 2 a vocal symphony on poems by Sylvia Plath commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra and premiered at the Kennedy Center for the American Bicentennial.  Stephen Dickson, baritone, Antal Dorati, conductor.  Recording: Christopher Keene conductor, Syracuse Symphony.

SUBSEQUENT PERFORMANCES

-  Carnegie Hall, New York City, April 10, 1978, Christopher Keene & the Syracuse Symphony, Stephen Dickson, Baritone, Diane Curry, mezzo-soprano

3 – "Songs of the Tulpehocken" Symphony No. 3 for tenor and orchestra in 7 movements based on anonymous Pennsylvania German texts Commissioned by Kenneth Riegel and the people of Berks County, Pennsylvania. Premiered by Kenneth Riegel and the Reading Symphony Orchestra, Stephen Douglas Burton conducting February 22, 1976.

4 - "Ode to a Nightingale" (based on the poem by John Keats) Sylvia Brigham, soprano, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Hans Werner Henze.  Berliner Festwochen October 9, 1963.

II. MUSICAL THEATER

5 - “THE DUCHESS OF MALFI” Opera in 3 Acts with libretto by Christopher Keene, based on the play by John Webster. Commissioned by the National Opera Institute (later the National Musical Theater Institute) written 1975 to 1978. Premiere: August 18, 1978 at Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts, Vienna, Virginia, Christopher Keene conducting.

III. MUSIC FOR ORCHESTRA

6 – "Fanfare for Peace" Commission of the International Committee for the Bicentennial of the Treaty of Paris (1783).  Premiered at the U.S. Capital Mall by the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hugh Wolf, and later performed in  St. Paul's Cathedral, London, with Queen Elizabeth II in attendance on British American Day, and also performed at Grosvenor Square at the dedication of the "Diplomatic Gates, " a gift from the US to UK, and also played for the opening of the George Mason University Concert Hall in Virginia with Arnald Gabriel conducting the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra.

 Although I was not aware of any reviews, the following is an excerpt from a letter of May 30, 1984 to Mr. Burton from Joan R. Challinor, Chairman of the National Committee for the Bicentennial of the Treaty of Paris. (The committee also included Mrs. Walter H. Annenberg, Kingman Brewster, Ellsworth Bunker, Henry Steele Commanger, W. Averell Harriman, Olga Hirschhorn, Elliot L. Richardson, Senator Paul S. Sarbanes, Sargent Shriver, George P. Schultz, Roger Stevens, and Senator John W. Warner among others.)

“You would have been thrilled to have heard your music performed by the Queen’s Artillery trumpeters.  It was just beautiful, and it is impossible to imagine anything more perfectly appropriate than ‘Fanfare’ was.”

7 – Symphony No. 1 Rudolf Alberth and Berlin Radio, 1969 Alberth and French National Orchestra, 1971 Sir Georg Solti and Israel Philharmonic, 1971 Solti and Chicago Symphony.

BERLIN RADIO ORCHESTRA 1968

SUBSEQUENT PREMIERES:

1969 - French premiere:  Rudolf Alberth and the ORTF (French National Orchestra)

1971 - Israel premiere: Sir Georg Solti and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

1971 - United States premiere: Sir Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra April 1, 1971

8 - 1972 “Dithyramb” (Hymn to Dionysus) Commissioned by Antal Dorati and premiered by the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center.  Dorati and National at Lincoln Center, 1974.  1975 Pittsburgh Symphony, Conductor: Donald Johannos.  Chicago Symphony: Conductor: Christopher Keene.

CHICAGO PERFORMANCE:

PITTSBURGH PERFORMANCE:

IV. CHAMBER MUSIC

9 – “String Quartet Fantasy” Commissioned by National Symphony String Quartet at Corcoran Gallery and played on the Paganini Stradivarius instruments in numerous venues. Performed in 1978 on the National Symphony Chamber Series.

SUBSEQUENT PERFORMANCE OF STRING ORCHESTRA VERSION:

The Northern Virginia Chamber Orchestra under Cal Kellogg performed the arrangement for string orchestra in the early 1990’s.

 

10 – “Six Songs after Hermann Hesse” for soprano and thirteen instruments. Commissioned by and premiered at the National Gallery of Art, 31st Annual American Music Festival. Based on the 1974 version for voice and piano. Voice: Louise Reade Burton, piano: Frank Conlon. Further performances: Voice: Ralph Williams, piano: Jeffrey Goldberg.

11 – “Requiescat” for chamber choir on a poem by Matthew Arnold. James Madison High School Madison Madrigal Singers. Conductor: Robert Shafer.