"Impressive and expressive music. A composer at home with a
large—slightly abstract—sonic canvas."
—Mark Satola, WCLV-FM, Cleveland
"A one-movement symphony of great colorfulness."
—Peter Cosse, Oesterreichische Musikzeitschrift
"Quite memorable. . . . This is a well-written, moving work. Gallagher
clearly knows the orchestra well and knows what he wants to do with it . . .
.The Gallagher alone is worth the price of this well-recorded disc."
—Stephen D. Hicken, American Record Guide
"Gallagher evokes glowing images. . . . vivid instrumental colors . . . . and
turbulence rubbing shoulders with cheerfulness. There is sincerity and
warmth here, plus skillful handling of the chamber orchestra."
—Donald Rosenberg, Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Enormously inventing, dark, half-hour Symphony by Gallagher. . . . A very
interesting release, well above the average cut in pleasure."
—Heuwell Tircuit, in Tune Magazine
"Exceptionally original and powerful. . . . The score is enlivened constantly
by the complexity and surprise of the writing. Out of the cataclysmic hue
and cry, sonic warnings and wild hammerstrokes, there does arise-albeit
tenuously-a sad yet sweet, childlike optimistic closing."
—Blake A. Samson, Greenville (SC) Times
"A treat. This is a lovely melodic and accessible work, and Lindberg and his
orchestra made the most of it."
—Judy Gruber, The Washington Post
"The most gratifying taste-test is the opening work written by American Jack
Gallagher, the nearly half-hour Symphony in One Movement, completed in 1991.
The work begins in a slow tempo, then in the second half explodes in a
series of dramatic rhythms."
—Gert-Ove Fridlund, Gränslöst (Sweden)
"Only a curmudgeon would fail to appreciate the charm and understatement of
Jack Gallagher's Berceuse, with its hints of Barber's melancholy lyricism."
—Art Lange, Fanfare
"A splashing, yet lyrical blast of a piece, which gave this sizable audience
an example of the best writing for brass quintet available today. . . .
Perhaps the brass quintet literature finally is growing to the point at
which it will no longer be necessary to hear feckless transcriptions from
other forms."
—Jack Dressler, Charleston Post and Courier
"Its orchestration and level of melodic invention proved catching. A snappy
intrada movement is followed by a lovely elegy section in which solo
trumpet, clarinet, flute and oboe stir the ear. All this leads to a stirring
closer of a march. The requirements for soloists and ensemble are
considerable. . . . A noteworthy composition."
—Peter Jacobi, Bloomington (IN) Herald-Times
"(An) appealing, inventive score . . . . Evokes baroque forms in short
movements of glistening personality."
—Donald Rosenberg Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Outstanding. . . . exciting. . . . quite beautiful. . . High-quality music
(that) is difficult, yet eminently satisfying."
—David Johansen, International Trumpet Guild Journal
“Distinctive repertoire: a powerful work. Lyrically beautiful and intensely
dramatic.”
—John Climer, Director of Bands, Ohio University
"Gallagher’s 'Nocturne' is gorgeous. . . . it includes several cadenza-like
sections that Astolfi performs to perfection."
—Kathy Parsons, Solo Piano Publications
"Gallagher gave the orchestra a distinguished piece with which to open the
first concert. . . The tension and pacing continue to build throughout the
introduction until the brass blazes its way into Gallagher's (principal)
theme. Afterward, (the conductor) called Gallagher to stand with him at the
podium to accept the audience's enthusiastic applause."
—E.E. Johnson, The Daily Record, Wooster, OH
"An outstanding addition to the list of solos for unaccompanied trumpet
appearing in recent years. . . . The second movement is a two-and-one-half
minute creation of resonant beauty. The three-minute finale is almost
demonic in its relentless drive. This is a work created with knowledge and
authority. A significant and potentially enduring addition to the modern
literature for solo trumpet."
—Harry Herforth, International Trumpet Guild Journal
"An exuberant, tuneful and virtuosic three-movement sonata . . . .
Particularly notable is the excitement generated in the finale through
alternating octaves and changing meters."
—Bradford Gowen, The Piano Quarterly
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