"Smart, compelling and fascinating music that gives
strong hints of a punk-band past.…a chaotic collision of exuberant
populist style with a bluesy edge and infectious punch. … Sixth
Species offers a bracing sampler from an
engaging, greatly gifted composer I hope to hear more from."
—
Lawrence
A.
Johnson, Gramophone Magazine. (review of Lansing's CD
Sixth Species in the annual Awards Issue)
–
The American Academy of Arts and Letters, on the occasion of his
receiving the Goddard Lieberson Fellowship.
– Carlos María Solare, The Journal of the
American Viola Society.
"Now and again some contemporary vocal works come
along that create story and meaning well, yet by so doing they
synthesize a contemporary state-of-the-art view of where the
Progressive Modern world has come so far. …This
music is edgy yet markedly tonal, Modern in a synthetic way, with a
kind of sum-uppance, creating powerful musical mood with a sure
hand. …
In the repeating hearing of Zealot Canticles, An Oratorio for
Tolerance we can recognize how fully McLoskey has unveiled
for us the remarkable expressivity that the later Modern stance has
put together, and which comes to fruition so tellingly here. We
experience how powerful and moving it can be.
…
It is a work of extraordinary beauty, filled with knowing
worldliness and inner certainty. Outstanding."
– Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review.
"These verses are unquestionably among the
most heart-wrenching and unsettling texts ever used as the basis of a
piece of choral music. Their explication of humanity’s inhumanity and
their crying out for “never again” rank high in the annals of poetic
responses to numerous 20th century atrocities. McLoskey’s success in
setting them in a manner both true to their inherent horror and
efficacious in the music’s ability to communicate that horror marks
the score as a major triumph. Donald
Nally and The Crossing, along with five instrumentalists, to effectively
navigate their way through the music’s thicket of daunting dissonances,
extended ranges, startling dynamics and evocative timbres is singular
even in the rarefied world of choirs dedicated to contemporary music.
... The Crossing sang so stunningly and movingly that one went away from
the concert convinced that each and every one of us has an integral role
to play in protecting the rights of each and every other one of
us."
– Michael Caruso, Chestnut Hill Independent.
"The world needs this piece..."
(writing about Zealot Canticles)
– David Patrick Stearns, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
"Lansing McLoskey’s Specific
Gravity: 2.72 followed and contained some of the most
successful moments of the evening. Commissioned for newEar’s twentieth
season, McLoskey found inspiration in emeralds (the 20th anniversary
stone) and the soggetto cavato
process of implanting names into musical form, in this instance the
pitches of "newEar" became the germ of the piece. Luckily the two
gelled into a
magnificent work, especially the second movement,
"November Graveyard." This movement was graceful with lush harmonies
and an overall quietude of reflection. His use of metallic percussion
instruments in this movement created subtle palettes for the winds and
strings to float upon..."
– Lee Harman, KC Metropolis.
"McLoskey’s
musical
interests
have evolved from being a guitarist and songwriter for punk rock bands
to a composer of some of
the most unique and engaging contemporary music written today.
… Upon hearing [his work] saxophonists will probably be awaiting
future compositions from this fine composer."
–
Benjamin Faris. The Saxophone Symposium.
"McLoskey's
Prex Penitentialis is an
evocative and inspired work that does a great job of
connecting the centuries old script with today's troubled psyche. It is
a modern work which resonates with the listener and doesn't attempt to
alienate the audience. It achieves this by simply reaching into the
meaning behind the words in the text, and emphasizing it's intent
through powerful and emotive music. A rare
skill that Lansing McLoskey has obviously mastered.”
–Jean-Yves Duperron, Classical Music Sentinal.
“…one of the most exceptional and
inspiring concerts I have ever attended…. [McLoskey’s blur] inspired me to be more critical when thinking about
musical sonority, form and thematic development in the future."
–
Elizabeth
Perten, Boston Musical Intelligencer.
–
Thomas Hall, Journal of the American Viola Society
"A major talent ... and a deep thinker with a great ear.
... His Requiem, ver.2.001x is
distinctive, fascinating, and compelling."
–
American Composers Orchestra press release
–
Michael Manning, The Boston Globe
–Paul Horsley, The Kansas City Star
–
Marcus Kalipolites, The Times Herald Record
–
Jesse Terry, Listen.com
"...one of the best composers of [his] generation."
–
Frank LaRocca, Composers Inc.