"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, Gramaphone. (review of Lansing's CD Sixth
Species in the annual Awards Issue, Oct. 2008)
To read the entire review, click here.
"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. McLoskey’s compositions on this CD present contemporary
music that engages the listener with a variety of
styles and instrumentation. …."
–
Benjamin Faris. The Saxophone Symposium, May 2009.
"...this is real music, with rhythm, melody, harmony, and
form, which the listener can perceive, but definitely is from the twentieth
century."
–
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
"The other
standout on the program, McLoskey's Requiem...[is]
a beautiful piece, one that conveys both ethereal solemnity and wrathful
reckoning."
–
Michael Manning, The Boston Globe
"But
in fact the heart of the concert, for this listener, was an unassuming piece [Rosetta
stone] by Lansing D. McLoskey - the "D"
standing perhaps for dense, demanding, daring.
... The opening was an explosively metric movement of terrifying complexity and
jagged irregularity. Balancing it was a second movement of rounded,
mantralike piano clusters interspersed with lyrical lines in the treble
instruments. McLoskey... created a magical
sonority throughout this mysterious but thought-provoking piece."
– Paul Horsley, The Kansas City Star
"Moraine...immediately
grabs hold of the listener's attention with as commanding a statement by the
orchestra as found in any other work. With textures that vary from
single-voiced solos to a harmony heavy with polytonality, the composer reveals
here the talent that helped him win the prize."
–
Marcus Kalipolites, The Times Herald Record
"Drawing
on Black Flag, the Beatles and Bauhaus for inspiration, McLoskey writes
experimental new classical music for solo instruments, chamber and orchestra.
Pieces are extremely rhythmic at times, loose and ghostly at others, marked by
considerable control over instrumental range, combination and dynamics.
Countermelodies run in different directions and keys, remaining listenable and
exciting despite dissonant piano jabs and extreme tension. It's no wonder this young artist is winning awards and grants
-- he's drawing on modern masters, injecting Punk's energy, and finding new
ways to convey emotion without disassociating himself with his audience."
–
Jesse Terry, Listen.com
"The music is arresting and
compelling… the writing ingenious and brilliant, challenging yet well written
for the saxophone, and with a clear intensity
throughout."
– Paul Cohen,
President, To The Fore Publishers
"McLoskey’s
Wild Bells, was in many ways a striking
composition. … McLoskey's emphasis on vivid,
uncompromising textures and extremes of tempo reminded me of Ives'
sometimes-maddening experiments along these lines."
–
Jules Langert, San Francisco Classical Voice
"Most
of all I enjoy the novel sound of Lansing McLoskey's Breake, Blowe, Burn:
something like Varese's Nocturnal meets Stephen Hartke's Tituli;
rhythmic percussion accompanies a chorus singing quartal harmonies. Its
suggestive text combines writings of the 17th Century
"bad-boy" John Donne with Psalm 54."
–
Josh Mailman, American Record Guide
"[The
Madding Crowd]…is a new, major work for brass quintet…complex and difficult
but very worthwhile."
–
Journal of the International Brass Chamber Music Festival, Dec. 2008.
"Burning
Chariots … [the] text comprised Biblical passages in several languages, and
the most compelling setting was of fragments from The Lamentations of
Jeremiah, sung in Latin. ... These passages also represented McLoskey’s
finest vocal writing and showed remarkable ability at
setting the text. In fact, this section was one of the concert’s musical highlights.”
–
Jules Langert, San Francisco Classical Voice
"The
evening concluded with a reprise of Lansing McLoskey's ruminative
and emotionally intense Requiem,v.2.001…"
–
Jeremy Eichler, The Boston Globe